“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10, NIV)
Golf is one of the few sports where competitors expect fans to be quiet while they are executing their shots. They are OK with noise afterwards but need quiet to focus on what they are about to do. This is very different from team sports like football and basketball where the noise from the crowds can be deafening. It is considered poor sportsmanship to make noise or in any way attempt to distract your opponent in golf.
Our relationship with God is first and foremost an individual matter. We deal with God and he deals with us in a one-on-one relationship (though he has given us the body of believers to train and encourage us in this relationship). When things are clear in our relationship with God, we can have successful relationships with others around us.
One of the ways that God helps us to know him better is to meet us in solitude and silence.
Before we can hear God speak, we must become still and wait in silence. This is best done in solitude and not together with someone else or in a place surrounded by distractions. This might be one of the hardest things God asks us to do. The era that we live in places very little value on being alone or disconnected from the world around us, which constantly clamors for our attention.
God speaks in a still, small, voice that cannot be heard over the noise of our cellphone or television. If we are serious about really getting to know God, we need to find a place and a time where we can be still before him. Much like the golfer who needs quiet to focus on what he is about to do, we need time and solitude to really understand God’s plan and purpose for our life.
Jesus spent much time alone, in prayer and conversation with his Father in heaven. He got up early, stayed up late, and often escaped after extremely hectic days to any place he could go to be alone. These are strategies we can employ, too.
If time with the Father was so important to Jesus, it should be equally important to us. It is in solitude and silence that we can best comprehend who God is and what he wants from us. The direction we so desperately need in the noisy, chaotic life that surrounds us can only come when we are still.
—
Linda Ballard
February 1, 2018
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.