Quiet Moments with God

By: Josprel

Quiet Moments with God
by
Josprel

"You don't want the radio on this morning do you, honey?" my wife, Maria, asked.

Usually, during breakfast, we listened to the news. But this Monday we added the bonus of a quiet meal to our devotions.

The previous day we conducted services at a church across the city. Spring road repairs made traveling hectic. Though we allowed ample time to arrive unhurriedly, the detour mazes repeatedly routed us into the heart of the city. Finally, a patrol car directed us to the expressway. Somewhat frazzled, and in need of another quiet moment with God, we reached our destination. Sitting quietly in our car for several minutes, we worshiped silently and the tenseness dissipated, replaced with God's peace. Refreshed for service, we entered the church.

I recently traveled the outbound lanes of an expressway where inbound vehicles were crawling into the city, bumper-to-bumper, three abreast. Tracking the situation for more than nine miles, I commented to my friend that an accident probably had occurred. He stated that such traffic was normal for that time of day. Today it’s considered normal today for three lanes of traffic over nine miles long, to travel bumper-to-bumper at crawl speed!

Some time back, Maria and I drove from Western New York State to Connecticut to visit our son and his family. On our return trip we left in the early morning and merged with extreme care into a turnpike with five lanes of traffic moving bumper-to-bumper in one direction, at some seventy-five to eighty miles per hour. Traveling behind our car was a young women (I could see the frustration on her face in the rear-view mirror) leaning on her horn for us to go faster – something impossible to do, since our front bumper already was nearly touching the rear bumper of the car ahead of us. She continued blaring her horn until she eventually no doubt concluded her frustration served no purpose.

Upon reaching home, we called our son to report our safe arrival and remarked on the almost inconceivable traffic congestion we encountered on that turnpike. He stated that such traffic was normal on that road, since many small Connecticut towns serve as bedroom communities for the numerous workers who commute long distances to their jobs. In our generation, it’s considered normal to travel long distances in bumper-to-bumper traffic at seventy-five to eighty miles per hour - normal to commute at such speeds to and from a worker’s distant home! A hectic lifestyle is the accepted norm today.

A friend, newly transferred to a suburb of a metropolis by his company, was appalled at the housing costs in his new locale. The realtor informed him that the high prices were due to the demand created by the bedroom community's close proximity to the city, “only a one and one half hour ride by commuter train.” For many such three-hour commutes to and from work are the norms.

We all can cite comparable accounts illustrating that our society finds it impossible to relax. The tension factor is the accepted norm today. Not immune to the standard, Christians also feel the resulting pressures. Therefore, in addition to personal prayer, we habitually should replenish ourselves, at convenient intervals, by quiet moments with God. Such unregimented getaways may be enjoyed anywhere we can make time for them.

Believers in gentler generations understood the value of quiet moments. Long ago, an anonymous writer penned words apt to our times: "There is a restlessness and a fretfulness in these days, which stand like two granite walls against godliness. Contentment is almost necessary to godliness, and godliness is absolutely necessary to contentment. A very restless man will never be very godly, and a very godly man will never be a very restless man. 'Be still and know that I am God.'"

C. H. Spurgeon, quoting Matthew Poole, wrote that the still waters of Psalm 23 "...are opposed to great rivers, which both affright the sheep with their noise, and expose them to the danger of being carried away by their swift and violent streams, whilst they are drinking from them."

The Apostle Paul noted that for Christians to avoid society's debilitating tides, it would be necessary to "...go out of the world" (I Cor. 5:10). This being so, the noise and dangers of modern "violent streams" sometimes do "affright" us. By repairing often to the quietness of our Shepherd's pastures, we permit His Presence to assuage the strains and tensions our times engender.

Jesus scheduled periodic rest from intense activity for His disciples. His words, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while," highlight the soul's quest for quiet moments (Mark 6:31 NKJ). For Christ, solitary times received high priority. His custom of retreating into quietness with the Father emphasizes this need in each of us. If the Master required quiet moments, we, much more!

In his hymn “In the Garden” C. Austin Miles wrote that he began his quiet times with God "... while the dew is still on the roses..." and extended them until nightfall. Most likely, our calendars render such a schedule impossible. But, as we glean frequent, daily intervals for quiet times with God, we still may withdraw from these hypertensive times to hear His voice. During these moments, wherever we may be is transformed into a garden of fellowship, where He assures us we are His own.

© Josprel (Joseph Perrello)
Josprel@verizon.net

Josprel is an ordained minister who resides in Western New York - just across the Niagara River from Canada. Though brought up in a Christian family, he rebelled against the Lord at an early age, finally enlisting in the U.S. Air Force. He served three years in Air Force, two and one half of them in the Far-East, as an operating engineer. Josprel was among the first Air Force troops to enter Japan, after World War Two. Upon returning home, he accepted Christ as his Savior and studied for the ministry. Josprel is authoring two novels: "Beloved Apostate" and "Kanfal."

Article Source: http://www.articles.narrowisthepath.com

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