Yielded and Still, Seeking His Will

Often, I know what to do, but not how to do it. (Is that true of you, too?)

Thus, I benefit greatly from the personal experience stories shared by others. For example, while reading A Lifetime of Positive Thinking by Ruth Stafford Peale, I eagerly read about how she and her husband, Dr. Norman Vincent Peale, sought guidance from God. In one of the many “life stories” she shares in the book, she tells about how they prayed. 

The two of them would meet in his office or in a room in their home, and Dr. Peale would often say something like this, “Lord, we have this problem. You know what it is without our telling. Please guide us in the right direction. Make us receptive to Your will.” Having clearly and simply stated their request for God’s guidance, Dr. Peale would conclude the short prayer by saying, “We thank You for this help that You are now giving us.”

As they waited quietly and expectantly for God to answer, they didn’t babble on and on about the specific matter for which they were seeking God’s guidance. Neither did they discuss possible solutions. Instead, they read and/or reflected on relevant verses from the Bible, verses such as: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10) and “In quietness and confidence shall be your strength” (Isaiah 30:15).

After a while, either Dr. or Mrs. Peale would say, “It seems to me this is the way to deal with this” or “I believe we’ve been on the wrong track with this one. Perhaps we should handle it this way.” More likely than not, the other felt the same; and, thus, “a clear line of action would open up where things [had been] obscure before” (p. 20).

After reading about how they prayed, I decided to try it. As I prepared to write this article, I didn’t know what God wanted me to write about. I had lots and lots of ideas, but I didn’t know which one to choose. So, I followed the Peales’ example. I sat quietly “before the Lord” and waited for Him to instruct me. I closed my eyes and suddenly the chorus of the old song, Speak to My Heart popped into my mind. I made those words, written by B.B. McKinney in 1927, the prayer of my heart.

My sweet Mama,
who was often yielded and still
in the presence of her God.

As I hummed them, I suddenly recalled the above story from Ruth Peale’s book and sensed that God wanted me to share it with you so that we would be reminded of the importance of sitting quietly before Him as we seek His will and His ways. If we will be “yielded and still” before Him, He will speak to us. He will show us not only what to do but also how and when to do it.

Crazy Busy!

I laughed when I saw this sign and couldn't resist taking a picture of it. But the more I thought about it, the more I realized it is a sad commentary on those of us who are crazy busy. 

Dear Reader, do you fall into the "crazy busy" group, as I do? If so, it's time, past time, for us to slow down, for we are not keeping the pace and, thereby, not experiencing the blessings God wants to give us--blessings we so desperately need: salvation, strength, and rest, to name a few.

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For thus the LORD GOD, the Holy One of Israel, has said, "In repentance and rest you will be saved. In quietness and trust is your strength." But you were not willing.

Isaiah 30:15, New American Standard Bible

Turtles in the Fast Lane

The rain tapped a steady rhythm on the car windows as a friend and I talked. The dreariness of the day matched our mood.

As Joann and I discussed what Dr. James Dobson refers to as “fatigue and time pressure,” we realized we how much we had in common. Each of us had been born and reared in small towns where the pace was slow and where people had time for one another. Each of us had had close friends and time to cultivate and enjoy those friendships. Although we had lived in the metro Atlanta area for more than a decade, we still found ourselves longing for the slower pace and the relationships we’d thrived on as children and teenagers.

That’s what we wanted, but not what we had! Our lives were filled with stress as we juggled family responsibilities, job demands, church and community activities, etc. We lamented the fact that our busy schedules allowed little time for relaxation or for being with those dearest to us. We talked on and on, oblivious to the downpour of rain. Suddenly, Joann started to giggle. “Johnnie, we’re just two old turtles being forced to live in the fast lane!” 
           

We exploded with laughter at her “homey” illustration; and, while I didn’t particularly feel flattered at being compared to a turtle, the truth of her words began to dawn on me. God did not equip turtles to travel safely on interstate highways. Neither did He design people to live in the fast lane. Quite the contrary!

“The Sovereign LORD…says, ‘Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength.’” Isaiah 30:15

Yet, if we stubbornly insist on living in the fast lane, we—not God—will be responsible for the carnage on the highways of life.

Note: I wrote this more than 20 years ago, and it was included in my book Reflections, which was published in 2002.

Unplug!

When I saw the above Anne Lamott quote on a fellow writer's blog, I decided I'd share it with my readers. So, I typed them on a photo I'd taken recently while I was "unplugging" for a few days on the Georgia coast. As I reflected on the truth Anne's words contained, I remembered a similar, but far greater, truth I found many years ago in Isaiah 30:15:

In repentance and rest you shall be saved,

In quietness and trust is your strength.

~~The Lord GOD 

Although I've posted this Bible verse before, I need to be reminded of its truth again, since I am prone to rush, rush, rush (as, perhaps, you do) and forget to take time to unplug from time to time--if not for days, at least for a few minutes here and there. 

Trust! Then Relax!

As my husband and I stood outside a friend’s glass storm door, her two little dogs stood on the inside. Both were barking non-stop, but one seemed particularly ferocious, so much so that I feared he’d bite us even as our friend tried to shush her dogs and shoo them away from the door so we could step inside.

My husband used his cell phone to take this photo of Duffy and me.

A while after I’d seated myself on the sofa, the ferocious dog (Duffy) jumped up and sat quietly beside me for over an hour, listening to the conversation in the room. As I stroked his back and rubbed his silky ears, he dozed off—totally relaxed. Once he sensed he could trust me, what a difference that made in his behavior!

That experience helped me realize this spiritual truth: Life becomes far less stressful when we learn we can trust God. Only then will we relax in His presence and just let Him love us. Only then do we stop yipping and yapping and wearing ourselves out, feeling as if our well-being depends solely on us. Only when we fully trust Him do we, in effect, curl up in His presence and receive the love and the peace we've been struggling to obtain in our own strength.

  

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For thus says the LORD GOD...

In returning [repentance] and rest you shall be saved; 

in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.

Isaiah 30:15, ESV