Shh – It’s Quiet Day
How long could you go without noise?
Complete quiet except for the sounds of birds chirping and wind blowing through the trees.
Does that thought make you blissful or anxious? 24 hours without phone, music, and television?
But then what if I told you the day was originated as day for meditation, devotion, and prayer?
Quotes about Quiet
The best remedy for those who are afraid, lonely or unhappy is to go outside, somewhere where they can be quiet, alone with the heavens, nature and God. Because only then does one feel that all is as it should be. ~ Anne Frank
God’s voice is still and quiet and easily buried under an avalanche of clamor. ~ Charles Stanley
True silence is the rest of the mind; it is to the spirit what sleep is to the body, nourishment and refreshment. ~William Penn
God never ceases to speak to us, but the noise of the world without and the tumult of our passions within bewilder us and prevent us from listening to him. ~ Francois Fenelon
Listen
We rush through each day with a long list of to-dos. We grab our phones and tablets to check our email and Facebook on the way to grab a cup of coffee. The we rush to the car and turn on the radio, and…
Stop. Shh. Listen. When is the last time you asked God what He wants to say to you. What He wants you to know:
When you feel alone and unloved He says, I have loved you with an everlasting love. Jeremiah 31:3; and “Behold, I have engraved you on the palm of My hands.” Isaiah 49:16
When you’re afraid He says, Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10
When you need hope He says, “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” Jeremiah 29:11
When you feel weak He says, “I am your refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Psalm 46:1
When you need forgiveness He says, “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” Isaiah 43:25
Celebrate Quiet Day
It would be wonderful if we could take the next 24 hours to turn off the noise and set aside our calendars and lists, but that’s probably not going to happen. We can commit to spend 30 minutes in quiet prayer and devotion.
Lent begins next week. What if we spent those 40+ days turning off the noise for a set amount of time with God. Rather than giving up chocolate or sugar, let’s make time everyday to listen to His still quiet voice.
God…. is longing for a time of communion with His children. Specifically, He longs to meet with you. He knows you know that He loves you. But still, He wants to say it again. He knows you know that He is faithful, but He wants to show His faithfulness once again. ~ Author Unknown
Let’s talk: What verse do you turn to when you need to be reminded that God loves you? Will you commit to 30 minutes of daily quiet time?
I turn to Isaiah 43:18-19 because it reminds me that He is in charge, that I can be still and wait and know He is making a way where a way seems impossible or impractical to me. As for committing to quiet time, I actually am pretty good at that already to the point where I can say I’m addicted to that quiet time. It\’s an anchor point in my life. I’ve written a lot about silence, quiet, stillness, etc. on my blog. It’s a topic that I continually revisit too, which tells you the importance I place on it. God has led me to do this more and more over the years, and recently He\’s leading me to more of a peaceful state within regardless of what\’s happening without. Love how He gently progresses me!
Deb, what I miss the most about where we lived in both countries we served in is the quiet. Undeveloped means quiet. You know I will take the challenge of being quiet for 30 minutes each day…I won’t start till we get moved which is in a couple days.
I turn to Isaiah 30:18, God longs to show compassion to me…He sits on high waiting to bless me. Thanks for the quiet thoughts.
The older I get the more I enjoy the quietness. Sunday was crazy for us, we spoke 4x in 3 different churches and were guests in 2 homes. That meant a lot of talking!
On Monday as we drove the 8 hrs home the kids fell asleep for a couple of hours and we just enjoyed the silence! I told Christina, “let’s just not talk right now” and she was all to happy to join me in the silence. I’ve found that enjoy silence helps me to listen better and speak better when there isn’t silence.
“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10
That verse really helps me to just be quiet…it is in those times that I feel God’s presence the most.
Blessings, Joan