Wednesday: Quiet Times with the Word of God
Our lives tend to be hectic and filled with tension and stress. Sometimes we have to work hard just to get by — to survive and to put food on the table. Other times, even when we have the necessities of life, we hustle and bustle because we want more and more. We want the things that we think will make us happy and fulfilled. But, as Solomon in the book of Ecclesiastes warns us, that doesn’t always happen.
Image © Bjorn Thorkelson at Goodsalt.com
Whatever the reason, we can be terribly busy in our lives, and so it’s very easy, amid the busyness, to crowd out God. It’s not that we don’t believe, but only that we don’t spend quality time reading, praying, and drawing close to the Lord, who has “your breath in His hand” (Dan. 5:23, NKJV). We can be too diverted by other things to experience quality time with God. We all need moments in which we deliberately slow down to meet the one who is our Savior, Jesus. How can the Holy Spirit speak to us if we do not pause to listen? The special quiet time with God, in reading His Word and in the communication of prayer, is the source of our spiritual life.
Read Psalm 37:7; Psalm 46:10; and Psalm 62:1-2, Psalm 62:5. What do these texts teach us about quiet time with God? Why is quiet time with God so important?
If you love someone, you enjoy spending time alone with that beloved person. Choose a place in which you can read and reflect on God’s Word without interruptions. In our hectic life, this can succeed only if you deliberately reserve a specific window of time for this encounter. Often the beginning of the day is best for these minutes of quietness and reflection. Such moments before the workday begins can become a blessing for the whole rest of the day, because the valuable thoughts you gain will accompany you for many hours. But be creative to find the right quality time you need in order to meet with God without interruption.
To be connected through prayer with the living God of the Bible affects your life as nothing else ever can. Eventually, it contributes to your becoming more like Jesus.
| How deliberate are you in seeking time to spend alone with the Lord? What are those times like, and how do they help you to know even better the reality and love of God? |
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I am by nature an introvert, quite comfortable being by myself. In the mornings I walk my 10000 steps to keep me fit and healthy into my old age. I take my camera with its long lens and go off into the local Australian bush looking for birds. It is in that time that my mind ticks over on the most recent discussions on Sabbath School Net and I think through my ideas for comments. These days I have with me my smartphone with its links to multiple Bibles so I can easily pause and look up texts. I have even been known to moderate Sabbath School Net comments while waiting for little Thornbills to come close enough to photograph. Of course, I have to be careful where I walk. Australia has some of the deadliest wildlife in the world and some of the plants are not all that friendly either.
It is in that quiet time, by myself that I read and think and have my conversations with God. I count myself as very blessed. I am retired and I can choose largely how I spend my time, providing I get to do the chores that Carmel has for me on her to-do list. Of course, my Bible study and quiet time is punctuated by the observation of birds that I encounter. That too is partly how I share with the local community. I encourage community members to take an interest in the biodiversity of our local environment by sharing my photos on the community Facebook page. It works well together, Bible study, working in nature, sharing with the local community and with the Sabbath School Net community.
In this context, Ps 19 is particularly pertinent:
Maurice - Thank you so very much for providing balance to my 'warfare'! 🙂 My heart is moved with gratefulness and awe toward the God who invided me to come into His presence.
Psalm 19 echoes like a mighty song. I see David sitting by a brook, looking around and experiencing the sense of wonder and awe.
He says, and I want to join him: v.14: 'Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in thy sight, O LORD, my strenth, and my redeemer'.
I can hear the melody resonate in my heart and rejoice along with him. His words are wonderfully inspired and bring peace to my heart.
No wonder the Spirit brought it to remembrance when you were out enjoying God's handiwork. 🙂
Thank you again for directing our hearts to be comforted in the power of God's Holy Spirit as shared with us through His Word.
Praying to the LORD is like talking to a friend, meditating on His Word is how He talks to me.
What did we discuss today?
The word "daily" - how important is spending time together daily?
Luke 9:23 deny yourself and take up your cross daily and follow me
Matt 6:11 give me this day my daily bread
Moses had to sacrifice a lamb in the sanctuary daily, every morning and evening Ex 29:38-39
Daniel 8:11-14 the false church tries to take away the "daily"
What is Jesus telling me?
I need to surrender my will to Him daily because I can't keep my resolution for any longer
He is the bread of life and I need to eat of His Word daily
The daily - continual sacrifice - reminds me that I can do nothing to earn eternal life. No ritual will save me. I am saved by His grace/mercy through faith/trusting in the gift of God of His Son's substitutionary sacrifice. Eph 2:8, John 3:16
What do I say? Thank you Jesus, change my heart, thoughts and actions to be like yours.
Thank God for this daily study. My routine normally begins with it. God has been taking this every day's message straight to my heart. God has really taken care of me, even at this crazy time that we are living right now. If it wasn't for God's protection, I have no idea where my life would be, but certainly not in a good place! His care has been such, that I really have to say that I owe Him my entire existence. Praise be to God who holds my breath! Praise be to Him who has also given me suffering for refinement! I do dedicate myself and work hard for the survival of my family, but God is the One Who blesses its results. I can say from the bottom of my heart that if it wasn't for the intervention of God, Jesus and the Holy Spirit in my life at this time, I'd know not where I'd be!
"Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!" Ps 37:7
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Ps 46:10
"For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken." Ps 62:1–2
"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him." Ps 62:5
Hi JC - thank you for sharing your personal experience with God. I join you in praising God for your faithfulness, to give you the desire to seek His guidance and your dedication to your family! Yes, it is He who has rescued us from certain destruction!
Rejoicing with you in the daily blessings our faithful, heavenly Father provides His children.
Thanks, Brigitte! Basically, every day I share my writings with a lot of people who are not 7th day adventists. But this time it was very specific. I wonder if we ever get to meet with the people who participate here. It would be a nice class, on-line! Perhaps the most difficult thing to round up would be the Time Zones... anyway, if any of us liked the idea, I'd love to help out!
If you've never read it, find and read the book "Alone With God" by Matilda Erickson Andross. It is in print again after being unavailable a few years ago. I found a copy from 1917 at a used book store back in the 1980's, and purchased the last case available (at that time) from the ABC to give out to others who were interested. Like Jesus, you might soon find yourself rising "a great while before dawn" to spend time alone with God.
So, what's a quiet time? We, it says in scripture that Jesus would often withdraw to a quiet place in order to pray "Very early in the morning says Mark 1:35 (NIV), while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where He prayed. Solitary place? That sounds like a prison sentence, so will stick with quiet time. During this daily quiet time, Jesus habitually removed Himself from the busyness of life and spent time in intimate communion with his Father. If Jesus needed this time apart with the Father, it would seem logical to assume we just we it just as much if not more.It's a time when we remove ourselves from the busyness of schoowork and the demands of social media to spend time praying, reading God's word and quietly listening to what God has to say to us.
Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old he will not depart from it. Prov 22:6.
Quiet Times with the Word of God- but after our quiet time with God then what next? And in the morning, rising up early a great while before day, he went out,..... and there prayed. Mark 1:35. What did Jesus do after spending time daily in devotion with his father? Ans- He went to work, his work consisted of, preaching, teaching, casting out demons, feeding, coming in contact with Satan and his angels, the Jews whom he came to save but who tried to kill him. He did miracles. etc etc.
This morning I purposely tried to live in the moment like Jesus, I got up early, had my devotion and then I went to work. Every moment I tried to keep Christ in my mind. I learnt the moment we say- I have decided to follow Jesus. Satan says- I am determined that you do not follow Jesus. Today was no difference. It is so easy to have devotion then go out and meet with your friends, people who have the same mind intention like you, people who you like and they like you, people who are the same class like you. etc etc. But when we look at Jesus, after devotion, what did he do?
"In His contact with men He did not ask, What is your creed? To what church do you belong? He exercised His helping power in behalf of all who needed help. Instead of secluding Himself in a hermit’s cell in order to show His heavenly character, He labored earnestly for humanity. He inculcated the principle that Bible religion does not consist in the mortification of the body. He taught that pure and undefiled religion is not meant only for set times and special occasions. At all times and in all places He manifested a loving interest in men, and shed about Him the light of a cheerful piety.{DA 86.3}
So in light of that, what was my day like? Went to work and moment by moment I found Satan was after me, all different obstacles, all different barriers but I persisted throughout the day showing love as much as I knew it. One individual was calling so often it was unbelievable. Coming to a close to the end of the day, like Satan was determined to win. Someone got so angry with me but I maintained my steadfastness in Christ. I was determined not to let Christ name go in vain.
I work from home, and believe it or not, it is sometimes harder to make that time happen. I look forward each day to the time I have set aside for my studying. It’s once I get the boss (my husband) out the door, and the phone has not started ringing yet, that I can take the time for prayer and study. It has become essential for my day.