Human solitude and quietness are popular concepts in today’s world, right? Wrong. Our culture is fast-paced, high-tech, and pseudo-connected. To speak of the grandeur of moments of human solitude and quietness is similar to speaking an alien language.
Our culture’s general averseness to quiescence should be no surprise to the child of God who is well aware of the enemy’s schemes. In this cosmic battle for the heart of man, Satan knows the power of preoccupation, restlessness, busyness, and noise. If we can be kept from outright meditation on the Lord and from serious introspection, the enemy will have his way in our lives.
“Be still and know that I am God.” These beautiful words of Psalm 46:10 (NIV) invite us to perceive, to understand, and to learn that God is God! How? We gain this knowledge sometimes through being still. The Hebrew root for stillness tells us to cease from our own attempts and acknowledge the bigness and holiness of God.
Recently I stood nearly motionless at the window of my home office as a gentle, steady snow began. The huge evergreens lining the back of our property provided a wonderful, contrasting background for the gigantic “snow globe” type of snowflakes descending from the sky.
I had been praying, and I felt the Lord prompt me to stay standing, arm leaning on the top of the lower windowpane. I know He wanted me to remain quiet and still, observing His creation and allowing Him to speak to me and calm my spirit. (So often we want to tell God things, but He also wants us to listen.)
I remained there purposefully for some time, watching glistening snowflakes. Actually, I tried following with my eyes a few individual flakes in their descent to the ground below. Against the dark green trees, the seemingly innumerable snowflakes amazed me. There was such an abundance of particles, but each one was traveling a unique path to join the others as they formed a white blanket on the grass.
I found myself in the middle of Job 37:14-16 (NIV), “Stop and consider God’s wonders. Do you know how God controls the clouds and makes his lightning flash? Do you know how the clouds hang poised, those wonders of him who is perfect in knowledge?”
Standing in the quiet of my home, leaning on the windowpane, watching snow fall, and obeying God’s command to be still and consider Him; I was truly changed. I had been praying for days about many circumstances – some acutely troubling. As I stood at the window quietly knowing my Lord, He answered me without giving me exact answers. He filled my heart with courage. He renewed my strength and outlook as I allowed the noise of life to vanish in the stillness of moments given over to the Lord.
Amazingly, specific answers began to come in the days following. God directly reacted to my simple obedience with a cascade of answers, revelations, and peace.
My flesh wants to work so hard for answers. Sometimes we want to drown out the hurt with a myriad of activities. We may even try to evade conviction of God’s Holy Spirit with noise and preoccupation.
Please do not give in to these tactics of the enemy. Treat with precious respect the godly concepts of quietness and human solitude. God works in these . . . as He promised.