When you ask God to grow you in an area, don’t be picky about how he does it.
Because I wanted to grow this year to depend more on God and delight more in him, I picked some nice, quiet authors for my journey who could help me stay centered on God.
And they’ve been helpful. Incredibly so.
It’s already September, and my companions—Piper, Miller, Mahaney, Murray, more—have sat with me faithfully through many Quiet Time hours.But God doesn’t just speak to us just in Quiet Times.
Sometimes he gets downright noisy.
You want to overcome fear?
Then spend a week with Me in Central America.
You want to worry less?
Then let’s plan a wedding to practice calm.
You want to drop some heaviness?
Then play outside with Me for 12 weeks straight.
He likes to mix it up.
He likes to balance the reading with the doing,
the study with the experiments,
the calm with the bustle.
Do what you know to do to grow,
but let him do whatever he wants to do, too.
And don’t be surprised when things get a little noisy.
* * *
How has God added some noise into your quiet times lately?
21 comments:
So true, Lisa. He teaches us and shapes us through experiences and challenges as well as through quiet times. As much as I don't like to admit it, the lessons I learn through trials are the ones I tend to retain the most.
Hi there! We had similiar thoughts with "noisy" time instead of "quiet" time! Yes, my time with God tends to get noisy as well! Thank you for sharing!
Brenda
That's so true- many of my "quiet" times have not been so quiet. In fact, I think I hinder my time with God sometimes by trying to make it quiet.
Thankfully this has been a pretty quiet year after all the tumult of every member of our family moving last year, and I am glad for the respite. :-) But usually our faith is exercised and stretched more in the active, noisy times. I'm glad He knows when to have us go through which one and balances them out.
"Knowledge puffeth up but charity edifieth!" Whenever I make time to grow in the "hearing & understanding" part of wisdom, God ramps up the "doing & enduring" half. Love that!
Melissa,
Me, too. I’d prefer to just learn the lesson through reading about it than living it! But like you, I retain more through living it out.
Continuing to pray for your full recovery. So glad the yucky part is behind you now.
Jennifer,
You’re making me think with this…
“I think I hinder my time with God sometimes by trying to make it quiet.”
I am finally learning to just go ahead and send an e-mail or make a phone call, even if it’s in the middle of my quiet time, to someone who I’ve been praying to God about. The Lord has to keep telling me—"I’m answering your prayer—do what I’m telling you!" (I can be a slow learner…)
Barbara,
I’m glad that He knows the right balance, too. If he left it up to me, I’d probably be WAY heavy on the quiet time. :-) And miss out on the million wonderful things I’ve learned and enjoyed in the noisy times.
Rebecca,
1 Cor 8:1 is a great verse to quote here.
I see it happen all the time with me and others, and many times it starts out so innocently: we get such enjoyment from learning something new (which is a good thing!) but then we forget to go DO something with it and settle instead for the pleasure of being smart (or thinking we are anyway). Good point—thanks!
So true. Hearing Him speak to us in the midst of all the things going on in our lives. Not just in our Quiet Times, but also in all the noisy times. Good thoughts and reminders.
Amen Lisa! Be careful what you ask for (teasing of course). :o)
He definitely teaches us through our own experiences in life!
Bless you!
Beth
http://mydestinysharinghope.com/
Yes so often what he whispers to us in our QT is also said in our noisy time, learning to practice what God is saying to us. Thank you Lisa!
Absolutely SO TRUE!!! Every time I sent out to teach or speak on something, I get an experiential lesson that God uses to grow me first. And what am I talking about next month, "Courage"...I'm still kicking myself for changing my topic from "leadership" to courage! haha! It's been a challenge season of stepping out, but I praise God for His faithfulness to lead and draw us closer to him!
- Melissa
Melissa,
I think I’m due to spend a concentrated year again praying for humility, but the last time I did I found myself learning the lesson in ways I wasn’t happy about. It was quite, well, humbling. ;-) God is faithful; I shouldn’t be surprised when he answers my prayers in ways HE knows are best.
So I feel your pain in praying for courage. Just choosing the topic is itself an act of courage though, so you already have received a measure of bravery. The Lord is alive and active!
So true. I appreciate the reminder that it's happening out there, along with studying, our call is to action... Action is seldom quiet is it?
Nice one.
He likes to mix it up.....
Oh sister, I get what you are saying!
He does mix it up. :o)
Over this last month I've been asking God the same question that the apostle Paul did after his vision of Jesus Christ - What wilt thou have me do? I havent consciously prayed its just been in my head, but prayers dont have to be said to be heard and heard it was and answered it was in a very surprising way. It matters not about the specifics but without any doubt i know it was answered.
Beverley,
That’s a very bold thing to ask God: what do you want me to do now? I applaud you for it.
And I give God praise for answering you in a way that was so clear to you.
He is for us and will always help us do his will when we ask for his help. It’s a faith-lesson for me. Thank you for sharing this.
It's only when we have nothing left to lose that we walk by faith and faith alone will get us to God. God took Danielle's spirit from her broken body and the mangled wreckage of her car and left her mother, my sister and all of us living on faith alone because there is nothing else left.
Noise is good, sometimes. Especially when it's joyful.
Yes it is, Glynn. There was a young family near us at breakfast this morning, 4 small kids under the age of 6. Joyful noises for sure! :-) We can learn much from the younger crowd too…
I love this, Lisa! Yes, He talks to us whenever and wherever, in the quiet and in the noise. Beautiful!
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