“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10 (KJV)
When I sit down to write a devotional passage, I usually have a particular point in mind – something that happened during the day, a scripture from my daily readings, a line from a hymn. My mind will say “that’s a perfect illustration of this dimension of God’s love,” or “I learned a real lesson there and I should pass it along.”
Over time, I have discovered an important truth: my point isn’t always God’s point. In the quiet prayer time before I begin writing, sometimes God will whisper to me the message he has for me at that moment. He will gently direct my awareness to something completely different from where I thought I was going.
It comes back to the necessity to “be still” and wait on His words. There are so many distractions going on around us every day that it becomes easy to overlook the whispered encouragement God gives us along the way. Yet the soft message is the most important one of all.
God will be exalted, whether I am a part of the process or not. I can choose to join in and share the joy, or I can fill my world with noises and sounds and activities that mean nothing in the eternal landscape. The decision is mine.
The most wonderful part of being a part of God’s plan is seeing the response. Inevitably, those messages that I wrote down in response to God “overriding” my plan turn out to be the ones that touch the most hearts. All I have to do is be still and let Him work.
Are there times when you have a plan but learn God’s plan for you is different? Don’t be afraid to be still and listen to His leading. He is the master cartographer, and His map will never lead you astray.
Father, thank you for the quiet times when I hear Your prompting. Please remind me to take the time to be still and listen.
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