“For day after day they seek me out; they seem eager to know my ways, as if they were a nation that does what is right and has not forsaken the commands of its God. They ask me for just decisions and seem eager for God to come near them."
So, this week, as I was preparing our lesson and doing some personal study, I did just that. I was eager to seek His ways and for God to come near. Wednesday morning, I got up and could not wait to meet with the Lord. It was a gorgeous day here on the shore, too. Sunny, blue skies, warm temps. Just couldn’t ask for anything better in February! But I felt God nudging me to get away and just be still. Take the time to not only study and prepare, but to LISTEN to Him. That’s hard to do when you’re married to a pastor. Our phone rings 24/7 (even though he is not here during the week-he's working!), and while I could NOT answer it, the ringing still persists and even an occasional knock on the door. No, I needed a quiet place. I knew exactly where that spot would be. The beach!
I’m a beach girl. It is just something I never ever get tired of seeing. To me, the ocean demonstrates so much of its Creator. Kinda like a painting is not the painter, it just describes His qualities. His strength, His sovereignty, His faithfulness, His power, His vastness, His detail, His sufficiency, and His provision are only a few. There’s just nothing more peaceful to me. We are blessed to have an undisturbed beach nearby on Assateague Island. No hotels, no restaurants, no houses. Just wildlife and beach. It’s gorgeous. In the summer, it is packed with tourists and locals, but come late fall until late spring, it’s basically desserted other than the occasional walker or bird-watcher. So, I took off for the perfect place to be still. I grabbed a sandwich at a place on Chincoteague Island which is the island before Assateague. Then, headed over to enjoy some time with my Maker. And what a time it was. I spent the first hour just studying and getting some things prepared for Sunday. Then, I did what I’ve been challenging the girls in class to do: just stop and listen to Him. I put down my Bible and my Bible study book. I put down my notebook and my journal. I grabbed my camera and just walked on the beach. Not even the sound of the waves could drown out the voice of God. No, it wasn’t an audible spoken voice, but He just showed up and showed off for me in ways I’ll never be able to describe, and He used His amazing creation to do it. Here’s just a few of the pictures I took yesterday.
So, now it’s your turn. Ministry can certainly bring about many challenges despite its blessings. We wives can get worn down, exhausted, burned out, frustrated, and overwhelmed with the demands on our husbands that affect us and our families. Ministry would be great without the people, huh? (It’s a JOKE!) Ephesians 4:14 says we can "be tossed back and forth by the waves, blown here and there by every wind…” Yet, it goes on to say “Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into Him, who is the Head, that is Christ. From Him the whole body, joined and held together, by every supporting ligament, grows, and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.”
If we do not take time to rest our spirits, ministry can become a chore and deplete us . Been there, done that….bought the T-shirt! That’s not what it should be though. Even in the worst of circumstances, having a right heart and right spirit will make the difference. This won’t just come magically though. Make sure you are guarding your quiet time, your family time, and not just studying God’s Word, but taking the time to be still and hear His voice. It is not selfish to take time for you! For you, that may be the mountains, the woods, your back yard, or your living room while a baby naps. I don’t know how He will speak to you or what He will use, but I guarantee He WILL speak. IF you take the time to listen. Quitting is not an option, especially when there’s blessing in the end.
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:19-25
“But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body, and since we have a great priest over the house of God, let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds. Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:19-25
“But I have stilled and quieted my soul;
like a weaned child with its mother,
like a weaned child is my soul within me.”
Psalm 131:2
Psalm 131:2
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