Thought for the Week

I was in the kitchen and noticed a spot on the stove. It likely fell from the stirring spoon on its way to the spoon-rest. I got a dishcloth, some soap, a little bit of water and rubbed. It was gone in a moment. I then noticed two more spots on the stove and gave them the same treatment. No big deal, right? It was a good thing and the right thing to do. I woke up in the night. Nothing unusual about that either. Upon my return to bed, I thought of an unkind thought I had a few days before. I confessed it to God as an unkind thought and asked for His forgiveness. Since I had not expressed the thought out loud, nobody else knew about it, just God and me. It felt good to be clean. It was not very long before I fell asleep again. The Word tells us that we shall “…be still and know that I am God.” I think quiet meditations and confessions fulfill that goal to some degree. Most likely you wake up sometimes during the night as well. What do you do? Well, sometimes, I sing (silently, of course). Sometimes I just pray. Sometimes, I think about the wonderful things God is and does for us. The warm snuggling in the blankets is just one of those things to thank God for. Thinking about those who have no warm home or blankets tends to make me more wakeful. So, can go to prayer for them at that point. I like doing things for God. But I also find satisfaction on just being still and knowing He is God. Being still was not always my forte. It has taken me a while to learn it in retirement. I think it is typical of men to evaluate themselves by what they do or accomplish. Certainly God does need workmen in His world. That work takes on many faces and aspects. But God also wants to just spend time with His children. We are created for fellowship AND good works. God has prepared those works for us to do. He does and will continue to call us to them. He is also clear to call us to “be still and know He is God.” Jesus called His disciples to “come apart” (away from the busyness of a hectic schedule) and “rest awhile.” It is hard for me to imagine being “alone” with Jesus and not asking a hundred questions I have on my mind, but it is a good thing. Sharon and I can sit together without having to talk a lot. It is true for God and me as well. For a lot of us this quietness and companionship needs to be cultivated but it is well worth the effort to sit and do nothing active but to dwell in His presence. I have always like the hymn “I Come to the Garden Alone.” Perhaps that is not actually the title but it is the first line. It reflects on the relationship God and Adam had in the very beginning. We may not be able to duplicate it in our world but I think it is worth the effort. Just you and God, alone in the bedroom, or the garden, or the sanctuary of your church. It is not so much the location. It is the persons. I am convinced God wants this. We just need to understand we can and should want it as well. Dew on the roses is still a few months away. But some of you can find your way to the kitchen and enjoy the smell of coffee or hot chocolate. It can be pitch dark outside and even inside if you prefer. Just get alone with God and share with Him. Let Him share with you. He is yours and you are His. Enjoy it to the maximum.

Scriptures to Read

Psalm 46:7-10

St. Mark 6:30-33

Ephesians 2:4-10

St. Matthew 11:28-30

Isaiah 14:1-3

Isaiah 30:8-15

Hebrews 4:3-11