Thoughts on Monday

Listen.

The song drifts through the darkness, across the grassy hills-

you know it, but have you heard it?

Have you slowed your pace long enough to let it sink in deeply?

"How I love you, Child, I love you!"

God the father, singing over us. 

You.

Zephaniah 3:17 tells us,

  "The lord thy God in the midst of thee is mighty; 

He will save, He will rejoice over thee with joy; 

He will rest in his love, 

He will joy over thee with singing."

Our greatest hindrance to hearing His song may be the pace of our lives. 

We have been programmed to think that we can't slow down long enough

to allow anything to sink in deeply,

or, we have been deceived into thinking that when we do have a moments rest, 

we should seek some alternate universe via books,

the internet, or games,

when God himself awaits,

even longs for a relationship with the one He loves, 

you.

David Needham, my professor At Multnomah Bible College, 

and author of "Close to His Majesty" writes,

"Hardly a day-

hardly an hour-

goes by that if we paused to think through what was happening, 

we should discover something more about God. 

For, in Him we live and move and have our being." 

He is ours to taste, to discover. 

So you take time for daily Bible reading and prayer. 

Fine. 

But how about time to really mull over, to meditate,

to wrestle through some of those disturbing "Whys" that most of us have about God...

until those "Whys" dissolve into wonder and worship?  

And at other times, slowing down long enough to talk to God about God? 

And at other times, simply to enjoy the sheer pleasure of his love? 

Of His forgiveness? 

Of His faithfulness?

  One of the toughest things you and I confront

is to get our thoughts off ourselves 

and the earth-oriented things that surround us

long enough to "taste and see that the Lord is good."  pp13

I suppose that is one reason why I am so fond of walking.  

It is time to mull, to talk to God, and time to listen to Him. 

I am also known to linger in bed for quite a while in the mornings,

getting my mind right,

listening to His truth,

asking Him about my day, 

relinquishing my will.

Without that time, I am lost.

Just now, in the middle of the day, is a quiet moment to slip away-

There it is, the song...

slow down and listen-

He is singing over you

with joy.

Oh how He loves you.

Taste and see.