I recently moved into a rental. I had to downsize from 1460 square feet to 450 square feet. The things I kept are mostly essentials. However, I have lots of wall space here, so all of my pictures are displayed except for two.

I placed my parent’s picture so that I could see them each morning. In my other home I sometimes glanced at them as I walked by. Since their new place on my wall now, I have been thanking the Lord for them. They have great smiles. A few mornings ago I began to realize a deep stirring in my heart.

I would not be here if it was not for them. They were His intended vehicle to give me life. He created me (Jeremiah 1:5) as He knew me, strategically placing me in my mother’s womb. This morning I had that knowing in my heart that every single incident in my life was His essential for me. Each had a part in His training me for what He has called me to do. Not one was in vain.

Do you also realize that every situation you have ever been in up to this point is purposeful, strategic, and essential? Nothing is in vain because He redeems it all! In God’s Sovereign plan for our lives, everything that He has allowed is part of our spiritual DNA. We can sincerely echo Joseph’s words to his brothers. In Genesis 50:20 he said, “…you meant it for evil against me; but God meant it for good…”

Jesus promised that to those who kept His word, He would personally reveal Himself to them. How does He do that today? The Holy Spirit illuminates His word to our hearts. 1 Corinthians 2:10 Amplified says, “Yet to us God has unveiled and revealed them by and through His Spirit, for the (Holy) Spirit searches diligently, exploring and examining everything, even sounding the profound and bottomless things of God (the divine counsels and things hidden and beyond man’s scrutiny).”

Think back a moment to Paul’s prayer for the folks in the Ephesus church. In Ephesians 1:18 he prayed that, “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that you may know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints.” 

The Greek word for know is to remember and appreciate. This is achieved as we ‘have His commandments and keep them.’ We exhibit our appreciation by rehearsing His word back to Him. He loves to hear His words from our lips.

Do you remember the parable of the hidden talent? Matthew 25:29 says, “for to everyone who has, more will be given, and he will have abundance; but from him who does not have, even, what he has will be taken away.” In verse 30 he was called unprofitable.

God has hidden truths in His word. Part of our progressive sanctification is to mine them from Scripture. Psalm 25:14 Amplified revealed the power of intimate communion with the Lord. It says, “The secret (of the sweet, satisfying companionship) of the Lord have they who fear (revere and worship) Him,, and He will show them its ((deep, inner) meaning.” 

1 Corinthians 2:7-8 revealed a hidden truth. It says, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

We know because Scripture revealed it time and time again. Jesus gave a scathing rebuke to the Pharisees. They were the teachers of the Law. John 5:39-40 says, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

John 6:36 says, “But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.” Verse 37 is great assurance for us. It should have been for them also. It says, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

Yet, because they did not believe and go to the Lord, the truth of His word was hidden from them. His cross was the enemy’s destruction. Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Here is the truth for us that highlights a condition to God’s promise. John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Isaiah 59:19 says, “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”

God’s standard is His word. When it is hidden in our heart, we can instantly latch onto it in our thoughts, and speak it out loud with our mouths. Psalm 149:6 says, “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.”

We will never be shaken by our adverse circumstances when we stand in the Rock Of Our Salvation. Steadfast. Immoveable. Impenetrable. Psalm 62:11 says, “God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God.”

God is All Powerful. That means that no one and no thing has any power. It is all His. He gives us His power through His name. Daniel 11:32 says, “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”

I love this verse. Jeremiah 33:4 says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do now know.” When we are still before Him, we learn His character because He reveals His heart.

The word ‘mighty’ in Hebrew means isolated or inaccessible. The insights that the Lord reveals through our intimate communion with Him, is not accessible to the enemy of our soul.

At all times and in every situation the Lord is in control. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” It is in the midst of trouble that we often find our mind careening from one frantic thought to another.

The definition for careen is to move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way in a specified direction. We alone are in control of our thoughts. David wrote Psalm 131. Verse 2 is a stillness discipline that we need to employ as well.

It says, “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” In the midst of adversity, we can instantly still our heart when we set our gaze upon the Lord who is always reigning in righteousness.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? 

Here is another Psalm that David wrote. I like to embrace it as my heart’s cry when I am feeling overwhelmed. Psalm 61:1-2 says, “Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

David was acknowledging that he needed God to be his Solidity in the raging storm of his overwhelming circumstances. Verse 3 says, “For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.”

Psalm 2:1-2 says, “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and again His anointed…” Does it sound like our day?

Psalm 97:9 says, “For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.” When my day seems blocked at every turn, or I get into a hard situation, I have learned to pronounce, “You are Lord Over All.” It helps me to recenter on the Lord.

In March of 2017, I was staying in my cousin’s travel trailer at an RV Park. I had just discovered that my mobile’s air was contaminated with live mold spores. They were wreaking havoc on my health.

That particular day I had taken my trash to the dumpster. It was cold outside, but I was only going to be gone a minute. When I came back to go inside again, the door was locked. I thought, “It’s ok. I’ll just get the spare key.” The spare key was not where my cousin told me it would be.

I had little strength, it was cold, and I had no cell phone with me. That morning I had drawn some warfare art that had “You are Lord Over All” highlighted and squared. I began to speak that truth as I wandered through the RV Park looking for a person who might be able to help me. The Lord led me to a kind man who loaned me his cell to call my cousin. 

I am thinking back to a childhood hymn, “Trust And Obey.” You probably never did what I did, but my heart was not always silent when I was told to do something as a child. I remember inner arguments. 

How do you respond, when in the busyness of your life, you hear the Lord calling you to come to Him. It was His still small voice that shook Elijah. 1 Kings 19:11-12 recorded quite a dramatic and noisy display of God’s power. 

Verse 11-12 says, “…a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces…after the wind an earthquake…after the earthquake a fire…and after the fire a still small voice.”

The Lord often speaks to us with a still small voice in the midst of our chaotic days. Are we attentive? I like to pray Isaiah 30:21 in the first person. The verse says, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”

Job 24:16 captures my heart. I use it as a prayer also. I don’t want to miss one of His whispered words. It says, “Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, and how shall a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Hold onto these words. Put them into a practice of stillness.

This verse has always intrigued me. Revelation 8:1 says, “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”  Silence. No words. No singing. No worship.

Revelation 4:8 says, “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Verse 9 says that every time they gave glory and honor and thanks to the Lord, verse 10 says that the twenty-four elders worshiped. Verse 11 recorded their words, “You are worthy O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”

The way I read this passage means that it was constant, until that time of silence. How awe striking it must have been. It gives me expanded meaning to David’s words in Psalm 62. Verse 1 says, “Truly my soul silently waits for God…” Verse 5 was David’s instructions to himself. It says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone…”

Waiting carries an expression of expectation. Waiting in silence is the discipline of a heart yielded to the Lord. We yield through trust. Verse 8 says, “Trust in Him at all times you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

We are able to empty our heart of our own expectations only when we can fully trust. It is at that point, that we are able to be still. Until typing this, I don’t think I ever considered trust and silence together before.

Here is a great word picture of dwelling in stillness. Psalm 91:1 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Can you picture yourself there?

John 15:4 Amplified says, “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. (Live in Me, and I will live in you.) Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.”

Vitally means absolutely necessary or essential. John 15:5 is another verse that needs to be framed and hung on our heart’s wall. It says, “…for without Me you can do nothing.” It is an absolute truth that cannot be altered, or worked around. In short, it means to dwell through intimate communion~like Joshua lingered in God’s presence.

Our lives are hectic. We have planners, to-do-lists, alerts on our phones, or sticky notes tacked around to help us stay on track. I remember hearing Pastor Paul Yungi Cho saying something like when he was the most busy, he knew he needed to spend more time with the Lord in prayer.

Prayer and daily reading His word are both essential disciplines. However, intimate communion is as essential as breathing. Without breath we die. Without intimate communion we shrivel up into spiritual dehydration. Dwelling versus visiting, breathing in His Presence versus attending a church service. Bearing fruit, that glorifies the Lord, is the result of dwelling in stillness rather than the activity of doing.

Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu visited. Moses and Joshua dwelt. I love this passage in Exodus 33. I want to be like Joshua. Verse 7 says, “Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp.”

Verse 8 could very well describe someone who goes to church, but does not spend time daily in God’s word, and drinking in His Presence. It says, “…whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle.”

They were invited but they only watched. Verse 9 is glorious. It says, “…the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.” Verse 10 says that the people worshiped at their tent door. 

Verse 11 is often a picture in my heart. It says, “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp but his servant Joshua…a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.”

I believe that Joshua received his training as the next leader of the children of Israel from his quiet time before the Lord. He dwelt in His Presence. Our intimate communion with the Lord shapes our lives. He imparts His wisdom for our next step. Let nothing vie for your time with Him.