I remember we had blackboards in school. Our teacher would write on them, and then clear the slate with an eraser. That is what we need to do in order to be still before the Lord.

Every artist begins a new creation with a clean canvas. We are created in the image of God who can’t be defined in human terms. When we accept Jesus as our Savior we are new creations.

2 Corinthians 5:16 says that we are not to regard others according to the flesh. Verse 17 says, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.”

Salvation cleared the slate. 2 Peter 1:9 says that we often forget that we were cleansed of our old sins. Micah 7:19 says, “…You will cast all our sins into the depths of the sea.” 

In Isaiah 38:17, Hezekiah said, “…You have lovingly delivered my soul from the pit of corruption, for You have cast my sins behind Your back.” Does that remind you of David’s words in Psalm 40:2-3?

He said, “He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my steps. He has put a new song in my mouth—praise to our God; many will see it and fear, and will trust in the Lord.”

The above verses attest to the truth that we have been set free from the slave block of sin. Why then do we have inner conflicts within our hearts, and relational conflicts?

James 4:1 says, “Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?” Verse 3 says, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.”

Have you ever considered that you might be working from an already filled canvas? That is what happens when we bring our past into our present. Our past is passed. It is impossible to go back in time. The only way we can do it is through our thoughts.

No wonder it is hard to be still before the Lord. We have waring factors hidden in our heart. The Lord is our King. He wants to be the Ruler over our heart. Yet when something else rules, it pushes Him out of the center.

Exodus 20:3 says, “You shall have no other gods before Me.” True, we don’t have physical idols set up that we bow down to. What about heart idols that usurp His place? What do they look like? We will look into that tomorrow.

Hebrew 10:36 says, “For you have need of endurance, so that after you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.” It is God’s will for us to wait for Him. We disobey when we step out on our own, which is acting independently of God. 

There is a note in my Bible about the Greek word for endurance: it describes the capacity to continue to bear up under difficult circumstances, not with a passive complacency, but with a hopeful fortitude that actively resists weariness and defeat.

Weariness in waiting can happen when we constantly dialogue about what we are waiting for. It causes emotional fatigue. It’s futile. Waiting is a good work that the Lord is accomplishing on our behalf.

Endurance is a grace gift because without His empowerment we would not be able to wait. 2 Samuel 5:24 is one of my waiting verses. I love to think about the whole scene. David was in two circumstances that were identical. Yet as he faced each one he stopped and asked the Lord what to do. The first time the Lord told him to pursue. The second time He told him to wait.

In verse 23 the Lord instructed him, “…circle around behind them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees.” Verse 24 says, “…when you hear the sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall advance quickly…”

What do you think was going through David’s mind and the mind of his army? I can just imagine the scene. Their ears had to be tuned to hear. They had never heard the sound they were listening for. It took absolute quiet, attentiveness, and alertness.

So it is with us. The Lord often speaks in a whisper in the moment. If our mind is occupied with the noise of futile thoughts we will miss what He is directing us to do. Think of His whisper like a paga. He intercepts our thought process to impart His direction in the moment.

Paga is a Hebrew word that means to meet, light upon, join, or encounter. I like to think of it as a butterfly landing on my shoulder. It is like a wisp of a thought. Have you ever been doing something and suddenly someone’s name comes to your mind? That is a paga. The Lord just intercepted your mind to call you to pray for them.

We are called to endure. Whatever He calls us to do, He is right there ready to empower us. We cannot endure through our own strength. Grace is imparted in the moment of our need when our hearts are humble. What a reason to maintain a humble heart because we are always in need. John 15:5 says that apart from Him we can do nothing.

Simeon waited. Luke 2:25 says, “And behold, there was a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon, and this man was just and devout, waiting for the Consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him.”

What was the promise he was waiting for? Verse 26 says, “And it had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not see death before he had seen the Lord’s Christ.”

Joseph and Mary brought Jesus into the temple. Simeon took Him in his arms. Verse 29 says, “Lord, now You are letting Your servant depart in peace, according to Your word.”

The disciples waited. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven He gave them instructions. Luke 24:49 says, “Behold, I sent the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high.”

Acts 1:12 says that they returned to Jerusalem. While they waited they spent the time in prayer and supplication. What was the result of their waiting? Acts 2:1 says, “When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.” 

They were to wait until they were endued with power from the Holy Spirit. Verse 4 says, “And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit…” Acts 2 is a great chapter. The result of their waiting recorded the beginning of the church. 

Acts 2:41 says, “Then those who gladly received his word were baptized; and that day about three thousand souls were added to them.” Ephesians 1:23 says, of the church, “Which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”

Waiting requires focus on the Lord. Our flesh loves to look at our circumstances or others. Psalm 62:5 says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him.”

Facing an impossibility in our own strength will weaken our faith. Abraham did not even consider his body or the deadness of Sarah’s womb. Consider means to ponder and think about. The moment we dialogue about our impossibility, we enter into the futile activity of worry.

Waiting requires faith. Romans 8:25 says, “But if we hope for what we do not see, we eagerly wait for it with perseverance.” Waiting is the precursor to endurance. Waiting is a trial that the Lord uses to develop our character so that we can reflect His character to others.

The Lord has a specific intention in our waiting. Isaiah 30:18 says, “Therefore the Lord will wait, that He may be gracious to you…” The Hebrews word for gracious means to show favor. The verse continued, “…and therefore He will be exalted, that He may have mercy on you…” The Hebrew word for mercy means to love deeply, be compassionate, and have tender affection. Here is the rest of the verse…For the Lord is a God of justice; blessed are all those who wait for Him.”

What is the purpose of God’s discipline? It is to train, to bring course correction, and to conform us to His image. According to Hebrews 12:11 there is an end intended. It says, “Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.”

If discipline does not reach the heart, there will be no fruit that glorifies the Lord. Waiting is a form of discipline. Trials reveal hidden dross. What dross is exposed when we are waiting? The first thing I think of is impatience.

James 1:3 says of our various trials, “Knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” How is the ‘gold’ of our faith tested? It goes through the fire of purification. 1 Peter 1:7 says that it is tested for its genuineness. It reminds me of David’s words in Psalm 26:2. It says, “Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my mind and my heart.”

How is your conscience? 2 Corinthians 4:2 says, “…by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God.” Paul wrote to his son in the faith to have a good conscience. 1 Timothy 1:5, and 3:9. 4:2 says that our conscience can become seared.

I love Paul’s testimony. May it be true of everyone who names the name of Christ. Acts 24:16 says, “This being so, I myself always strive to have a conscience without offense toward God and men.”

When our conscience is guilty or seared, we will be insensitive to the moving of the Holy Spirit. Have you ever started to do something, but you stop because you sensed that the Holy Spirit has spoken to your heart? He checked you before you could act. What we do next is a choice.

The enemy of our soul uses our waiting time to bring in distractions. They all are targeting our hidden flesh. His aim is to get us to depart from the Lord’s way. We need to be ready for the onslaught so we are not caught off guard.

God is using our waiting to purify our faith by exposing, and satan is using it to destroy our faith. His insistent jabs of ‘do it now’ type thoughts are designed to get us to react in our flesh.

Let’s use our frustration with others or our circumstances as God’s signal to humble our heart. Our hidden flesh rises because it wants its way. God’s grace is essential in every moment in our lives. We cannot exemplify Him in our flesh.

Here are some of my key verses while I wait. I use them to fortify my thoughts and help me stay in focus. 2 Samuel 5:18-24, 2 Chronicles 20:12, Psalm 37:7, Isaiah 30:18, Isaiah 40:31, Psalm 62:1, 5, Lamentations 3:25-26, Psalms 27:14. 

Isaiah 64:4 says that God acts for those who wait for Him. I just read this one yesterday. Micah 7:7 says, “Therefore I will look to the Lord; I will wait for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” 

Abraham has always been a great example for me. I frequently turn to Romans 4. I love the wording that Paul used to describe Abraham’s stance. We know, from the Old Testament account, that his wife devised a plan to help God out.

Genesis 16:2 says, “So Sarai said to Abram, See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her. And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai.”

The whole world continues to experience the consequences of her scheming. What consequences are you living in because you went ahead of God? Galatians 6:8 says, “For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption…”

I want to focus on Abraham’s faith. Romans 4:17 says, “(as it is written, I have made you a father of many nations) in the presence of Him whom he believed—God, who gives life to the dead and calls those things which do not exist as though they did.”

Verse 19 says, “And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb.” Let me recap verse 17: Our Creator God gives life to the dead.

Time was not an obstacle for the Lord for them nor is it for us. He exists outside of time. 2 Peter 3:8 says, “But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.”

Psalm 31:15 says, “My times are in Your hand; deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from them who persecute me.” David’s prayer is a good one for us to adopt ~ especially as we wait.

The enemy of our soul is pushy. He will try to get us to act independently of God. He will bombard us with thoughts that can only be stopped through faith. Ephesians 6:16 says, “Above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.”

Romans 4:20 says, “He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief…” Wavering, according to James 1:6-8, causes us to be unstable. Our stability comes through standing in truth which fortifies our heart to stand in absolute trust.

God’s timing is impeccable! It is never altered by man in any way shape or form. God’s word is eternal and settled. 1 Peter 1:25 says, “But the word of the Lord endures forever.”

What happened with Saul’s thought process that caused him to lose his kingdom? 1 Samuel 13:8 says that he waited seven days. Samuel didn’t show up when Saul expected. He took matters into his own hands. Verse 10 says that as soon as he carried out his own plan Samuel showed up. Verse 14 was the edict that his kingdom was done.

The thoughts of ‘do it now’ will come. We need to be ready to stand. Ephesians 6:13 says, “…having done all, to stand.”  We stand in the grace that has been given to us through our salvation. We wait in humility, knowing that we cannot move forward without the Lord.

The Holy Spirit really convicted me as I was typing yesterday’s post. Let me repeat. As soon as we take on a work mentality we step out of grace. Have you ever considered how we go from dependence on the Lord to self strength? It is a split second auto pilot shift. It is not something that we are consciously aware of. 

Colossians 1:6 says of the gospel, “Which has come to you, as it has also in all the world, and is bringing forth fruit, as it is also among you since the day you heard and knew the grace of God in truth.” The Amplified says, “…in reality, deeply and clearly and thoroughly, becoming accurately and intimately acquainted with it.)”

Colossians 1:16 says that all things were created by the Lord and for Him. Verse 17 says, “And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist. The Amplified says, “…(cohere, are held together).” In our standing we are vitally united to the Lord. It is impossible to separate us now and throughout eternity.

Our progressive sanctification is a journey of learning to walk in His grace. As verse six in the Amplified implied it is becoming, and not a destination that we arrive at. John 1:16 Amplified says, “For out of His fullness (abundance) we have all received (all had a share and we were all supplied with) one grace after another and spiritual blessing upon spiritual blessing and even favor upon favor and gift (heaped) upon gift.”

John 1:14 says that the Lord is full of grace and truth. Colossians 1:6 says that the gospel is actively working in our lives from the moment we accept Jesus as our Savior. Our journey then is to learn to discern that split second timing when we seek to do something in our own strength. John 6:63 needs to be a conscious, constant reminder that our flesh profits nothing.

We know, from James 4:6, that God gives grace to the humble. Our flesh is fully summarized in the word pride. Our own strength works are done in our flesh. How can we readily identify it? We look to ourselves first in our thoughts before we ever execute anything. Our walk always goes back to our thoughts. 

James 3:2 says, “For we all stumble in many things. If anyone does not stumble in word, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle the whole body.” Our thoughts affect our actions. When we fill our minds with God’s word, that word becomes our ready weapon. All actions can be stopped with our thoughts. A thought comes into our mind of what we want to do. At that point we stop and check in with the Lord.

That is what Proverbs 3:6 means. It says, “In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.” ‘All our ways’ begins with a thought. It is essential to remember that all thoughts stem from what we believe in our heart. The moment we trust in ourselves we have fallen from grace. Grace requires humility which is a manifestation of absolute dependence on the Lord.

There is no excuse for negligence. It brings dire consequences. Hebrews 2:3 says, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great a salvation, which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed to us by those who heard Him.”

The apostle John was a good steward of Jesus’ words. 1 John 1:3 says, “That which we have seen and heard we declare to you, that you, also may have fellowship with us; and truly our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son Jesus Christ.”

Peter admonished his readers to be good stewards of their faith. In 2 Peter 1:5-7 it says, “But also for this very reason, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue, to virtue knowledge, to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance, to perseverance godliness, to godliness, brotherly kindness, and to brotherly kindness love.” Did you notice how they are connected? Being diligent requires intentionality.

Paul was a good steward of God’s grace. He made a point that I want to focus on. Ephesians 3:7 says, “Of which I became a minister according to the gift of the grace of God given to me by the effective working of His power.”

What gift of grace have we been given? It is exactly the same as Paul. It is God’s resurrection power that effectively empowers us to do what He has called us to do. It is Him Who is doing it! 1 Thessalonians 5:24 says, “He who calls you is faithful, who also will do it.”

Paul brought admonishment to the Galatians for their neglect. Galatians 5:4 says, “You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.”

Though Paul was speaking about physical circumcision, we can apply this to our own lives. We are not justified by our works, as Titus 3:5 says. Romans 5:1 says that we are justified by faith. Verse 2 says, “Through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand…”

As soon as we take on a work mentality, we have fallen from grace. Grace is a gift. Ephesians 2:9 made that very plan regarding our salvation. It says, “Not of works, lest anyone should boast.”

It is impossible to walk in the Spirit in our own strength. That is why we cannot produce the fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 described fruit that we bear only when we are living under the control and empowerment of the Holy Spirit.

Remember that Paul was talking about physical circumcision. At salvation, we were spiritually circumcised. Colossians 2:11 says, “In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ.”

Galatians 5:24-25 is our present day truth. It says, “And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.”

Grace is an empowerment gift given as we are walking in humility. Galatians 5:26 says, “Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” The Holy Spirit goes before us to prepare the way. He knows exactly how much grace we need in any given moment. As we humble ourselves through obedience, our flesh will shrink back in defeat!

As I read Galatians 5:1, I sensed the Holy Spirit giving me the title for this post. I began to journal. I first asked Him what entanglements still kept me bound. This is a great question for you to ask Him as well. We may hide emotional pain in our heart and consciously forget it. Yet it remains an entanglement that hinders our steps.

Mark 4:22 says, “For there is nothing hidden which will not be revealed, nor has anything been kept secret that it should not come to light.” Here is another great verse. Hebrews 4:13 Amplified says, “And not a creature exists that is concealed from His sight, but all things are open and exposed, naked and defenseless to the eyes of Him with Whom we have to do.”

Two times Paul wrote something in the book of Galatians that we need to make note of. Galatians 2:18 says, “For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.” He wrote about being justified by faith and not going back to the law which was works.

In Galatians 5:1 he warned them about using their new liberty as an opportunity for their flesh. It says, “Stand fast therefore….” What was the ‘therefore’ he referred to? Galatians 4:28-31 was to remind them that they were children of promise and therefore free.

Galatians 5:1 continued about standing, “…in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” He questioned them in verse 7, “…Who hindered you from obeying the truth?” 

Every time we disobey the truth of God’s word we sin. Verse 9 says, “A little leaven leavens the whole lump.” This verse reminded me of Ecclesiastes 10:1. It says, “Dead flies putrefy the perfumer’s ointment, and cause it to give off a foul odor; so does a little folly to one respected for wisdom and honor.”

Galatians 5:13 says, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.”  Two things we need to note. 1~ anything that we do in our flesh is without love. 2 ~ our flesh serves only ourselves.

We are not to let the things that bound us in our past bind us now in our present. Presently we are being bombarded with lies through the media. Do not let the words of man entangle you! You are not a slave. You have been loosed from the entanglements of sin. Stay free though righteous thoughts.

It is easy to use our past to create a hypothesis for the present. We are still living in the age of grace. God’s grace is still sufficient for us as it was for Paul when he asked the Lord to remove the thorn in his flesh.

The enemy of our soul seeks to bind us in a brier patch of their thorny words. Remember from Mark 4:18-19 that it is the thorns that choke out God’s word. We are children of promise, therefore let us live out our days standing in His promises that are true because they are eternal!

Have you ever tried to quiet your mind, but thoughts keep bombarding with chaotic precision? I understand. I used to live like that. In fact, I kept noise going all the time so I wouldn’t be able to hear what I was thinking.

Then in 1983 my doctor friend gave me a book called something like ‘Do You Hear What You Are Thinking?’ I thought it was the strangest title. I never ‘heard’ what I was thinking because it was a symphony of noises. Nothing was really distinct. It was like static on the radio.

I learned about spiritual journaling in 1976. I had a diary as a child so I knew about writing down things. It was never my thoughts, just things that I did that day. This was far different. This was writing down the thoughts the Holy Spirit would give me as I was reading Scripture.

Here is an interesting exercise. As you read a verse that the Holy Spirit highlights, write it in your journal. Now ask yourself this question: What would it look like if my life was described by this verse?

Spiritual journaling is also writing down our questions for the Lord regarding our life. It requires being still, focused, attentive, and receptive. Knowing that He wanted me to spend time with Him was a whole new concept. Why would God want to spend time with me?

Even though I accepted the Lord in 1958, it wasn’t until years later that I understood that He enjoyed me. A phrase in a new song that the Holy Spirit gave me caused my heart to open further. ‘Knowing Your joy as You behold me…”

Does that remind you of Zephaniah 3:17? It says, “The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save; He will rejoice over you with gladness, He will quiet you with His love, He will rejoice over you with singing.” What a glorious picture!

Does His love for you quiet your mind and all the thoughts that intrude against yourself? Here is another verse that is amazing to consider. His thoughts toward us, according to Psalm 139:18, cannot be numbered.

Psalm 139:17-18 says, “How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God! How great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand; when I awake, I am still with You.”

How do you picture yourself in Psalm 23:2? It says, “He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.” I used to live in Washoe Valley, Nevada. It was a community nestled between Reno and Carson City. 

As I would drive to Carson City on a calm day, the small lake would perfectly reflect the sky and trees. I often stopped just to drink in the still beauty. When our heart is still inside, we are able to reflect the character of the Lord. He is never rushed, nor bombarded with negative thoughts.

Stillness, peace, intimate communion. Clear direction. Wisdom. Understanding. Knowledge. Insights, Revelation. Think of your quiet time from Habakkuk 2:1. It says, “I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me…” I think of verse 2 in journaling. The Lord instructed Habakkuk to, “…Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it.”

When I sit down in my quiet time I have my Bible nearby and my journal open. I come to the Lord with the expectation to hear His whispered words. It is a time of His heart speaking to mine. I don’t use this time to read my Bible or pray. It is a set apart time to just commune in my spirit with the One who loves me.

I don’t have a formula, but I learned years ago that I need to first quiet my heart. I use Psalm 131:2 as my template.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.” Quiet, content, no agenda, but ready to hear. The Lord took Himself apart from the crowd to commune with His Father. He is our model. 

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God…” I also consider my quiet time from Song of Solomon 2:14. This is how I read it. “O my Dove, in the cleft of the rock, in the secret places of the cliff, let me see Your face, let me hear Your voice; for Your voice is sweet, and Your face is lovely.” Intimate communion is One on one. It is a secret exchange of Heart to heart. 

There is nothing on the face of this earth that is like our intimate communion with the Lord. Let nothing rival your time with Him. He delights in you. He waits for you to come to Him. He has so much to impart. We cannot live a moment without Him. John 15:1-8 helps us see that our vital union with Him is essential to bear fruit for His glory.

Jeremiah 33:3 says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.” Our intimate communion is unique. It is not copied from anything. Our time with the Lord is not patterned. He speaks into the moment of our lives through His infinite wisdom. He imparts what we need in a way that we cannot get it any other way. That is the power of our quiet time.

1 John 2:27 says of this time, “But the anointing which you have received from Him abides in you, and you do not need that anyone teach you; but as the same anointing teaches you concerning all things and is true, and is not a lie, and just as it has taught you, you will abide in Him.” We can trust what we hear in our quiet time when our heart is still and we have no agenda.

Jeremiah 31:14 says, “I will satiate the soul of the priests with abundance, and My people shall be satisfied with My goodness, says the Lord.” Psalm 36:8 says, “They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house, and You give them drink from the river of Your pleasures.” Psalm 37:4 says, “Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart.” Is your desire  to know Him? The power of your quiet time with Him will fulfill that desire.