A sky lit up with beautiful colours…
Warm evening, stillness, even the sea was a great temperature.
Quite a number of people walking, some surfing, some swimming…
And then many stood still watching, enjoying what they could see….
People totally slowed down or in many cases like ourselves, at a halt and gazing.
The occasion?
An awesome sunset setting at the beach in Katwijk this week.
In the Old Testament, it is written “The heavens declare the glory of God…” (Psalm 19)
The sun sinking below the watery horizon certainly seemed to back that up.
In the midst of life, do we take moments to marvel, to be in awe, to get fresh perspective?
In another Psalm it is written, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46)
This is not some kind of declaration to say to ourselves that we are godlike! Rather the song-writer(Psalmist) is putting into the words a call from the heart of God to the listeners of the song.
Be still…..
Really? In our internet wired world, is that truly possible?
Well why not? There is a great app that has been introduced onto all machines – we may or may not be familiar with it. It often has the words ‘shut down’ or just simply ‘off’!
Yet turning off our online ‘noise’ or at least setting it aside for a time, may not be enough. We also need to learn to slow down ourselves – to give space to reflect, to re-assess, to rest, to listen, to see afresh the good things that we have been given, to have the opportunity to get fresh perspective on situations we are facing……
There are many things that slowing down can bring. But so much can shout at us that it is not possible or ‘we will do it later’ (yet does this become an excuse to never do so?)
How do you build reflection into your life?
Is there space for you to ‘hear’ from God?
In what ways are you countering everything that says be busy and rush, rush, rush?
In helping think this through, why not ask others what helps them? Also if God calls us to ‘be still’ and know that he is God, then I believe that we can ask Him for help with this.
The thing is, will we slow down enough to find out?
Andy