Speak, Lord in the Stillness, part II

Meditate in your heart upon your bed, and be still. Psalm 4:4

Since writing about this last week, I have been thinking more and more about being still before God, and listening for His voice. It's difficult! The busyness of life, the roar of the media, endless interruptions and perennial exhaustion lead us to either drown out His voice with other things, or make us too distracted or tired to really listen. I want to hear Him speak! So I must make the effort (and the time!) to be still before Him and to wait in silence.

This hymn writer knew what it would take: total surrender. All to Thee is yielded, I am not my own. Surrendering, like being still and listening, is difficult - we give up our desires and our plans in order that He would direct us according to His will. But what comfort that surrender brings! For in it, we know that the God of the Universe, our Heavenly Father, is directing our path, giving us strength and showering us with grace - we do not have to do life on our own!

When we are surrendered to Him, we can be open to what He wants to do in us and through us. My prayer is that he would do what the next verse says: fill me with the knowledge of His glorious will, all His good pleasure in my life fulfill. I want to know His will and to do it, and to have His desires for me fulfilled in my life, so that He will receive all the glory.

I love this encouragement that Paul wrote to the Church at Colossae, telling them how he was praying for them - that they would be filled with the knowledge of God's will.

For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so that you will walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, to please Him in all respects, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God; strengthened with all power, according to His glorious might, for the attaining of all steadfastness and patience; joyously giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light. Colossians 1:9-12

When we are filled with the knowledge of His will, we can walk in a manner worthy of Him, pleasing Him, bearing fruit and increasing in the knowledge of Him. That sounds like His good pleasure being fulfilled!

When His good pleasure is fulfilled, our lives reflect His presence. And when others see Him in us, God is glorified. What wonderful "consequences" of being still before our Father and listening for His voice! When we are surrendered, we are open to hearing His voice and can be directed according to His will which leads us to walk in a manner worthy of Him, and live as an example to others bringing Him glory.

This certainly motivates me to be quiet before Him, and to cry out, "Speak, Lord, in the stillness."

Speak, Lord in the Stillness
Words by E. May Grimes

Speak, Lord, in the stillness
While I wait on Thee;
Hushed my heart to listen,
In expectancy.

Speak, O blessed Master,
In this quiet hour,
Let me see Thy face, Lord,
Feel Thy touch of power.

For the words Thou speakest,
“They are life” indeed;
Living bread from Heaven,
Now my spirit feed!

All to Thee is yielded,
I am not my own;
Blissful, glad surrender,
I am Thine alone.

Fill me with the knowledge
Of Thy glorious will;
All Thine own good pleasure
In my life fulfill.

Like “a watered garden”
Full of fragrance rare,
Ling’ring in Thy presence
Let my life appear.