Devotional for Wednesday May 6th

Our theme for this month: “Change can be good for you”

Our Bible verse for today: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 (NIV)

Our thought for today: “A slower, simpler pace of life can enhance your relationship with God.”

Early in my life as a Christian someone introduced me to the writings of A.W. Tozer, and I’ll be forever grateful to them for it. Tozer lived during the early to mid-1900s and served for 44 years as a pastor, author, and conference speaker for the Christian and Missionary Alliance denomination of churches. His many books, articles, and sermons are still studied today and widely quoted by other pastors, authors, and speakers.

Tozer’s most popular book was a small volume entitled “The Knowledge of the Holy”. The purpose of the book is to help the reader come to an accurate understanding about the essential elements of God’s character and nature. Tozer believed that without such an understanding, the Christian could not really grasp who God is and what He is like. However, gaining such an understanding requires time and effort – unhurried, thoughtful, prayerful time and effort. And that’s where the modern Christian fails. Most of us aren’t willing to commit that kind of unhurried time to gaining an accurate and deep understanding of who God is and what He is like. Tozer wrote,

“Modern Christianity is simply not producing the kind of Christian who can appreciate or experience life in the Spirit. The words, ‘Be still, and know that I am God,’ mean next to nothing to the self-confident, bustling worshiper in this middle period of the twentieth century.”

Tozer wrote those words in 1961. In my opinion, the problem has gotten exponentially worse since then. Most of us are simply too busy, too distracted, too uninterested and too unwilling, to invest the time to develop a truly deep relationship with the Lord. It takes time to “Be still, and know that I am God.” It takes willingness and desire; it takes discipline; and it takes a lifestyle that allows sufficient room for matters of the spirit.

Many years ago I wrote an article entitled “Room for the Singing of Angels”. It was inspired by a quote I once read that said, “In each life there must be room for the singing of angels.” In other words, our lives must be structured in such a way that we allow the time, solitude, and quietness to experience spiritual things. If you would like to have a copy of that article let me know and I would be happy to send it to you.

During this time of social distancing and isolation most of us have probably had extra time for sitting quietly before the Lord in prayer, study, and worship. I hope that’s been true for you. I encourage you to continue that as life now begins to return to normal. Make sure that in your life there is “room for the singing of angels.”

God Bless,
Pastor Jim