The Fear of the Lord

As Toni and I have been on vacation these days, driving to Texas for Amara and Jeff's wedding (today), it's become clear that I need time alone.  I don't really mean alone though.  I mean alone with God.  I need time when I'm not distracted by the demands of other people.  I need time to just focus on what God wants to say to me, to let Him truly be God, the center of everything, to take time away from others where God can gain ground once again, to let Him all the way in to the heart of me, to close the door on others for awhile. 

In everyday ordinary life with other people, my mind and heart become cluttered with questions about how I can balance pleasing others and being true to God.  So I need time away from that cluttered space.  Right now I'm sitting in a quiet room on the second floor of a house where Toni and I and Naomi and Tim are staying.  I'm so thankful for these minutes here.  It is good.

Today I was reading scripture about the "Fear of the Lord" from the Moravian Daily Texts.  Reading scripture and recalling what I have learned about God requires time.  If I do not take time alone, am I really respecting God?  How can I belong to God if I don't take time alone to listen to Him?  And without listening to what God is saying to me, I cannot be wise.

Being rightly related to God, that is, letting Him be in the center rather than out on the edge... that "correct self-position" in relation to God brings God's Word to my heart, and God's Word makes me wise.  I will need that wisdom today as I leap back into life with others.  I will trust that God will not abandon me as I shift my conscious attention to the things of this world.  I will pray and ask God to give me wisdom, not only in relation to Him directly, but also as He calls me to love and serve the others that surround me most of the time.

Please take time to be alone with God today.  Find a little quiet place.  Close the door for awhile or go for a walk.  Bring your Bible or bring verses to mind.  Be quiet enough to listen.  Then ask Him (and trust Him) to give you what you need for this day.

Peace to you in Jesus' name.

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