Intimacy with the Almighty

Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth! Psalm 46:10

But what does that mean? Be still?

Intimacy with the Almighty is a book written by Charles Swindoll about this very topic. I picked up this small book and found it both encouraging and challenging. Charles Swindoll talks about the frenzied pace of life and how it never seems to slow down. I long for the days when I could walk alone in the woods and sing my prayers to God. These days I am never alone and whenever I try to sing I am frequently interrupted. The noise of my life feels deafening to me, but I don’t know what I can do. There’s nothing I can cut out of my life.

I try to seek God. The best way for me to do this, is to wake up early to read my Bible, and go over my prayer list. It’s only in the quiet that my mind is clear enough to pray.

“Silence sharpens the keen edge of our souls, sensitizing us to those ever-so-slight nudgings from our heavenly Father. Noise and words and frenzied, hectic schedules dull our senses, close our ears to His still, small voice and making us numb to His touch.” Pg. 38

People crave the stillness of nature, but where can we go for such a thing? We’re too busy, or even too far away. Sometimes I’m tempted to lock myself in a closet just for some peace and quiet.

“Allow it to continue, and you will gravitate in one of two directions. Either you will run through the motions and cultivate a hypocritical spirituality hidden behind the mask of phony enthusiasm, or you will simply fade from involvement and distance yourself from meaningful relationships with other Christians. In both cases, you will set yourself up for a fall. I have seen it happen more often than I want to recall.” Pg. 42

Find some peace and quiet to refresh you. Maybe by waking up early or perhaps by going for a walk. Don’t be afraid to say “no” more often. Your time is limited, you can’t do everything, and you certainly can’t do everything well. It’s not possible. Slow down and pour out your heart to God, ask Him to help you. God is merciful.

If you wait for anything else to change, you’ll just crash and burn. Strengthen yourself in the Lord.

And David was greatly distressed, for the people spoke of stoning him, because all the people were bitter in soul, each for his sons and daughters. But David strengthened himself in the LORD his God. 1 Samuel 30:6

Hard times will come, but will we go to God first in those times? Seeking God in prayer requires discipline that needs to be cultivated. Can the hurried, worried mind hear God’s answer? It is only when we take the time to be alone with God and His Word, that we can listen and our spiritual strength can recover.

“Solitude has been called “the furnace of transformation.” Pg. 53

You can’t rush this. It’s not a pit stop or a quick fix. This solitude is where God opens our blind eyes to the true state of things. This solitude is where we fight inner battles and God shows us things that we have been hiding from others and even from ourselves. It reveals us as we truly are. God knows all this, but we are the ones that we don’t know.

In my solitude, there is nothing to distract me. “Just me -bare, weak, sinful, broken -nothing. It is this nothingness that I have to face in my solitude, a nothingness so dreadful that everything thing is me wants to run away. So I can forget my nothingness and make myself believe that I am something. As soon as I decide to stay in my solitude, confusing ideas, disturbing images, wild fantasies, and weird associations jump about in my mind like monkeys in a banana tree. Anger and greed begin to show their ugly faces….

The task to persevere in my solitude, to stay in my cell until all my seductive visitors get tired of pounding on my door and leave me alone. ” pg. 54

This kind of soul searching seems to us to take too long, or perhaps to be even too radical. But this type of prayer is the only way we can stop our superficial “show” and be real with God. God already knows everything, it’s we who are blind. But maybe we need to pray the Psalmist’s prayer.

O LORD, you have searched me and known me!
You know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you discern my thoughts from afar. Psalm 139:1-2 and

Search me, O God, and know my heart!
Try me and know my thoughts!
And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and lead me in the way everlasting! Psalm 139:23-24

Paul actually encouraged the Corinthians to examine themselves in 1 Corinthians 11:28.

Let a person examine himself, then, and so eat of the bread and drink of the cup. For anyone who eats and drinks without discerning the body eats and drinks judgment on himself. 1 Corinthians 11:28-29

“An inner restlessness grows within us when we refuse to get alone and examine our own hearts, including our motives. As our lives begin to pick up the debris that accompanies a lot of activities and involvements, we can train ourselves to go right on, to stay active, to be busy in the Lord’s work. Unless we discipline ourselves to pull back, to get alone for the hard work of self-examination in times of solitude, serenity will remain only a distant dream. How busy we can become… and as a result, how empty! We mouth words, but they mean nothing. We find ourselves trafficking in unlived truths. We fake spirituality.” Pg. 60

We need to take time to reflect with God. I begin to think that hard work of regular self-examination is necessary.

Charles Swindoll points out the time Jesus told the apostles to come away by themselves. They needed time to rest and reflect. Jesus, Himself, often slipped away to pray alone.

“One thing that has often helped with my own times of solitude and self examination, is keeping a journal. I have been doing this for years and the benefits are more than most would believe. A journal is a splendid way to spend time alone remembering and recording God’s dealings in your life. While enjoying times of solitude, it’s easy to think that the thoughts and insights He reveals will stay in your mind forever. Not so. It isn’t long before they are submerged under the load of responsibilities and conversations. Activities erase deep and meaningful thoughts.

Our journal entries give us historical dates marking God’s specific dealings with us. We need to preserve a written record of such divine interventions.” Pg. 63

“When I review my journal, I am humbled and strengthened to see how obviously His hand has been on the helm of my life, even though at certain times He may have seemed distant and disinterested. As that hindsight perspective occurs, serenity returns and calms my spirit.” Pg. 64

Journaling also helps you focus during your prayers.

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He shall direct your paths. Proverbs 3:5-6

With all your heart. Do we trust in Him with all our heart? Or do we hold back? All is a strong word. In all your ways acknowledge Him. That means surrendering to God’s Will. God’s ways are always best. He loves us, we can trust Him.

“Nothing under His control can ever be out of His control.” Pg. 69

“Surrendering to my so sovereign Lord, leaving the details of my future in His hands, is the most responsible act of obedience I can do.” Pg. 72

Intimacy with the Almighty is a short book, but one well worth the read. I would encourage you to think about his words.

Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

Wait for God to act. Trust in Him.

Let all that I am wait quietly before God, for my hope is in him. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will not be shaken. Psalm 62:5-6

All that I am is in God’s hands and I need to leave it there. To trust it to God alone. To seek Him as my strength, deliverance, and hiding place.

But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Isaiah 40:31

What are you waiting on? Where are you looking for your strength?

You will keep perfectly peaceful the one whose mind remains focused on you, because he remains in you. Isaiah 26:3