Day By Day #7

Day by Day #7

MORNING/MIDDAY OFFICE

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

Scripture Reading: Mark 1:35–39

Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. Simon and his companions went to look for him, and when they found him, they exclaimed: “Everyone is looking for you!”

Jesus replied, “Let us go somewhere else—to the nearby villages—so I can preach there also. That is why I have come.” So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

Devotional

After a full day of healing, driving out demons, teaching with authority, and serving the people of Capernaum, Jesus goes off to a “solitary place” to be still and silent in the presence of God. As a result, he is able to do the right thing, at the right time, and with the right heart. He resists the pressure of other people’s expectations and leaves for another city.

For us, this same choice—to turn away from internal and external noise in order to be with God—is work, difficult work. Externally, we face the unrelenting pressure of our culture. Internally, our minds are in constant and frenzied motion. Yet as we learn to live from a wellspring of silence and stillness, we begin to experience an unimaginable richness. In her book Silence: A User’s Guide, author Maggie Ross explores the many benefits of silence. Here is my summary of just a few:

        •     We shift away from the artificiality of the surrounding culture toward the beauty of beholding God.

        •     We grow in our ability to wait and see what unfolds, more trusting of the love of God.

        •     We realize how foolish our ideas are of how the world works or should work, letting go more easily of judgments, anger, and greed.

        •     We become more compassionate.

        •     We influence others for good out of the changes God is doing in and through us.^a

The effect of practicing silence and stillness with the Father can be dramatic over time, transforming us spiritually, emotionally, and even physically, in ways we cannot anticipate.

Question to Consider

Today, how might you accept the Father’s invitation to be silent, “to go off to a solitary place” as Jesus did?

Prayer

Lord, help me to remember that you are on the throne, not me. Help me to trust you with the many things on my to-do list that I cannot finish. Deliver me from the whirlwind around me and in me so that the peace and wisdom that emerge out of stillness and silence might fill me and overflow in love to others. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

MIDDAY/EVENING OFFICE

Silence and Stillness before God (2 minutes)

Scripture Reading: Acts 5:1–11

Now a man named Ananias, together with his wife Sapphira, also sold a piece of property. With his wife’s full knowledge he kept back part of the money for himself, but brought the rest and put it at the apostles’ feet.

Then Peter said, “Ananias, how is it that Satan has so filled your heart that you have lied to the Holy Spirit and have kept for yourself some of the money you received for the land? . . . You have not lied just to human beings but to God.”

When Ananias heard this, he fell down and died. . . .

About three hours later his wife came in, not knowing what had happened. Peter asked her, “Tell me, is this the price you and Ananias got for the land?”

“Yes,” she said, “that is the price.”

Peter said to her, “How could you conspire to test the Spirit of the Lord?” . . .

At that moment she fell down at his feet and died. . . . Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.

Devotional

Lying and pretense are so deeply ingrained in our culture that we rarely notice them. Every culture and family has their own unique way of spinning half-truths, withholding facts, and avoiding awkward moments. We lie with our words, our smiles, our bodies, even our silence. Such deception—of the Holy Spirit, others, and even ourselves—makes it impossible to genuinely love others. Why? Because God is ultimate truth, we unwittingly exclude him whenever we fail to live in truth.

God calls us to walk in truth and follow Jesus who is the truth. In fact, the degree to which we live in the truth is the degree to which we are free to have authentic relationships that reflect heaven itself. Our walk with God comes alive and false layers fall off us as our “true self” in Christ within us is awakened.

Only when we end the pretense of superficiality and “niceness” that characterizes so much of Christian culture today will we experience genuine community. With nothing to hide, our stress levels and anxieties decrease and our self-esteem takes deeper root. Why? Because our integrity isn’t broken. Peace with God, with others, and with oneself can now permeate our lives.^b

Question to Consider

Think back over the past few days. In what subtle or not-so-subtle ways did you bend the truth to make yourself look better or avoid someone’s disapproval? How was your integrity compromised as a result?

Prayer

Lord, grant me courage to look honestly at the areas of my life where I am not living in truth. Help me to recognize when I am saying yes when I prefer to say no, or when I am saying no when I prefer to say yes. Jesus, you are the truth. May I too have the courage to embrace truth in every circumstance and relationship today. Thank you for the safety net of your love. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Conclude with Silence (2 minutes)

^a This simple list is my summary of key points from two excellent books on the nuances and benefits of silence by Maggie Ross: Silence: A User’s Guide, Vol. 1: Process (Eugene, Ore.: Wipf and Stock, 2014); and Writing the Icon of the Heart: In Silence Beholding (Eugene, Ore.: Wipf and Stock, 2013).

^b For a fuller exploration of how such lying destroys our relationship with God, ourselves, and others, see Geri Scazzero, The Emotionally Healthy Woman: Eight Things You Have to Quit to Change Your Life (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2010), 45–62.