Be still

As I was reading my bible one day I was in Genesis 16 reading about Hagar. A little background on Hagar, she was Sarai’s (Sarah, Abraham’s wife) servant. Sarai was not able to have children so she gave her husband a proposal. She told Abraham to go sleep with her servant, Hagar, so they could have a child (bad idea). Hagar became pregnant and Sarai noticed that Hagar began to treat her with contempt. In response, Sarai treated her so harshly that she ran away into the wilderness pregnant and alone. Then suddenly an angel appeared to her and told her that God heard her cry. What a relief right?! Hagar then begins to call God by a new name, “You are the God who sees me”. 

A couple of months ago I was really struggling with feeling alone.

When Caleb and I got married I was working at a preschool 45 minutes from our new home. I had somewhere to go everyday and a job to do. But when summer began, I had gotten the worship leading position at church so Caleb and I agreed I would stop working my job. Keep in mind that while worship leading involves A-LOT of planning, I was only going to be “going to work” on Sundays. I had never worked from home and going into it wasn't very comfortable. I am in no way a planner (thank God Caleb is) so organizing and scheduling do NOT come naturally to me. Not only that but being alone all day really became difficult. I was battling feelings of being ignored, neglected, and sometimes just not feeling loved. There were days when I would cry in Caleb’s arms and share with him how alone I was feeling. 

When I read Hagar’s story there was a little devotion after the passage talking about solitude. It talked about how we all need times of solitude to be alone with our Creator. In the midst of my loneliness God pulled me out of my pity party and opened my eyes to the importance of solitude. God spoke to me and revealed the unique opportunity that He’s given me in this season! I actually have time in my day to sit with God and just talk with Him.

There are times in life that whether we choose it or not we are going to be alone. Having time alone with God is just as important as going to church or being apart of a bible study. God wants nothing more than for you to share your heart with Him. “Be still and know that I’m God.” (Psalm 46:10) Make time to be still and enjoy intimacy with Jesus in a quiet space. Let the loudness that life brings melt away and remember who you are and whose you are! 

God presents us with different gifts in different seasons of our lives. If you have the gift of time to have solitude with Jesus I encourage you to not take it for granted! God could be preparing you for a much busier season. If you're on the flip side and reading this thinking “I don’t have time to go to the bathroom much less have time alone with God!” Sister (or brother), let me tell you right now that is a LIE. Everyone’s time is going to look different, some might look like an hour alone with Him, some could be 10 minutes alone with Him. Whatever your circumstance may be, I encourage you to be intentional about your quiet time with Jesus.

Mark 1:35 says, “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.” Even Jesus needed time to be alone and pray to his Father. He’s calling us to do the same. So go into your quiet place, be still and know that God is listening.