You Can Live in an Atmosphere of Peace
Adapted from Trusting God Day by Day
He Himself withdrew [in retirement] to the wilderness (desert) and prayed.
We live in a noisy society. Some people have to have some noise in their atmospheres all the time. They always have music or the television on or the radio playing. They want someone with them all the time so they can talk. Each of these things done in balance is good, but we also need complete quiet and what I call “alone time.”
In order to enjoy a peaceful atmosphere, we must create one. Outer peace develops inner peace. Find a place where you can go that is quiet, a place where you will not be interrupted, and learn to enjoy simply being quiet for periods of time.
I have a certain chair in my living room where I sit and recover. The chair is a white recliner that faces a window to our yard, which is filled with trees. In the spring and summer, I can watch the birds, rabbits, and squirrels. There was a time when I would have considered that boring, but not now—now I love it. When I return from a conference, I go home, take a hot bath, and then sit in that chair.
Sometimes I sit there for several hours. I may read a little, pray, or just look out the patio door window, but the point is I am sitting still and enjoying the quiet. I have discovered that quiet helps me recover.
Being still has a soothing effect on us. If we find peaceful places and remain in them for a while, we will begin to feel calmness engulf our souls. Waiting on God quietly does more to restore our bodies, minds, and emotions than anything else.
We regularly need quiet time to wait on God. Insist on having it; don’t let anyone take it from you. Jesus made sure He had seasons of peace and alone time. He ministered to the people, but He slipped away regularly from the crowds to be alone and pray (see Luke 5:15–16). Surely if Jesus needed this type of lifestyle, we do also.
Prayer of the Day: Father God, help me prioritize and savor silent, quiet moments in my life. Help me to rest in Your presence by trusting in You and being quiet so that I might take Your peace with me when I go back to normal activity, amen.
