Looking for Stillness (in Vegas!)
He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. ~Psalm 23:2
A few years ago my husband and I went to Las Vegas for a conference. The conference on economics was very good but it was hosted at a casino. Economics is a hobby for my husband (a whole other issue).
In spite of how good the conference was, after two days I felt like I was going crazy. I could not find a peaceful place outside the hotel room. When we walked into any hallway, the elevator, or the lobby, there was music piped in (do I need to say that it was not music I would have chosen?). We had to walk through the casino to go anywhere for the conference. There, the noise was constant and flashing lights were all around us. Way too much stimulation for my normally quiet life!
One day, I told my husband I was going to skip the next session, go get a good book, and sit by the pool for some peace of mind. When I got out there (at 11 am) there was a rock band playing. No peace there.
Near the end of the week we went to a restaurant inside the casino. I asked the maître d for a quiet spot to enjoy our dinner. He looked right at me and said, “Ma’am you’re in Las Vegas.”
Since that trip we have had several conversations about quiet. Silence lets us think, something I am sure none of the casinos wants their gambling customers to do. All of that external stimulation keeps people from thinking about how much money (and time) they are wasting until they get on the plane to go home.
Many people experience this over-stimulation in their own homes. Social media, television, video games, radio, websites, CDs and DVDs, all give us a constant supply of background noise and visual stimulation if we want it. Many seem to want it.
God says, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Without some time to contemplate the things of the Lord, without some silence to hear from Him, and without some downtime to be in His Word, we will not grow in our knowledge and understanding of who He is (Colossians 1:9).
There is a time for recreation and relaxation, even for social media and good old-fashioned fun. But, if there is never any quiet in our homes, there will probably be very little quiet in our hearts and souls.
The fear is that no silence means that we lose opportunity to know God better. He wants us to listen, to be still, and to hear from Him.
Proverbs 19:27 says, “Cease to hear instruction, my son, and you will stray from the words of knowledge.” Can we hear God’s instruction over the noise and stimulation to which we subject ourselves?
Is there “be still” time in our schedules? “If anyone has an ear, let him hear” (Revelation 13:9).
I love serving Jesus Christ as one who “feeds His sheep”. It is my desire to teach God’s Word diligently, with reverence and awe for the Source of the truths I teach, and with an engaging, and sometimes witty, delivery so that the hearers will not just listen but do what it says.
- For Our Good - February 12, 2020
- Future Benefits - January 8, 2020
- Attention Getting Behavior - October 16, 2019
It’s kind of like when the kids were little and I would sit in the bathroom for a quick minute, just for some peace and quiet. 🙂 But it’s true, we can be distracted by noise and “audio clutter” all day long if we wish. And it’s hard to concentrate on my own thoughts, let alone hear from God, when there’s so much going on.
I kind of read this like a metaphor for finding quiet in a culture of constant distractions and noise. We recognize the need for it, but have to be extremely creative in finding it…and it may take some time to do that. It is so necessary, as you have eloquently pointed out! Thanks, Beth.
“But, if there is never any quiet in our homes, there will probably be very little quiet in our hearts and souls.” How very true. Encourages us to take an honest look at our own ‘worlds’ to ensure we are seeking those quiet moments to hear His voice. Thanks, Beth!
Nicely said.
Vegas is another planet.
When we take time to meditate and pray, we add an open-arms-invitation of expectation, that above all the noise (inside our hearts and outside our control) God will hear, He will speak to us in that still, small voice. Maybe not immediately. Maybe, just right when we need to be affirmed, and that’s how we know He IS our stillness.
Oh God, how we need You and Your peace.