Psalm 94:12-19 The Message
One of the most precious gifts our recent California Tahoe/Yosemite vacation provided involved quiet times. Do you require or crave quiet time? I practice quiet time each day by limiting some interruptions. Yet, occasionally, I just need to disconnect from the ongoing influence and pressure of my daily routine—step into a new environment—in order to gain a fresh sense of God reality. I always think about this type of quiet time as a huge gift from God. During the quiet times God provided on our trip (beginning Day 2 lol), I felt encircled in his love and somewhat shielded from anything negative or worldly. Everywhere I looked, I could see beauty and the presence of God. The world was still spinning, people were still being people, and evil was still trying to make dents into my time, but I could look above the distractions and witness the hand of God working things out for my good.
In our passage today, the psalmist teaches about how blessed we are to be taught this way by God. Some translations refer to these quiet times as taking a form of discipline or a time of instruction. I find quite times instructional for sure, but also full of revelation and truth of God’s tangible presence and limitless love. If you are struggling with anything today, take some time to be quiet. Let God provide a circle of quiet for you. Close you eyes, take deep breaths, and meditate on experiencing God’s loving presence. God will affirm you and help you look at things a little differently. During quiet times, God truly ministers grace and healing to his children.
Psalm 94:12-19
How blessed the man you train, God,
the woman you instruct in your Word,
Providing a circle of quiet within the clamor of evil,
while a jail is being built for the wicked.
God will never walk away from his people,
never desert his precious people.
Rest assured that justice is on its way
and every good heart put right.
Who stood up for me against the wicked?
Who took my side against evil workers?
If God hadn’t been there for me,
I never would have made it.
The minute I said, “I’m slipping, I’m falling,”
your love, God, took hold and held me fast.
When I was upset and beside myself,
you calmed me down and cheered me up.
Prayer: Lord, thank you for the instructional and disciplinary quiet times you provide. As well, thank you for the spiritual revelation I gain during these times. In Jesus’ name. Amen.