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A Sense of Where You Are A Sense of Where You Are

February 09, 2025 | Van Barnhill

“Be my good shepherd to lead me into the green pastures of thy Word, and cause me to lie down beside the rivers of its comforts. Fill me with peace, that no disquieting worldly gales may ruffle the calm surface of my soul.”  The Valley of Vision (Need of Jesus)


"And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, 'Everyone is looking for you.' And he said to them, 'Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.' And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons."  Mark 1:35-39


THE PERSPECTIVE:


“It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind.” CS Lewis, Mere Christianity


THE PRIVILEGE:


"Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!"  Psalm 37:7


"Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!"  Psalm 46:10


"For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him."  Psalm 62:5


"I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, and in his word I hope; my soul waits for the Lord more than watchmen for the morning, more than watchmen for the morning."  Psalm 130:5-6


“Wherever it is, we need to find a place to be alone to hear the voice of Him whose presence is unseen yet more real than any other.”  Donald Whitney, Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life


THE PRIORITY:


“We can only survive solitude if we cling to Christ there. And yet what we find of him in that solitude enables us to return to society as free persons.”  Dallas Willard, The Spirit of the Disciplines


“Cultivate an intense devotional life and ignore people who criticize this as pietistic. Pray without ceasing. Read the Bible, not just as an academic text. Treasure opportunities to worship in chapel services and prayer meetings, as well as on Sunday. Give attention to your ‘spiritual formation,’ however you understand that.”  John Frame, On Theology


“‘It is finished’ is the lullaby of all things, our restless hearts included.”  Justin Whitmel Earley, The Common Rule


RECOMMENDED:

  • Crazy Busy, DeYoung
  • Margin, Swenson
  • Spiritual Disciplines for the Christian Life, Whitney
  • The Common Rule, Earley
  • The Spirit of the Disciplines, Willard


FOR DISCUSSION:

  • How often do you have moments of 
    • solitude/silence before the Lord?
        ° If you have before, what are the effects of that time?
        ° If you haven’t before, what has prohibited you from doing so?
  • What other habits help to restore your soul and develop a greater love for the Lord?
  • How does time in private (with God) prepare for your times in public (with others)?
  • How does an understanding of “it is finished” (John 19:30) provide a basis for our rest in the Lord?