Quiet Time

Acts 21:27-36

When my brother-in-law was pastoring a church in Dallas he would hang a sign on his office door that read, “Please do not disturb. Holy Spirit at work.” It was his way of saying that he needed time to concentrate on sermon preparation. I thought of that sign when I read a portion of our Acts passage this morning. “Some in the crowd shouted one thing, some another; and as he could not learn the facts because of the uproar, [the tribune] ordered [Paul] to be brought into the barracks” (Acts 21:34).

If you’ve ever tried to use a cell phone in the midst of a noisy crowd you may know how the tribune felt that day. All he wanted was to “learn the facts” but the yelling and the commotion around him made that impossible. So it is at times with the word of God. To fully comprehend what God is saying we sometimes need to quiet the voices around us, to still the uproar–even in our own minds, so that we can concentrate. Even Jesus knew the importance of quiet time. Often he would go off by himself to pray and listen for God. The pushing and the pulling of the crowds and the constant demands made prayer impossible.

My brother-in-law found a way to create quiet time for himself. I’m not always so good at it. But if we truly want to listen for the voice of God we have got to take time away from the crowds, away from the demands, away from the voices, the phones, the TV. We’ve got to allow God the opportunity to speak to us and allow ourselves the opportunity to listen.

Prayer: God, lead us to times of peace and quiet so that we may hear you more clearly and be lead by you to do your will more effectively. Amen.