We should all spend quiet time with God

Have you ever noticed how noisy our world is?  I cannot imagine how anyone could not be aware of it.  There are so many distractions that are constantly vying for our attention.  There is always noise – cars, planes, radios, TV sets – the list is unending.  There are so many distractions.  The problem with distractions is they take us away from the main attraction, which is God.  I sometimes think it is no wonder our relationship with God seems so lacking insofar as we are pulled by the lights and sounds of our every day lives in so many other directions.  We may think we are doing OK with our “God relationship”, but are we really?  I know that in my life for the longest time my relationship with God consisted of me talking and God listening.  Now I’m not suggesting that’s the worst thing in the world, but doesn’t it seem a little skewed?  I spent a lot of time asking God questions and meditating upon the majesty of His creation, but when did I give Him a chance to respond?  Did I ever stop to think just what that response would look like and how would I be aware of it?
It should be apparent to all of us that our God is not going to scream at us or force us into a proper relationship with Him or beat us over the head to get us to work with Him.  So how does He make His will known?  Of course we have scriptural revelation and all the teachings associated with it even as we continue to struggle to understand the full implications of everything Jesus taught us.  If you think there is no struggle with understanding those teachings then ponder, if you will, that it only took western society some 1900 years or so to do things like outlaw slavery and grant women’s suffrage.  One wonders what we’ll look back on 1900 years from now with revulsion.  My point is that the fullest implications of scripture escape us even when we make a concerted and organized effort to understand them.  Can you imagine how it is for us as individuals as we grapple with just what God is trying to say to us individually?  How do we approach this issue?
Let’s look at Jesus.  Of course we know that Jesus was fully human (in all things but sin) and fully divine.  Let’s ponder the humanity of Jesus.  It stands to reason that He was not born knowing all things (in the story of Jesus being found in the temple we are told, “He grew in wisdom and knowledge”).  This certainly indicates that Jesus was not just magically aware of the Father’s will.  Jesus had to learn it.  He had to have a relationship with the Father that we should mirror.  There was a certain effort involved in “establishing the connection”.  We see stories in the Gospels of Jesus repeatedly retiring to deserted places.  Some references include Matthew 14:13, Mark 1:35, Mark 6:32, Luke 4:42, and Luke 5:16.  We know he went to the desert for 40 days to prepare for what was to come because we read it in Luke 4:2, Mark 1:13, and Matthew 4:1.  Why did Jesus and why do many others to this day, go to the desert?  Being one who goes to the desert for periods of time on a regular basis, I can tell you the answer is simple (at least for me).  It is because God whispers.  If we do not give Him the opportunity to speak to us, if we do not have dedicated and special time and places to just be with Him, there is little likelihood that we will successfully know Him.  It is tough to hear a whisper over an avalanche of noise.  We need to get rid of the noise.  We need to go to a quiet place.
It may not be possible for all of us to go to a deserted place for extended periods of time, but each of us can set aside time to just be quiet and in the presence of God.  Ask yourself if your communication with God has been a one-way road.  Do we ever really listen to Him?  Do we ever take time to just be in His presence?  It is no wonder so many of us struggle with our lives because of the level of busy-ness we have.  We are killing ourselves, if not physically at least spiritually.  If you doubt me, ask yourself how it is you feed and refresh your soul?  We will take a weekend to be at the lake or a week to go on vacation to rejuvenate our bodies.  What about our souls?  Our souls are dying of neglect and starvation.
Sometimes the value of spending that quiet time with God may not be immediately obvious to us.  There are so many interests and obligations pulling us in so many different directions.  I’m tempted to think, “If I set that time aside, think of all the things that won’t get done”.  However, if I don’t set that time aside, what won’t be done and which is really more important?  If you doubt the importance of making this effort, remember that the flower of Jesus 40 days in the desert was really our salvation by His being able to endure the Passion and the Cross.  What would our lives look like if we had the same intimacy with the Father that Jesus had? 
God bless you, with love.