{"id":26744,"date":"2015-07-15T00:15:19","date_gmt":"2015-07-15T04:15:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/?p=26744"},"modified":"2015-07-14T16:06:57","modified_gmt":"2015-07-14T20:06:57","slug":"in-the-stillness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/2015\/07\/15\/in-the-stillness\/","title":{"rendered":"In The Stillness"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><a href=\"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full wp-image-16629\" src=\"http:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv.jpg\" alt=\"psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv\" width=\"341\" height=\"200\" srcset=\"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv.jpg 341w, https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv-300x175.jpg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 341px) 100vw, 341px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Here in the stillness my heart is at rest <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">Alone in the silence, that\u2019s where I hear You best <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">In the rush of the river, like a song in the breeze <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">It\u2019s here in the stillness You speak to me<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">When I\u2019m lost in Your Presence the world disappears <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">Taking all of my troubles\u2026my burdens, my fears <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">Oh how gently You hold me, You are all that I see <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">It\u2019s here in the stillness You speak to me<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>I will be still<br \/>\nI will stand in awe <\/em><\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\"><em>Oh, just to know that You are my God<br \/>\nYou are my God<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"color: #800080;\">Yes, it\u2019s here in the stillness You speak to me <\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">You speak to me<\/span><br \/>\n<span style=\"color: #800080;\">Oh, speak to me<\/span><\/p>\n<p><center><iframe loading=\"lazy\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/yF71cglk9ns?rel=0\" width=\"420\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/center><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Singer\/Songwriter \u2013<em> Ali Matthews<\/em><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">* \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0\u271e \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0*<\/p>\n<p>One of the absolute joys of being in a relationship with our heavenly Father is our \u2018quiet time\u2019 with Him. \u00a0Not only is it a joy but it is a need, too. It is necessary to dwell in His Presence\u2026to choose to have a dedicated, purposeful, intentional, devoted quiet time. \u00a0Of course there are many other components that make up this time with God, such as:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>reading the Scriptures<\/li>\n<li>meditating and considering those words<\/li>\n<li>singing our praises<\/li>\n<li>thankfulness<\/li>\n<li>intercession<\/li>\n<li>prayer for ourselves<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>But I do believe that there is one essential aspect\u2014<em>stillness\u2014w<\/em>hich presents itself in two very needful ways:<\/p>\n<blockquote><p><em>1) actual physical-absence-of-distracting-noise <strong>quiet<\/strong><\/em><br \/>\n(and, perhaps even more necessary,)<br \/>\n<em>2) a <strong>quiet<\/strong>, still, peaceful heart<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p>Our Lord recognized His need for <em><strong>quiet and time alone to pray<\/strong><\/em> to His Father. \u00a0If He, in His perfect sinless life, needed quiet time to be still and alone seeking the Father then we surely do also\u2026and even more so! His example speaks clearly to us.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">And in the morning, long before daylight,<br \/>\nHe got up and went out to a deserted place,<br \/>\nand there He prayed.<br \/>\nMark 1:35<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">\u2026and great crowds gathered to hear Him and to be healed of their infirmities.<br \/>\nBut He would withdraw to desolate places and pray.<br \/>\nLuke 5:15, 16<\/p>\n<p>(Perhaps, when our Lord was alone, He sang words similar to those in that beautiful song we just listened to\u2026.)<\/p>\n<p>And there is the second type of stillness\u2014<strong><em>a quiet, still, peaceful heart<\/em><\/strong>. \u00a0Isn\u2019t this something that each of us yearns for? \u00a0Truly I believe it can only be found as we seek Him. \u00a0There is a quietness that we are promised as we trust in our Lord.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Be still and rest in the Lord;<br \/>\nwait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him;<br \/>\nfret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way,<br \/>\nbecause of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.<br \/>\nCease from anger and forsake wrath;<br \/>\nfret not yourself\u2014it tends only to evildoing.<br \/>\nFor evildoers shall be cut off,<br \/>\nbut those who wait and hope and look for the Lord<br \/>\nshall inherit the earth.<br \/>\nPsalms 37:7-9<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Be still, and know that I am God.<br \/>\nI will be exalted among the nations,<br \/>\nI will be exalted in the earth!\u201d<br \/>\nThe Lord of hosts is with us;<br \/>\nthe God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah.<br \/>\nPsalms 46:10 and 11<\/p>\n<p>And. as Jesus Himself said to us,<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden<br \/>\nand overburdened,\u00a0and I will cause you to rest.<br \/>\n[I will ease and relieve and refresh your souls.]<br \/>\nMatthew 11:28<\/p>\n<p>In closing, consider these verses in which the psalmist speaks about his quiet time with his God. \u00a0As we intentionally pursue having quiet time alone with our God may we \u2018pour out our heart before Him; God is a Refuge for us!\u2019<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\">For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation.<br \/>\nHe alone is my Rock and my Salvation, my Fortress;<br \/>\nI shall not be greatly shaken.<br \/>\nFor God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from Him..<br \/>\nOn God rests my salvation and my glory;<br \/>\nMy mighty Rock, my Refuge is God.<br \/>\nTrust in Him at all times, O people;<br \/>\nPour out your heart before Him;<br \/>\nGod is a Refuge for us. Selah<br \/>\nexcerpts from Psalm 62<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><span style=\"color: #800080;\">* \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0\u271e \u00a0~ \u00a0\u2665 \u00a0~ \u00a0*<\/span><\/p>\n<p>May I suggest, before you and I run along and jump into your \u2018to-do\u2019 list, that we each stop for a few minutes and be still and quiet before the throne of God\u2026worshipping and giving Him our praise for the joy and privilege of these times of stillness and quiet alone with Him! \u00a0Oh, how He loves us so!<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here in the stillness my heart is at rest Alone in the silence, that\u2019s where I hear You best In the rush of the river, like a song in the breeze It\u2019s here in the stillness You speak to me When I\u2019m lost in Your Presence the world disappears Taking all of my troubles\u2026my burdens, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":20,"featured_media":16629,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[4937],"tags":[5681,1959,235,1287,425,5680,1632,5677,1672,4290,4374,5678,4932,8314],"class_list":["post-26744","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-psalms-hymns-and-spiritual-songs","tag-ali-matthews","tag-be-still","tag-coleen-hayden","tag-gch","tag-girlfriends-coffee-hour","tag-here-in-the-stillness","tag-luke-515-16","tag-mark-135","tag-matthew-1128","tag-psalm-62","tag-psalms-377-9","tag-psalms-4610-11","tag-psalms-hymns-spiritual-songs","tag-quiet-before-the-lord","entry"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/12\/psalmshymnsspiritualsongskjv.jpg","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p39pHp-6Xm","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_likes_enabled":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/20"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=26744"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":26751,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/26744\/revisions\/26751"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/16629"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=26744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=26744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/girlfriendscoffeehour.com\/wordpress\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=26744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}