Hit the Pause Button!

Have you ever been so busy that you thought you didn't have time to receive instruction and wisdom from God? That is probably me everyday! However, we see in I Samuel 9 that just like Saul, we can hear from Him in just a moment of time, even in the midst of "busy-ness," if we will but just take a moment to stop and listen. That's good news! The prophet of the Lord, Samuel, had encountered Saul and knew by the Spirit of the Lord that he was to be Israel's king. It was the prophet's job to anoint him as king. Samuel told him to come with him and that he would send him on his way.

I Samuel 9:27, "As they were going down to the edge of town, Samuel said to Saul, 'Tell the servant to go on ahead of us'-and the servant did so-'but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from God.'" (emphasis mine) NIV

We see that they were in the middle of walking on their way out of town. They were busily going on their way, on a mission from the Lord. And Samuel told Saul, "...but you stay here awhile, so that I may give you a message from the Lord." (emphasis mine)

I believe this story shows us how we can receive guidance from the Lord in the midst of all of our busyness-on the run or in the middle of a crowd (or children) or activity we happen to be involved in. You see, we can't always take days off or even a day to go off by ourselves on a retreat to get direction and guidance from the Lord. But every single one of us can stop and take a few moments to ask the Lord for help and then listen and recognize His voice and receive wisdom from Him right when we need it the most. The operative word in verse 27 is "awhile." That means literally a short space in time. That's all it takes!

Just this week, I was hurriedly readying myself for a busy day of errands. I knew I would be gone for most of the day and needed to be out the door and on my way to an appointment that I didn't want to be late for. As I put the finishing touches on my hair, I paused for awhile and asked the Lord for His help. For I knew I needed to resolve an issue we were having with one of our children before leaving and I didn't know what to do. So I asked the Lord for wisdom. He immediately spoke to my heart and told me what I needed to hear. Now, it wasn't what I necessarily wanted to hear, but I figured the Lord knew better than I did, so I followed through and obeyed His word. Have you ever heard the Lord tell you something and you didn't want to do it? Boy, I sure have! In this case with my son, it turned out better than what I could have ever imagined! Isn't that just like God? He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all we can ask or imagine, according to His power that is at work within us! (Eph. 3:20) The key was in my stopping long enough, in a moment of time, to ask Him, listen, and then obey His whispering instructions to my heart.

I John 2:27 says, "As for you, the anointing you received from him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about all things and as that anointing is real, not counterfeit - just as it has taught you, remain in him." NIV

By the anointing of the Holy Spirit living inside of you, you can be taught all things! Aren't you so thankful for the Holy Spirit living on the inside who teaches us?! I know I sure do need His help, guidance and wisdom on a daily basis! Remember in those busy times, to just stop and take a moment, awhile, and ask the Lord for His direction. It's kind of like hitting the pause button on an mp3 or CD player! He will have a message from heaven that is just right for you, for your situation, and it will be such a blessing in your life as you obey His word!

Pausing for His wisdom,
Kim Dillingham