Pause, Hear His Whisper: Meditations for Busy Christians

By Geno Pyse

Our society is fast-paced, hectic, and distracting. Although the Lord tells us to “be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10), stillness, solitude, and quietness are unnerving for many. In fact, a mere two minutes of silence brings on a measure of anxiety for some. We have grown accustomed to, even dependent on, having noise and busyness surrounding us: television, video games, stereos, headsets, ball games, concerts, exercise machines, and even fans for white noise. From having the radio on in the morning while waking up to having a television on at night while getting ready for bed, there is constant noise and distractions to hinder us from healthy times of silence, solitude, prayer, and biblical meditation. God does not yell above life’s clamor.

May we learn to pause, and hear His whisper.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Covenant Books, Inc.
• Release date: Jan 14, 2022
• ISBN: 9781638856719

Book preview

1

In the Beginning… God

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1)

By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God. (Hebrews 11:3a)

Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts: I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god. (Isaiah 44:6)

In the beginning of time, of matter, of existence, God was already there! By faith we do not merely assume—we understand—the universe did not come by happenstance. No! But by the very command of an all-powerful being, our Creator, who had no beginning nor has no end. He is the composer and arranger, and this is His symphony. He gets to set the notes and melody as He so chooses. He is the poet who sets the meter and rhymes. He is the artist, and He alone chooses the colors and tones. Thus He is the sovereign of the world and universe He created, and He sets into place what is right and what is wrong.

God is our Creator and the Maker of the heavens and earth. Does He have the right to set rules into place? What is to be our response to Him?

2

The Triunity of God

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. (John 1:1)

Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. (Matthew 28:19)

A great mystery in the Christian faith is that of the triunity of God (the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit)—three Persons yet one God. Some are put off by this revelation, saying it does not make sense. As opposed to what? God’s eternality, omniscience, omnipotence, or His transcendence? This world is filled with things the human mind does not understand. Should it be surprising the God who created it all should escape our comprehension? We are not called to understand Him; however, we are to accept by faith what He reveals.

God is spirit and is not confined to time, space, and matter; so should the concept of the Trinity seem too incredible?

3

Good from the Source of Goodness

And God saw everything that He had made, and behold, it was very good. (Genesis 1:31)

For the Lord is good; his steadfast love endures forever, and his faithfulness to all generations. (Psalm 100:5)

Stemming from the very person and character of God, original creation magnificently displayed His goodness, beauty, peace, and order. There was no death or suffering, no disease or war, no injustice or crime. Man and beast lived together without fear. It is of great importance we understand that the evil and suffering which exist in the world is neither a part of God’s original design nor representative of who He is. God is the very source of life, beauty, peace, and goodness. Everything which is a departure from these is, first, a departure from God and His ways.

Although the world is filled with a lot of pain and hurting, can you see evidence of God’s goodness around you?

4

The Holiness of God

Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory! (Isaiah 6:3)

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come! (Revelation 4:8)

This is what the Lord has said: Among those who are near me I will be sanctified, and before all the people I will be glorified. (Leviticus 10:3)

If we would draw near to God and if we would truly know Him, we must approach Him on His terms. This is not to be debated or negotiated. We would not approach a judge flippantly. We would not treat our employer as one of our coworkers. We would not attend a banquet with the president of the United States in the same aloof fashion as we would our best friend. Of God’s multiple attributes, His holiness is the only one magnified to the third degree—and this is done in both the Old and New Testaments. God is neither common nor ordinary. He is set apart from all His creation as its uncontested sovereign King, and He is to be revered and worshiped as such.

What does is mean that God is holy? How does this affect the way you are to approach Him?

5

The Horrible Distortion

So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate. Then the eyes of both were opened, and they knew that they were naked. (Genesis 3:6–7a)

Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned. (Romans 5:12)

For better or for worse, choices have consequences. Foolish decisions can be made seemingly innocent enough, yet the results can be lethal. God created a beautiful and peaceful world. The first couple had complete freedom to eat from every tree in the garden—except for one. God told the man specifically not to eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil lest death be the result, a couple of truly innocent persons with the spark of curiosity and previously unknown desire. A simple bite with severely complex results, the taste was initially sweet; but the bitter poison quickly seeped into the blood, the mind—to the very depths of the soul! Death and suffering were no longer a speculative theory, but a brutal reality. We can ponder forever as to the reasons why God permitted it; however, the fault of sin belongs to humankind alone. Until we own up individually to the destructive reality of our poisonous sins, we will never benefit from the cure in which God has provided.

Why do you desire to do, think, and say things you know, innately, are wrong? Can you remember situations initially pleasurable but the consequences bitter?

6

The Holy Scriptures

All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness. (2 Timothy 3:16)

Knowing this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone’s own interpretation. For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. (2 Peter 1:20–21)

Sanctify them in the truth; your word is truth. (John 17:17)

God is a God of truth, and His Word is truth. He does not leave persons to their own thoughts, memories, feelings, or impressions to guide them; for each of these are faulty. Furthermore, these can be quite deceptive. The God who created the heavens and the earth spoke to and through His prophets and apostles. By His sovereign power, He has preserved His Word for every generation who will follow Him. His Word serves to help us know the difference between right and wrong, truth and error. His Word is not a secret knowledge, but truth He is willing to reveal to anyone who genuinely desires truth.

There are many who try to cast doubt on God’s Word. God created the universe; therefore, does it stand to reason that He can preserve His Word for all generations?

7

Divine Image Bearers of Immense Worth

God created man in His own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. (Genesis 1:27)

What is man that you are mindful of him, and the son of man that you care for him? Yet you have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. (Psalm 8:4–5)

For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For what can a man give in return for his soul? (Mark 8:36–37)

Human life is so cheapened and trivialized in the world. Whether it be through war or human trafficking or through deception and manipulation for financial and political gain, people so easily trample on the lives and dignity of others. Ironically, many who are irreligious accuse religion as being the problem. Yet where else but in the Holy Scriptures is it declared that men and women are made in the very image of God and crowned with glory and honor? Where else but in the Christian faith is there such an immense value placed on the human soul that the very Creator would suffer in order to redeem sinful people who will but turn to Him with trust?

You are created in the image of God. Do you believe that God truly loves and values you?

8

The Deeper Reality of Knowledge

But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die. (Genesis 2:17)

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy one is insight. (Proverbs 9:10)

And this is eternal life, that they know you the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent. (John 17:3)

In our scientific age, it is all too common to think of knowledge in terms of mere intellectualism. For example, this person maintains a 4.0 grade point average. He is very knowledgeable. However, in the Bible, knowledge goes far deeper than merely knowing something with one’s mental capacities. It is to know something experientially. This is the reason knowledge of good and evil was forbidden: God did not want His creation to experience evil and its horrible effects. This is also why mere knowledge of God does not necessarily benefit a person. A person can go to church their entire life and know all kinds of wonderful things about God. Yet in the end, such a person might not know God. It is the person with the experiential knowledge of God as their Savior and Redeemer who will be welcomed into His glorious heaven at last.

What is the difference between knowing things about God versus knowing God?

9

The Shameful Exchange

And the Lord had regard for Abel and his offering, but for Cain and his offering he had no regard. So Cain was very angry, and his face fell. The Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry, and why has your face fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? (Genesis 4:4–7)

For although they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things. (Romans 1:21–23)

The Westminster Shorter Catechism states, Man’s chief end is to glorify God, and to enjoy Him forever. Men and women were originally created to live as princes and princesses of the great King in His kingdom of righteousness. However, because of sin and the fall, humankind prefers lesser and baser things. Like Cain, we desire life on our terms rather than God’s, and our hearts are wooed and distracted by anything and everything other than God. Although God seeks to make Himself known, by their unrighteousness, people suppress the truth God reveals to them. Let us always beware that God does not accept our offerings simply because we offer them. He is God. We approach Him on His terms. Our hearts will lead us far away from Him if we dismiss this truth.

Do you know of any area where you are trying to establish a relationship with God on your terms? What is a genuine relationship with God worth to you?

10

The Central Point

The Lord God said to the serpent, "Because you have done this, cursed are you above all livestock and above all beasts of the field; on your belly you shall