Before refrigerators were invented, in colder parts of the world they used ice houses to preserve their food. During the winter, people cut large blocks of ice from the frozen lakes and streams and hauled them to the ice houses and covered them with sawdust so the ice wouldn’t melt.
There is a story of a man who lost a valuable watch while working in an ice house. He searched carefully raking through the sawdust but failed to find it. Others helped look but they also failed to find the watch. One day a small boy quietly went into the ice house during lunch break. After a few minutes, he came back out with the watch in his hand. Amazed, everyone asked how he found it. “It was simple,” the boy replied. “I just closed the door, lay down in the sawdust, and kept very still. Soon I heard the watch ticking.”
How many of us fail to be able to hear like the men who couldn’t find the watch. We aren’t taking the time to be quiet and listen or we’re only listening for the things we want to hear and we ignore the rest. Maybe we are listening, but the noise of everything and everyone else is so loud that we couldn’t hear the voice of God even if we wanted to.
There is no substitute for taking time to be quiet and listen. With the constant daily activity we can find ourselves in, it’s so important to find times of quietness and rest. Time when we can sit and listen to our hearts, consider any challenges and take our concerns to God. Time to sit and listen to His guidance and receive from His strength.
This is what the Sovereign LORD, says: “In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength (Isaiah 30:15).
Today take the time to sit and listen. As you read His word and sit in God’s presence just listen. As the young boy in the story found the valuable watch, you’ll be amazed with what valuable guidance, confidence and treasure you’ll find.
Prayer: Lord help me to simply stop, rest and listen in your presence today. In Jesus Name Amen