Standing still and listening

Some of my prayers have not amounted to much more than the polite "Good mornings," I say to neighbors. In our neighborhood most people nod in my general direction and keep walking. Eye contact is not on the menu of appropriate greetings here. To make eye contact and speak we would have to slow down. People are busy and have things to do and places to go. When we communicate with God that way we lose the sense of His Presence and reduce Him to another interruption to our pace of achievement-oriented living.

While meeting with Habakkuk, I discovered a facet of the good prophet’s life worthy of copying. He was still reeling from the unwanted message about Babylon that God had deposited in his spirit. Holy Spirit to human spirit communication tends to leave one stunned, sometimes disoriented. My friend "Hab" decided, "I will stand at my watch and station myself on the ramparts; I will look to see what he will say to me, and what answer I am to give to this complaint." (Habakkuk 2:1 NIV) In short, Hab said, "I won’t rush it!"


Standing still is difficult. Pacing helps time pass more quickly and makes waiting more tolerable. I am convinced that doing something, anything, is easier than standing. I observe the phenomenon when I take Pat shopping. Other men stand about shifting their weight from leg to leg like nervous whooping cranes – standing, waiting for the two guys sitting on two old chairs to move on. The pecking order among shopping husbands is well defined. There is little hope that it will happen anytime soon. Each wife took seven, eight or more pieces of clothing into the little rooms dedicated for the serious business of "trying on." Habakkuk stood attentively, expectantly, waiting for the Lord to reveal something that would clear the air of the heavy fog of national chaos and spiritual collapse.

Friend Hab stood in full view, "on the ramparts." His patience could be measured and those who hurried below could easily count the hours, days, weeks, months . . . Hab waited. The bright digital billboards across the street from the ramparts flashed political solutions, media evangelists rented space for their promises (supported by Scriptures taken from out of context), and pharmaceutical manufacturers’ models smiled down with assurances that their brand would turn back the clock and youthful vigor would soon seep from every pore. People think nothing of waiting overnight in the rain for the newest smart phone, but standing in prayer, even in the safe and friendly environs of the church altar is an unacceptable hardship.

And, last (for today at least), Hab reminded me that when one waits, one can hear God say something so distinctly, so easy to understand, so powerfully important, that it is worth the wait! While we sipped our Starbucks bold this morning, Hab said, "Otto, ‘Then the LORD replied: "Write down the revelation and make it plain on tablets so that a herald may run with it. For the revelation awaits an appointed time; it speaks of the end and will not prove false. Though it lingers, wait for it; it will certainly come and will not delay.’" (Habakkuk 2:2-3 NIV) I have had those moments when God spoke to me like He did to Hab, but there would have been more of them if I had stood still more often?

My pastor ended last Sunday morning’s service with Charles A. Miles 100 year-old song. One verse and chorus strongly reinforce the need for hyperactive people like me to stand still and listen to what the Lord is saying. Miles changed the image from rampart to garden, but the imbedded truth remains the same.

He speaks, and the sound of His voice
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing,
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
Refrain:
And He walks with me, and He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own;
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other has ever known.

There are mornings when I chafe, sprint mentally and pace physically. I look for a place. I want a project, an agenda . . . something to do, something to accomplish. The friendly prophet reminds that I may want activity but I need to stand still and listen. God will speak and what He says will be so clear it ought to be written and spread everywhere! (2:3) It is embarrassing to admit to hyperactivity at my age. I am wired for action. Working, doing, going, and coming are all fun for the hyperactive.

Excuse me, I need to get away from this keyboard, climb a little higher, then stand and listen. Those around me may need to hear words of consolation, promises of healing, and reasons for hope. Assuring words and redemptive, helpful actions come to us when we climb to a place, stand and listen.

Let us try praying together and begin with, "Good morning God. I am here to listen."