While recently browsing books, I came across Elisabeth Elliot’s Be Still My Soul: Reflections on Living the Christian Life. Perhaps because God’s peace is one of the most meaningful aspects of Christian living for me, and something I seek and write about often, the book quickly grabbed my attention as a “must-read.”

It did not disappoint.

Be Still My Soul proves why Elisabeth Elliot (1926-2015) is regarded as one of the most perceptive and popular Christian writers of the 20^th century. She writes with a simple yet profound eloquence that causes us to slow down, ponder deeply, and draw closer to God.

This short book is divided into easily readable chapters with headings that touch on a variety of topics. In a chapter titled “Helps to Holiness,” a section called “Trust and Obey” begins:

There is in each of us a kind of homelessness, a deep, unspoken, inexpressible longing for a safe place away from the clamor. Without God, most of the world tries to satisfy that longing with more money, more leisure, more things. Christians know that is futile, and yet we too hold back from choosing to cling to Him with single-hearted determination.

Another section called “Self-Effacement” in the chapter “A Servant Heart,” begins:

When I get to heaven, I want to hear the words, “Well done, good and faithful servant,” not “good job, excellent and committed CEO.” In spite of the clamor of society around us, the urgings to succeed and conquer, I would rather emulate my fellow believers who have taken the narrow, lower way.

Throughout the book Elliot shares her reflections on many aspects of Christian living, including peace, God’s love, suffering, holiness, prayer, and walking with Jesus.

She has a wonderful way of seamlessly interspersing personal stories and struggles with scripture, thereby relating the big picture of how she has come to view God’s sovereign plan over her life.

If you struggle with the frantic pace of busyness in our can’t-stop world, this book offers an inspiring collection of reflections on living a life that is “far less about doing than it is about receiving grace, peace, and rest for our weary souls.”

Learning to be still, and leaving our anxieties and cares in the hands of a loving God, is what we are called to do, Elliot says. Here, she helps us do just that.

I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to go deeper with the Lord. I know I will return to it again.

Be Still My Soul portrays with simplicity and grace the beauty and wonder of learning to rest in God.

Copyright © 2019 Cheryl Elton

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Establishing daily quiet time with God is necessary for anyone who wants a close, intimate relationship with Him. Many of the great men and women of faith throughout Scripture and history have testified to morning being the optimal time.

Yet a wandering mind can challenge many Christians during their quiet time with the Lord. Have you ever started praying, only to find a few seconds later you’re thinking about what you’ll have for dinner that night? Or begun reading the Bible, only to have your thoughts jump to that Facebook post you liked?

The world trains our minds to jump from thought to thought constantly. Television, advertising, the Internet—all with fast moving images—encourage these thought patterns.

But the good news is that with God’s help we can learn to focus and quiet our minds as we develop new habit patterns of silence. We simply need less of us, and more of Him.

For ten years hero of the faith George Müller had regularly spent time in prayer each morning—but he struggled considerably with a wandering mind. So he changed his habit to meditating on Scripture. As he did, he found he would almost effortlessly go into prayers of thanksgiving, confession, intercession, and supplication.

From that time on, prayer was no longer such an effort! Reading and meditating on Scripture provided a natural springboard to praise and prayer. Müller then sustained the habit of Bible reading and prayer for the next 40 years with much more ease.

When relationship with the Lord becomes a priority, He reveals and helps us with the things we need to change, including learning to control our thoughts. 

In the 16^thcentury, St. Francis de Sales wrote:

If the heart wanders or is distracted, bring it back to the point quite gently and replace it tenderly in its Master’s presence. And even if you did nothing during the whole of your hour but bring your heart back and place it again in our Lord’s presence, though it went away every time you brought it back, your hour will be very well employed . . .

We must build new habit patterns of silence, taking the time to tune out life’s demands and distractions, and entering the secret place of His presence. It is only there we find rest.

He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, “He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.”  (Psalm 91:1-2)

If you struggle with a wandering mind during morning devotions, try meditating on Scripture, as Müller did. If you’re not comfortable with quiet, or you struggle with racing thoughts, take heart. Jesus Christ is with you, helping, strengthening, and encouraging you in all your endeavors.

With His help in developing these disciplines, in time we learn to carry His stillness with us, wherever we go.

Let the Prince of Peace Himself welcome you into the new day. He is with you . . . just waiting for your call!

Copyright © 2018 Cheryl Elton

For more on the value of cultivating quietness, see chapter 16 “The Quiet Classroom” in my book Pathway of Peace: Living in a Growing Relationship with Christ

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Yesterday, while heading out the door to go to the movies, my husband announced “I don’t have my phone—but we have yours, right? We need at least one phone with us.”

Funny how for years we lived with no cell phones—now we can’t seem to survive without them! I thought.

For most of us, leaving the house without our phones, we feel lost, even vulnerable, unsafe.

The ability to communicate and get information anywhere anytime has tremendous value, but can also serve as great distraction.

Reaching for the phone—for some while still in bed—is often the first action of the day. Yet this simple act, as innocent as it seems, can quickly distract us. Before we know it, we’re responding to messages, checking emails, reading articles—and we’ve robbed ourselves from entering the day fully engaged with God!

Many heroes of the faith in Scripture spent quiet time with God, usually early in the morning.

David tells us in Psalms:

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You; My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You In a dry and thirsty land where there is no water. So I have looked for You in the sanctuary, to see Your power and Your glory.  (Psalm 63:1-2)

Listen to my voice in the morning, LORD. Each morning I bring my requests to you and wait expectantly. (Psalm 5:3) 

Daniel had quiet times of daily prayer. Job would rise early to offer sacrifices and pray for his children.

And of course Jesus understood the importance of daily quiet time with the Father. In the gospels we read He often went out early in the morning to seek silence and pray.

Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.  (Mark 1:35) 

Establishing daily time with God is necessary for anyone who wants a close, intimate relationship with Him. Although morning devotions aren’t a command in Scripture, it’s clear that many of the great men and women of faith throughout history have testified to morning being the optimal time.

In his book Power Through Prayer, E.M. Bounds writes:

The men [and women] who have done the most for God in this world have been early on their knees. He who fritters away the early morning, its opportunity and freshness, in other pursuits than seeking God will make poor headway seeking Him the rest of the day. If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day. 

Without setting our hearts with God first thing in the morning, it remains difficult—once we move into the demands and distractions of the day—to be still within, to hold His peace, and to hear His voice throughout the day.

It’s a matter of priority, isn’t it? I won’t occupy myself with other things until my heart is first engaged with You. 

In that precious morning time of Bible reading, prayer, quiet meditation and listening, He fills us with His presence, His peace—and the heart we need to love Him and others through each new day.

What a joyful way to live!

Copyright © 2018 Cheryl Elton

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People around the globe are taking to social media, flaunting their latest badge of distinction—membership in The 5 a.m. Club.

It’s inspired by a challenge from best-selling author and motivational speaker Robin Sharma to wake up at 5 a.m. for 66 days to develop habits for greater productivity.

“Join The 5 a.m Club. Your most valuable hours are 5 a.m. – 8 a.m. They have the least interruptions,” he says.

Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook, and dozens of other successful leaders past and present are known for using this special time of day to exercise, plan, meditate, and reflect.

Great men and women of the faith throughout history also regularly rose early—to spend quiet time with God. Before moving into their tasks for the day, they used the early morning solitude to read the Bible, pray, and set their hearts in His presence.

Nineteenth century Methodist minister E.M. Bounds wrote:

“If God is not first in our thoughts and efforts in the morning, He will be in the last place the remainder of the day.” 

In the Bible, David says “Early will I seek You.”  Daniel and Job had daily quiet times of prayer. Jesus often went out early in the morning to seek silence and pray.

“Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” (Mark 1:35) 

While we often picture the Son of God moving among crowds and ministering to many people, he too found it necessary to commune with God in solitude, thereby preparing and recharging his heart to touch others with the Father’s love.

So it is with us also. 

Establishing quiet times in His presence is necessary for anyone who wants a close, intimate relationship with God.

Jesus instructs us:

“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6)

David also knew the blessing of abiding in God’s presence: 

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, ‘He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust.’” (Psalm 91:1-2)

Do you have a regular morning appointment with God?

Whether it’s at 5 a.m. or later, whether you have fifteen minutes or two hours—the main thing is to meet Him in that secret place to start the day—giving praise and honor to Him.

As the shepherd leads the sheep, invite Christ to go before you into the day, and help you stay close and follow. Those who draw near to the shepherd learn to recognize and hear His voice. 

Sitting quietly in His presence our souls are refreshed and refocused; we receive His peace, and our hearts still to hear Him.

Could there be any better way to start the day?

Copyright © 2016 Cheryl Elton

For more on how to incorporate quiet time with God into your life, see chapter 16 of Pathway of Peace: Living in a Growing Relationship with Christ. (Also available here.)

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Last summer I had the joy of sitting in a class at the Montrose Christian Writers Conference taught by James Watkins.

I immediately sensed him as a man who deeply loves the Lord and desires to live for Him.

This month I’ve been enjoying a new book compiled and edited by Watkins called The Imitation of Christ: Classic Devotions in Today’s Language by Thomas à Kempis. For five hundred years à Kempis’ devotional classic has brought wisdom and comfort to millions of readers in over fifty languages—second only to the Bible in sales!

Watkins’ new paraphrased version has “modern and inclusive language that remains faithful to the original message,” making it easier to read and contemplate à Kempis’ profound insights on the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.

The book is set up in a clear readable format arranged by topic. True to the original, at times it is written from the perspective of the Disciple and at other times as if Christ was speaking directly to us.

The meditations of à Kempis invite deep contemplative thinking and insight. Perhaps that’s why this book has been changing lives for centuries. I’m finding my love for the Lord deepening in the process of reading just a few pages each day.

Here’s a sampling from p. 62-63, On Wisdom In Action:

The Disciple

“You must not trust every word of others or feelings within yourselves, but cautiously and patiently ask if the matter is godly. Unhappily, we are so weak that we find it easier to believe and speak evil of others, rather than their good. But Christ-like people do not pay attention to every bit of news, because they know that in human weakness they are prone to evil and untruthful words.

This is great wisdom for us: do not to be hasty in our actions or stubborn in our own opinions. A part of this wisdom also is not to believe every word we hear, nor to tell others all that we hear, nor even though we believe it. Take advice from a person who is wise and has a good conscience. Let us seek to learn from one wiser than ourselves rather than follow our own imaginations. A good life makes us wise toward God and gives us experience in many things. The more humble we are and the more obedient we are toward God, the wiser we will be in all things, and the more our souls will be at peace.”

I believe this book can help any serious Christ follower appreciate our Lord, grow closer to Him, and take greater joy in His presence.

Copyright © 2016 Cheryl Elton

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