Take Time to Sit

Mark 6:39 

And he commanded them to make all sit down by companies upon the green grass.

In this passage in Mark, we read the story of the Lord Jesus feeding the five thousand. I have always thought of this passage not only as a good example of God’s almighty power, but also as proof that God is a God of order.

The Lord Jesus had  the disciples sit the people down in groups before the loaves and fishes were broken up and handed out.

But this morning, in reading on this subject, I discovered something interesting. The people needed to sit down in order to be fed.

There is a parallel here for us. If we are desirous of feeding on the Word of God, we need to take time to sit. God will feed us when we sit still and be quiet before him.

We need to sit still and quiet our hearts and minds in order for God to properly feed us from his Word.  There needs to be a time of sitting, each an every day. A time to sit still before the Lord and listen to Him speak to us. 

We read of King David sitting before the Lord.

1 Chronicles 17:16

 And David the king came and sat before the LORD, and said, Who am I, O LORD God, and what is mine house, that thou hast brought me hitherto?

We also read of the Israelites sitting before the Lord.

Judges 20:26

 Then all the children of Israel, and all the people, went up, and came unto the house of God, and wept, and sat there before the LORD, and fasted that day until even, and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the LORD. 

Here, the Israelites sat and wept and fasted before the Lord for a whole day! 

Mark 6:31

 And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat.

The Lord even told his disciples to take time to rest. 

Sitting is not easy in our all too busy lives. For me, sitting still is sometimes harder than trying to baptize a cat! But God would have us sit and be still before him.

I have been doing a lot of reading on rest. True rest. Resting in the Lord. We can’t look to the world for rest and relaxation. A change of location doesn’t bring rest. It may bring a short break and a little rest for our weary bodies, but all too soon, the busyness will crowd in and life’s realities will take over with breakneck speed.

True rest is found when we sit before the Lord and listen to Him. We are often guilty, like those found in the book of Isaiah, who refused to rest. 

Isaiah 28:12 

To whom he said, This is the rest wherewith ye may cause the weary to rest; and this is the refreshing: yet they would not hear.

They would not hear when God said that he was the rest and the refreshing. God truly is our rest. He is the one we should run to when we are overwhelmed. 

Psalm 61:2

 From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I.

So, today, I would like to encourage you to sit still. Stop thinking about your to do lists, just for a moment. Sit before the Lord. Dwell on his holiness. Listen to his whispers to your heart. Ask for a heavenly perspective. Focus on his presence. Set your mind on things above. 

Colossians 3:2 

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

Feed on God’s Word by first sitting down and getting quiet before him. Take a moment of time each day, however long it may be, and quiet your mind and focus on him. Take time to sit still. 

Matthew 11:28-30 

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.

“It’s much harder to follow God’s call if I’m running too fast to hear him speak”