I find myself constantly reading. From books to blogs, from articles in magazines to newspapers, since my time in seminary, reading is second nature. It wasn’t always this way, but the desire to cut the cloth straight instilled into me during my time at First Baptist Atlanta and seminary has shaped me.
Often, the voices in my head rehearsing the many ideas I’ve been exposed to begin to clamor, clouding many other thoughts. Sometimes this is good; other times the result is distraction.
I find one thing that centers my soul. Usually, in the morning, I begin my day by coming to the simple complexity of Scripture and allow the voice of God through the text to be the one voice to which all others bow in reverence.
Recently we experienced an uncharacteristically cool morning. 67 degrees at 9 AM in late July in the deep south of GA! The fresh air met with a hot cup of coffee, and my daily reading of Scripture said to my soul, be quiet, be still, long for the Lord.
Quickly, before 11 AM, the time came to shut the windows and begin deploying the fans. The July heat was upon us scorching with the concerns of the day. The memory of that moment of longing for the soothing voice of God kept with me all day long. Throughout the day, I kept in mind my time, in the cool of the day, of walking with the Lord, listening to his voice still the clamor of my soul. This memory sustains in the blazing heat and allows me to face each challenge, knowing that his tender mercies will greet me in the morning when I rise.