Summoned

The Mar. 15, 2017 edition of CCM Magazine

During one of our dinner conversations, my wife told me about a friend of hers who was recently summoned for jury duty. However, this was no ordinary court case. The powers-at-be instructed her friend to pack a suitcase, and to prepare to be away from friends, family—including any and all types of media and communication—for this murder case could take up to several weeks.

Sometimes, the thought of just “getting away” can be the subject of such wonderful daydreams. Kind-of makes me think about those Southwest Airlines commercials and their funny “Wanna get away?” slogan. But unlike hopping on an airplane and jetting to Cancun (yes, they fly there now—and, no, this isn’t an advertorial for Southwest), being forced to hole-up in a hotel room and kept away from the outside world and loved ones doesn’t sound like an ideal vacation (to me, at least). Thinking further, I tried to imagine myself there, and what I would do…and suddenly all of life’s daily distractions became so very crystal clear.

What if there was no television—no access to news? What if there was no computer or smart phone available—no streaming feeds or text messages? I believe God doesn’t call most—or at least those of us who might be reading this (think: internet, electronic media)—to an isolated, unmodernized life of devotion to Him. But for a moment, the thought of having all of the distractions taken away seemed blissful.

Psalm 46:10 (NKJV) says, Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The first four words of this verse could be taken as a command, and when life gets too loud, I suppose they should be. For many of us those action words, “Be still,” are easier read and said than done, but are we really “knowing” God right now? If you’re are immediately unsure of the answer to that question, what are some of the distractions that you could take away from your life—how can you participate in exalting Him today?