The Place of Nothingness
by Os Hillman
"Be still and know that I am God" (Psalm 46:10)
Do you find yourself in a place of nothingness? There is a time and place in our walk with God in which He sets us in a place of isolation and waiting. It is a place in which all past experiences are of no value. It is a time of such stillness that it can disturb the most faithful if we do not understand that He is the one who has brought us to this place for only a season. It is as if God has placed a wall around us. No new opportunities - simply inactivity.
During these times, God is calling us aside to fashion something new in us. It is a place of nothingness designed to call us to deeper roots of prayer and faith. It is not a comfortable place, especially for a task-driven workplace believer. Our nature cries out, "You must do something" while God is saying, "Be still and know that I am God." You know the signs that you have been brought into this place when He has removed many things from your life and you can't seem to change anything. Perhaps you are unemployed. Perhaps you are laid up with an illness.
Many people live a very planned and orchestrated life where they know almost everything that will happen. But for people in whom God is performing a deeper work, He brings them into a time of quietness that seems almost eerie. They cannot see what God is doing. They just know that He is doing a work that cannot be explained to themselves or to others.
Has God brought you to a place of nothingness? Be still and know that He really is God. When this happens, your nothingness will be turned into something you will value for the rest of your life.
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It's been so long since i've taken time to write stuff. I have, and am, devoting myself to getting stuff in order around our house. Now that kids are in school, I feel like I'm getting some sanity back. I just had to share this devotion with you. It was just over a year ago that I came across this devotion for the first time. When I read it, I could only relate to the "place of nothingness". It seemed to totally relate because here we were, in our adoption process for Aidan and we were patiently waiting..............and yet having so much turmoil that God wanted something else from us. I remember reading it and identifying with 'crying out to God' and just not knowing what God wanted from us. I felt like we were fighting and God wasn't revealing any plan to us. For some reason it impacted me enough to keep it.....
Then God things happened. We moved, only to find out about Samara at the same time. One probably wouldn't have happened without the other. Then our lives were changed completely with both kids coming home.
So as I'm sorting out "stuff" at home, I come across the devotional and read it again. Only this time, the "turmoil" means nothing to me. The only thing that stands out is the end..............your nothingness will be turned into something you will value for the rest of your life.
Isn't God good!!
