Psalm 55 NLT
Oh, that I had wings like a dove; then I would fly away and rest! I would fly far away to the quiet of the wilderness. How quickly I would escape—far from this wild storm of hatred. (6-9)
The Red Eyed Dove is indigenous to much of Africa and has a few, very distinctive calls. At daybreak and at dusk, if you listen carefully, you can usually hear them calling whether you are in the suburbs or deep in the bush. Whenever I hear them it makes me feel at home because I have heard that sound everyday for half of my life. These doves know how to live their lives and be at home in the strangest of places. David looks around at the sea of enemies that are closing in and wishes he could be like one of those doves—able to fly away at a moment’s notice and get somewhere quiet and rest in the Lord.
We all need that regularly. Life can consume us and the worries and cares of the world will often bring us down. Yet, like the dove, you need a place to get far away; a place where you can be quiet in your soul and where you can rest in the Lord. This doesn’t mean you always have to go on an extended vacation or leave your urban home to find it. For me it involves taking a specific day of the week, putting in some noise canceling ear plugs and just closing my eyes. When I do that, I can be transported to the presence of the Lord and just be still before Him.
I encourage you not to spend all of your time praying or making noise like those doves (sometimes they can be incessant 😊), but instead take time to be quiet, still, and meditative. Give the Lord a chance to get a word into the conversation in your heart as you listen for His voice. It is in the stillness and the mediation that your soul is restored and your heart is spoken to. Sabbath means flying away and resting. It means resting in your mind and heart like you are “far away in the quiet of the wilderness,” even if you are just in your prayer closet at home. Meditation and rest are a lost art in our modern world, but it is definitely worth the time and effort.
