In the Stillness

"In the stillness, You are there"

Taken on January 10, 2010 at The Nest

Chiang Dao, Chiang Mai, Thailand

But the LORD is in His holy temple

Let all the earth keep silence before Him.

- Habakkuk 2:20

You will not need to fight in this battle.

Position yourselves,

stand still

and see the salvation of the LORD,

who is with you,

O Judah and Jerusalem!

- 2 Chronicles 20:17

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations;

I will be exalted in the earth!

- Psalm 46:10

As the year 2009 was coming to a close, I looked back at how the past twelve months had been.

There were many mountaintop and valley experiences, many lessons learned.

In January 2009, I was in Manila to spend the first weeks of the year seeking God's direction. His specific word to me was in Song of Songs 2:10-12

My beloved spoke, and said to me:
Rise up, my love, my fair one,
And come away.

For lo, the winter is past,
The rain is over and gone.
The flowers appear on the earth;
The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.


The winter is past. The time of singing has come.


In December 2009, I went to Manila twice - on the first week, to be with Obedient One on her birthday, and on the last week, together with my whole family, for Worshiper's wedding.

On December 30, I boarded my dawn flight back to Bacolod. The rest of my family were booked on the late afternoon flight. I took advantage of this time to draw near to God and listen to what He wanted to speak to me.

God's clear word to me as the year ended was found in two passages:

While he was in Bethany, reclining at the table in the home of a man known as Simon the Leper, a woman came with an alabaster jar of very expensive perfume, made of pure nard. She broke the jar and poured the perfume on his head. - Mark 14:3


But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. - Luke 2:19

There were things that God wanted me to offer up to Him as an act of worship. And as the year was coming to a close, I knew my life was to be as an alabaster jar, to be broken and spilled out at the feet of Jesus.

There were many opportunities for my soul to be out of peace.

But God kept pointing me back to the heart of Mary who chose to keep things to herself, and ponder them in her heart.

To draw close to Jesus, and allow Him to speak peace to my heart. Listen to Be Still My Soul by Selah


In God's scheme of things, He brought me back to northern Thailand as 2010 was just starting. This welcome and unexpected treat gave me the opportunity to be up on several mountains: Doi Suthep, Chiang Dao, Doi Ankhang, Doi Tung... God's way of bringing me up to a high spot to provide me a perspective from which to view the months ahead.


Be still, and know that I am God.


God is calling me to silence.

To discover Him in the gentle whisper, not in the earthquake, not in the storm.

But in the quiet.

And to hear His still, small voice.


He is not in the shallow and the superficial.

He is not in the spectacular, either.

I need to devote time for what has true worth and substance...to dig deeper and experience fullness.


Actually I almost missed it. As January ended, my heart was seeking God for answers.

But these past days, He did make it clear.

Cultivate a heart that is quiet before Me.

Spend time with Me often in the secret place.

Cast your net into the deep.




This was the missing piece that I was looking for!

Position yourself for the year of breakthrough. Take your position of faith.

Let your words be few. Speak My words, words of faith...redemptive words.

Expect the victory.

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.

Such precious, re-assuring words! And God is speaking them to me at a time that I most needed to hear them!

It's all about readjusting my priorities, choosing the way of stillness, and obeying.

Not my will, but His.

I'm quite familiar with this route. I've been on this path many times before. There really are no shortcuts to a deeper faith.


Thank You, Father for the gentle reminder. I will move with confidence into the months ahead with these precious words tucked into my heart. How I am looking forward to dwell in the secret place of the Most High!



In the Secret
by Andy Park

In the secret, in the quiet place
In the stillness You are there.
In the secret, in the quiet hour I wait,
Only for You,'cause I want to know You more;

I want to know You,
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more.
I want to touch You,
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more.

I am reaching for the highest goal,
That I might receive the prize.
Pressing onward, pushing every hindrance aside,
Out of my way, 'cause I want to know you more

I want to know You,
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more.
I want to touch You,
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more.

I want to know You,
I want to hear Your voice
I want to know You more.
I want to touch You,
I want to see Your face
I want to know You more.

In the secret, in the quiet place
In the stillness You are there

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

"A turtledove"

Taken from my bedroom window at Ut and Oy's house
January 11, 2010, Chiang Mai, Thailand

The time of singing has come,
And the voice of the turtledove
Is heard in our land.