(Photo by Selma Komisky)

God on the Move in The Halt

By Brittney Perez

As this pause in life seems to continue with people staying at home, one thing I know is that God is on the move. He is not confined to our circumstances. Recently, I found myself in a place of apathy. Now, I normally spend a good amount of time communicating in prayer with the Lord throughout the day, but for about a week or so I found myself in a different place. It’s funny how when you spend time with the Lord you can quickly tell when you’ve shifted. It’s not that I wasn’t seeking time with God, it’s just that when I came to Him I just was “eh.” I didn’t have much to say and my mind felt like a mushy mess full of distractions and a lack of zeal. It’s something I had noticed throughout the week, but it wasn’t until that Saturday that it all started to unravel. I was at the park and usually I take time to pray as I walk, but for some reason I just didn’t feel like praying. I actually didn’t even feel like walking. I felt mentally, emotionally, physically, and spiritually drained. Needless to say, I went home. I later came to God and poured out my heart to Him. I told Him that I literally didn’t have anything to say; that I had told Him everything going on in my heart over the last two months and that I was worn out with words and felt like I was barely holding on by a thread. One of the many things I love about God is that He loves when we are real with Him. He isn’t afraid of the truth of our reality.

Literally that night or the day after this moment I had with God, I had a good friend send me a devotion, which was exactly what I needed! God always knows what we need when we need it. That night I prayed according to what God was speaking to me through that devotion and I felt my spirit revive. As the days followed and I spent quiet time with God, He began to show me what I needed. I found that as I have been coming to the Lord with my frustrations and desires, He wants to speak to me about something different. As I prayed, I began to realize I need to halt to God. Halt means, “to cease marching or journeying” or “to bring to a stop.” God has been showing me that though I have been journeying and striving in my mind, what I really need is to take my thoughts captive and halt to what He is doing. I need to rest in His promises and trust He will work all things together for my good even if I don’t actually see what He is doing at the moment.

Maybe you find yourself in that place right now. Maybe you find your mind is filled with distractions and concerns for the future. What will life be like in the coming months? What will become of the plans I have made? What is God even doing? While these are totally normal questions to have, I recommend halting to God. Seek to cease the marching and journeying of your mind and bring to a stop your thoughts, giving them over to God. Rest in the shelter of His wings (Psalm 91:4) and let Him speak to you His truths. Though we may be living in a time of many unknowns, we are known by a loving God who knows what we need, when we need it.