I just recently started a new devotional called, Solo by Eugene H. Peterson. The neat thing about it is that along with using The Message translation, the format forces the reader to meditate on sections of scripture in an unconventional way. With a lot of the devotionals I've used in the past, I always felt some far-off pressure to memorize every verse I read or incorporate an extremely structured application. Of course there's nothing wrong with that and in most cases, a good thing, but I found that I would miss out on the essence of allowing God's Word to sink into my spirit and learn about Him in a new way. And when I say, "just started," I mean I'm three days in; but Day 1 has already left an impression.
It covered Genesis 3:1-10; where the serpent deceived Eve, she and Adam sinned and God confronted them in the garden; the overall theme being, reconciliation with God. How do we run from God? How do we hide from God? When are we most tempted to hide? But the part that took my breath away was as I read verse 8, "When they heard the sound of God strolling through the garden in the evening breeze, the Man and his Wife hid in the trees of the garden, hid from God."
I can remember as a kid, living in California and especially Illinois walking outside by myself in the evening and feeling the breeze blow across my face and neck. And in my innocence, I never doubted that God was in that breeze and He was allowing me a special moment to bask in his presence. Through my childhood, adolescence and now as an adult, the quiet of evening holds such a special place in my heart. Because something God started thousands of years ago with His first creation, He still does with someone as insignificant as me. For me, the stillness of night and the cool breeze of evening is such an awesome place to spend time with God because He's there and He never fails to remind me of that.
And I can't help but wonder, with God and His millions of variations of variety, how other people experience the same thing I do. Does it come at sunrise, while driving in the car, during a run or working with their hands? When does God stir your spirit?
