How to Savor the Quiet Moments before the Busy Rush - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - August 9, 2026

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How to Savor the Quiet Moments before the Busy Rush

“Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.” - Mark 1:35, NLT

Jesus had a full plate. He had places to go, people to heal, and truth to share. He was God, but He was also fully man and got tired just like we do. Jesus regularly withdrew to spend time with His Father, showing us that communion with God wasn't an interruption to His ministry—it prepared Him for it. I love that Jesus modeled this for us. It gives us permission to be human and to need time to draw strength from our Heavenly Father.  I am gifted with quiet moments with God throughout the day, but my favorite time is the morning because it helps me get centered before the day begins.

The house is still quiet. My coffee is nice and hot. My feathered friends are bringing in the morning. For a few precious moments, no one needs me. Then the whispers begin. You should get going. Don’t waste too much time. You have plenty of things to do today.

I’m starting to notice that some of the sweetest gifts God gives me aren’t found in accomplishing something. They are found in receiving something. The way the sun glints through the clouds, the trees, and into my living room. The color of the light pouring through fills me with hope for the day. The cup of hot coffee warms me up from the inside out. The way the bird I’ve been wanting to see is now in my front window. The perfectionist who has lived in my mind for almost my entire life pushes me to rush through these quiet moments. But God invites me to receive them. For too many years, I assumed faithfulness meant getting to work as quickly as possible. Now I'm beginning to realize that receiving God's presence isn't separate from faithfulness. It's part of it. The quiet moments don't distract me from what God has called me to do. They remind me that before I'm His servant, I'm His child.

From the very beginning, we were made to live with God. When I picture the Garden of Eden, I don't first picture perfect trees or beautiful rivers. I picture a fellowship. Before sin entered the world, God walked with His creation. A relationship has always been His desire. Over time, God has taught me how to savor these quiet moments, and I am so grateful. I'm more alert to His presence in a world of chaos. These moments have become a gift. The surprising thing about finding these gifts is that they are already all around us. We just need to allow ourselves the time to tune into them. 

What quiet gift has God placed in front of you today? Maybe you simply get out of bed, stare out your window, and breathe for five minutes, thanking God for the air in your lungs? Or maybe, you’re up early enough to watch the sunrise? I can tell you from experience, there’s something about watching the sunrise that makes you feel loads better. It's almost as if it reminds you that God is already over this day, and you don't have to carry so much weight. Maybe you spend some time reading one Psalm each morning and see what God reveals.

The point isn’t to pick up a new practice. The point is to receive the gifts that God has placed around you that maybe you’ve been too rushed to see. If you’re anything like me, you probably feel a constant pressure to rush through your day, but let me speak truth over that. I promise you, the work will still be there after you’re done receiving. The emails will still be there. The dishes will still be there. But this quiet moment with your Father is a gift you'll never get back. Receive it from Him.

Let’s pray ...

Father,
Thank you for meeting me in the quiet before the day grows loud. Teach me not to rush past the gifts You place before me. Help me receive Your presence without guilt and remember that my worth isn't found in how quickly I begin working, but in belonging to You. As I step into today's responsibilities, help me walk with You in peace rather than in a hurry.
Amen.

What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.

Photo Credit: ©GettyImages/Akarawut Lohacharoenvanich 

Vanessa Luu is a wife, mother, and faith-based writer. She speaks and writes to believers to encourage them to live authentically with God.

Related Resource: How Faith Finds Us When Life Takes a Detour

Joining us this week is worship leader turned viral comedian Heather Land. After growing up in the shadow of her mother’s decades-long addiction, Heather reflects on how this painful season—alongside her unexpected shift from the worship stage to the world of comedy—taught her that while our paths may take unforeseen turns, our core calling to encourage and uplift others remains constant.

Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Rachel Kessler, an Episcopal priest and Kenyon College chaplain who completed her PhD in medieval studies at the University of Toronto before pivoting to seminary after hitting academic burnout, then built a following as the “Nerdy Priest” on TikTok after a student secretly downloaded the app on her phone. 

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