09/03/2026
SLOW DOWN! I heard this phrase twice in the span of a two-hour drive. The first in the lyrics of a song of worship, and the second from a police officer. It was late, and I was tired and not paying close enough attention to how fast I was going in a construction zone. I apologized to the officer, accepted my defeat, and was ready to pay the fine. When he came back from his truck, he handed me my license with a firm enough grip so I couldn’t quite take it away from him, causing me to lift my gaze to his face. With extra enunciation and elongation of his words, he said, “S-l-o-w d-o-w-n!” And then he walked away! I was stunned.
The tears hit shortly after. A combination of shock and an overwhelming realization that the Lord was speaking to me in that very moment, telling me that I needed to
s-l-o-w d-o-w-n. Not only was I driving too fast, but I was moving through life too quickly—seeking to fill my calendar, keeping my schedule busy, all too often superimposing my will above the Lord’s in hopes of achieving something sooner, and sometimes hastily rushing through my Bible reading.
“Desire without knowledge is not good, and whoever makes haste with his feet misses his way.”
— Proverbs 19:2
As I drove home, I remembered many times in the last month when I called out to the Lord, asking for clarity, peace, and understanding. And He did, thankfully, answer me through His Word (see the verses below). I realized I was moving too fast, not willing to stop and hear His quiet voice.
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.”
— Lamentations 3:25-26
“And after the earthquake a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire the sound of a low whisper.”
— 1 Kings 19:12
In these verses, He reminded me that I couldn’t expect to hear from Him if I was moving at a million miles an hour. God doesn’t operate that way. He speaks in the stillness, in the quiet. How can I expect to hear Him when my mind is cluttered with worldly things?
I listened back to the lyrics of the song I had heard earlier on my drive. Two lines struck me:
Quiet my soul 'cause You're teaching me how to slow down
Surrender it all, let You take control and slow down
Trying to impose my will and being hasty had left me feeling nervous, worried, and fearful, with a cluttered mind. But slowing down allowed me to hear the Lord, through the voice of the officer, and quiet my soul to see the direction He had for me. Stop rushing ahead. God goes behind and before you (Psalm 139:5). You’ll find Him in the quiet and learn to hear His voice when you s-l-o-w d-o-w-n.
— Olivia
