-Psalm 46:10
What powerful words! Be still....be still. Wow. Does anyone really take the time to "be still" anymore? In this world of electronic devices, it seems like we are always on our cell phones, tablets, computers. If we aren't doing that, we're watching TV or streaming Netflix or Hulu. I could go on and on. We're so busy rushing here and there, do we even know what it means anymore...to "be still"?I've been practicing being still for a few moments over the past couple of days. Wow. At first it was slightly uncomfortable. I kept having this nagging feeling that I ought to be doing something....reading or writing or doing laundry or calling someone to check how they're doing. I had to consciously give myself permission to be still before I could actually do it.
But when I did....wow. It was NICE. I sat on my deck, resisting the urge to check my phone or read a book. I just sat there, closed my eyes and felt the cool morning breeze gently wash over me. I then opened my eyes and watched the flowers and leaves of my hanging basket swaying. I listened to the birds singing and the slight hum of traffic going down the street. Every time an "ought to" or "should be" thought came into my mind, I pushed it away. Every time I started thinking about plans for later on, I pushed those thoughts away.
I did start to think about the second part of the verse. "Be still, and know that I am God." What was God trying to say exactly? I KNOW He is God, after all. Then I thought some more, and realized something. My head knows He is God, but I do not live like I think He is God. If I did, I would not feel guilty about taking a few moments to "be still". Somewhere, I believe we have it in our minds that the world is going to stop somehow if we don't do everything we have on our to do list. In other words, we pretend to be God rather than have faith in God. We believe God is in control, but feel like we have to do it all "just in case".
But God says, "Be still, and know that I am God." Not just "be still". He could have stopped with those two powerful words. But He didn't. He wasn't finished with His thought. Be still...AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.
In the stillness is where we find God. We can hear His voice speaking to us in ways we will not hear if our minds are bombarded with the other noises that surround us. I felt God with me in a way I haven't felt in a long time during these moments of stillness. Now, I look forward to these moments. They recharge me and help me get ready to face the day. I now appreciate the stillness, and in that stillness....I always find God is with me.
