BE STILL

Recently, as I was spending time with the Lord in morning prayer and study, I asked Him to speak to me. Ever-so-gently, He spoke into my spirit, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). Then He challenged me to learn why His directive, albeit very short, holds such great importance.

Let us break this sentence down, beginning with Be, which is defined as being present and occupying that position. The New Oxford American Dictionary defines still as not moving or making a sound; to be undisturbed by outside disturbances; to be calm and tranquil. However, the Hebrew translates “be still” as raphe, which means “to let go; to release; to surrender.” When the two words are joined together, it becomes an imperative clause, which is a command to surrender all to Him.

What does it mean to surrender to God? Surrendering is complete yielding of ourselves, our will, and plans to God and allowing Him to guide and direct our decisions. But how do we accomplish that challenging task? Simply stated, we discipline ourselves to make God a daily priority, because the more we learn of Him, the more we trust Him and are able to yield completely to Him. 

Trust is vital to faith, because in trusting God, we develop confidence, faith, certainty, assurance, and conviction that we can rely on Him to do the very best for us. The inability to trust God is rooted in our lack of knowledge of what His Word tells us about His uncompromising faithfulness and love for us. Without trust, spiritual growth and faith cannot develop.  

As in all relationships, trust develops over time, and eventually a strong and lasting connection and bond is formed. Think about your closest friend whom you totally trust. Trust did not happen immediately. You first learned about their attributes, their likes and dislikes, their idiosyncrasies, and whether they were a person of faith, integrity, and honesty. When that became settled in your heart and mind, you were able to trust their word and feel safe in confiding in them, knowing that what you shared would be kept in unviolated confidence. 

Just as we build relationships with people, we must take time to build a relationship with God, who not only is trustworthy, but we can safely reveal thoughts that we would not share with a friend. However, building trust with God requires intentional daily time spent with Him in prayer and conversation. YES! CONVERSATION!

We talk with God just as we would talk to a friend sitting before us. Billy Graham said, “Prayer is simply talking to God.” I continually talk to God throughout my day, with the assurance that He welcomes interaction and encourages all to share their hearts with Him. He calls us to “rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for [us] in Christ Jesus” (Thessalonians 5:16-18).

When we pray, we first present ourselves before the Lord with praise and gratitude for our blessings. However, we also must check ourselves before we make requests. Did we allow anger to control our behavior that day? If so, we must repent. Did we lie or stretch the truth? Repent. Did we hurt another with our words? Repent. Daily life and interactions with family and people can create a need to repent. 

Repentance involves daily changing and adjusting the way we think, speak, and act. The Word warns that if we conceal our sins, we will not prosper, but if we confess and renounce them, we find mercy (Proverbs 28:13).

We are imperfect humans; therefore, we fail to keep God’s standards. That is why Jesus invites us to daily come to Him and learn from Him. There, we receive instruction and needed rest from the cares of this world as we experience forgiveness and the refreshing of our souls. 

The world is growing darker as evil abounds. How can we have peace? The Lord is “our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea.” (Psalm 46:1-2) 

God longs for us to express our frustrations, concerns, needs, worries, doubts, and fears. It is in that time with Him, that we learn to be quiet and listen. This may seem awkward and a waste of time, because we do not hear an audible voice. However, we eventually learn to recognize the “voice” of the Holy Spirit speaking into our spirit. 

Be still is followed with and know. This part of the scripture has the Hebrew meaning, “in order to know.” Therefore, God is instructing us to seek Him and surrender all to Him that we may know with certainty who He is and what He desires for us as His children. It is impossible to know God, if we are constantly preoccupied and overly distracted with things that divert our attention away from Him. 

People have said to me, “God is too busy to bother with my problems or my daily life.” That could not be further from the truth, because He cares about EVERYTHING we deem important. Their comments motivated me to write the book, Journey with God: A Compilation of Devotionals and Prayers, which is a collection of personal experiences and lessons that I have learned from God, who daily proves to be a personal, interactive, and loving Father as He continues to teach me.  

…and know…That I am God. God wants us to know Him intimately as that place of refuge where we find strength, peace, forgiveness, instruction, correction, hope, and love. He tells us that if we seek Him, we will find Him, when we search for Him with ALL our heart (Jeramiah 29:13). When we make time for quiet moments with Him, we are able see Him as our sustainer, deliverer, healer, helper, comforter, teacher, and the lover of our soul. 

I love the story of Mary and Martha. Jesus lovingly corrected Martha, who had become angry that her sister sat at His feet, instead of helping her prepare the meal. And Jesus said, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and upset about many things. But only one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41). 

God’s Word is the good portion. It is perpetual nourishment for the body, soul, mind, and spirit, whereas food only satisfies until the next meal. The Lord is looking for us to choose the “good portion” by sitting daily with Him, so that we may learn from Him. Since faithfully dedicating a portion of time to Him each day, I am experiencing an inexplicable peace and joy. May we each discover the joy in being still before our Lord so that we may receive the “good portion.” 

PRAYER: Father, I thank you that because of Your Son’s great sacrifice, the barrier that separated me from You was removed and all who believe in the risen Christ, have access to You. Help me to never ignore or take that gift and privilege for granted. In Jesus’ name, amen.