Being still and knowing God

-

Being still and knowing God.  They are tied together.  How do I know?  Because of this Scripture: 

"Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

So if we quiet ourselves, actually sit still for a bit, we can get to know God.

The verse does not say: 

Be anxious and know that I am God
Be worried and know that I am God
Be busy and know that I am God
Be reasoning and know that I am God

No.  

Be still and know that I am God.

Ahhhh.  I relax just writing these word.

Is it hard for you to be still?  I get it.  Life happens.  

But how much of our doing and busyness can we say no to?  Do we bring it on ourselves?

Habits are formed over time.  We actually condition ourselves unknowingly when we repeatedly act a certain way a lot.  This includes busyness.

There are those who cannot stand any silence in their lives.  Something is always blaring noise their way - the car radio, music, phone notifications, TV, streaming, talking, etc., etc.

Why does silence frighten us?  What demons may surface?  What hurt, anger, bad memories, repressed hostilities?  I don't know - you name it!  But we can press beyond these nagging thoughts.

We are missing out on the best thing in life if we cannot learn to be quiet and still:  Knowing God.  

Knowing our Maker!  The fact that we can even know Him should fill us with awe, wonder, and humility.  The God who knows each star in the universe by name, the numbers of sands on every beach, the number of hairs on each person's head, and more!  It boggles my mind that this all-powerful Creator would stoop to be known by us, would want to be known by us.

But He does!

And stillness is the way to do it.

Oh other thoughts and such will undoubtedly come up when we quiet ourselves, but that's ok. We must trust that He will show up because He promises to.  

There are countless verses in the Bible about waiting on the Lord.  So we must learn to wait on Him in His Presence while being still.  He doesn't just appear like a genie out of a bottle!

Though He never leaves us for even a millisecond, we still need to come before Him in stillness to really get to know Him, to hear from Him, to be close to Him.

He is so worth the wait!

Can we know God in a flurry of activity?  Can we be whirlwinds and yet know God?  

I just don't see it anywhere in Scripture.  After all, Jesus said that Mary did the better part when she sat at His feet while Martha was busying herself in the kitchen.

God came to Elijah not in the hurricane, earthquake, or fire, but in a still, small voice. (see I Kings 19:11-13)

I believe that sitting quietly before the Lord and being still before Him is something that He treasures very much.

I mean what if your spouse, friend, or child never took the time to simply be with you?  Would you like that?

Please do not misunderstand me when I say these things.  I am not talking about "emptying" your mind - because we can't.  I'm not talking about contemplating your navel, either.  I'm not even talking about doing your daily Bible reading, though that is important.

No.  I am referring to being with God; seeking God in the quiet, in being still before Him - giving Him a chance to show up.  To sit there and simply be with Him, not asking or wanting for anything other than Himself.

Oh what we forfeit when we do not make time for this!  This is what the Garden must have been like for Adam and Eve.  They were always in God's Presence.  

We have a bit more distractions than Adam and Eve.

But that's no excuse!  We can control how much time we spend on Facebook, YouTube, or Instagram, or playing video games, etc.  We cannot blame anyone but ourselves for how we use our time.

So how about it?  This New Year, let us be still more and know that He is God.  

Dear Lord.  My nerves and emotions get frazzled when I do not spend enough "being" time with You.  You want me to be still before you so that I may know You better; to leave all my cares at Your feet and just be with You.  Please help me quiet myself and put down my phone or turn off the TV more this year so that I may find true and lasting peace, joy, and contentment, which are only found in You.  You will lead me into the productivity that is right for me.  But I want to be filled with You more, closer to You, put You first not only in my quiet time, but always.  Thank You, Lord, that we can know You.  I love You, Lord.  In Jesus' Name.  Amen.


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts

Can you really let it go?

-
Image
I have been waiting for some email responses lately, some of which can potentially change my life.  It has been nerve wracking for me. I've prayed about it, gave it all to God, and yet it still weighs on my heart and mind - the uncertainty, the wondering, and the not knowing. It's hard to truly let go sometimes.  I believe I trust God with my whole heart.  And yet when there are some issues on the line that affect my life, affect my immediate future, and just plain can either make life harder or easier for me, I give in to anxiety. It is a miserable place to live!  But I do not need to stay in that miserable state of mind. Especially when I belong to omnipotent God who is for me, on my side, ever watching out for me, and doing all sorts of wonderful things on my behalf behind the scenes.   How do I know He does all of these and more?  He promises to do them.  And if you are a child of God, you too have the same promises from His infallible Word. W...
Read more

Believing in God's love for you

-
Image
In the age of "unfriending" and "ghosting," divisiveness and polarizing, it is more crucial than ever that we be grounded in God's personal love for us. It is very easy to fall into the trap of comparing God's love for us to people's love for us. God's love is unlike human love in every possible, imaginable way.  The love we give and receive from others is but a taste, a tiny glimpse, of God's vast love for us.  They really cannot be compared at all, if we are honest with ourselves. People can be very fickle.  People change.  People have issues of their own that they are either dealing with or in denial of.  People can be looking more to get love than to give love.  Most wait to give love until they get it from another first.  It is the rare person who gives love freely without expectation. That is exactly how God loves us.  We love because He first loved us (see I John 4:19). While the world seems to be spinning out of control, resulting in a so...
Read more

I can't, but He can

-
Image
The number one thing I want Christians to understand is this.  There is nothing in us, in and of ourselves, that can pull off the Christian life. Now let's pause right here.   If the "Christian life" means nothing more to you than attending church and trying to be a "good person," you haven't a clue as to what it is truly about. God calls us to be holy. God calls us to love each other. God calls us to live a life worthy of Himself, His calling for us. God calls us to forgive others. God calls us to put Him first above all else (including reputation, money, and family). The question we must face is this: are we able to accomplish any of these things on our own? The answer: no way, no how, not in a billion years.  Maybe outwardly, but not from our own inner selves. So why would Jesus tell us to do what we are not able to do?  We must be able to do these things or He wouldn't have commanded them, right? We truly can only do all of these, and more, through C...
Read more

Greater is He

-
Image
I am so excited to share my new devotional with you!  Draw closer to God in the New Year as you let the love, grace, power, and forgiveness of the real Jesus transform you.   Purchase a copy for yourself and one for someone you love.  Available on Amazon. Click here .
Read more

Nehemiah completes his work

-
Image
We learn in chapter 5 of Nehemiah that the government was overtaxing the Jews.  Nehemiah's response to this had various stages. First, he was angry.  Then he thought about it. Let's pause here.  How many of us give in to anger over injustice only to "live" there instead of regrouping and giving it thought?  Do we tend to let our emotions get the best of us?  Or do we move on into rational thought instead?  It's hard to do sometimes, but very possible! Nehemiah's response after he gave it some thought was to confront the powers that be over their misdeeds.  He told them flat out that they were taking advantage of his people.  He said directly, "The thing that you are doing is not good." (v 9)  That took guts! Then, Nehemiah told the governor to fear God and restore to the Jews everything they had stolen from them. It's like they needed to be told, like children, right from wrong, and how to rectify their wrongdoing.  And they listened and...
Read more