Are you running too fast to hear him speak?

 

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Be still. What picture comes to mind when you read those two words? Be still.

Being still is something I have great difficulty in doing. I don’t have any trouble being busy, crowding my days with activities, running back and forth from task to task. But being still? Not so easy.

It’s so difficult to be still in such a restless world. It’s such a challenge to stop and be still in a world that calls us to busyness, that pulls us along in its current of always needing to ‘do’ something or ‘be’ someone.

For the past few weeks, I have felt like I’ve been pulled in a hundred different directions, and I feel like a dog chasing its tail. Running around in circles, not really accomplishing a whole lot except working up a sweat and panting in frustration.

Just today, as we gear up for a Ladies Conference in a couple of days, everything in me screams to keep busy, keep running, don’t stop, don’t rest.

But what does God call us to do in this verse in Psalms? To be still.

Yes, there is definitely a need to be busy and get things done, but there is also a need for stillness. For quietness. For solitude. For focused meditation on God and his Word.

The being still in this precious verse, has to do with surrender, letting go, forsaking and striving no more.

”The word used here - from  raphah - means properly to cast down; to let fall; to let hang down; then, to be relaxed, slackened, especially the hands: It is also employed in the sense of not making an effort; not putting forth exertion; and then would express the idea of leaving matters with God, or of being without anxiety about the issue.” Barnes.

So being still carries the idea of being quiet and easy, not fretful and impatient or restless, but resigned to the will of God. It doesn’t mean to be inactive and unconcerned, but quiet. A quietening of the heart.

It’s been hard these past few days to be calm and leave my cares and worries with God. The devil is very busy trying to thwart the plans of a time set aside for study, learning, connection and spiritual growth. But as one of God’s children, I need to make time for stillness.

To be still is a choice. And often it’s a hard choice. We are all carried along by the tides of busyness and we all have important things to do, but there is a time to just sit, and be still. And more importantly, to be still and know that God is God. To take time to tune out of the world and into God. To listen for that still small voice.

It’s so hard to hear God speak when we are letting the world scream in our ears. God speaks in the stillness. The devil screams in our busyness.

We find this phrase ‘be still’ in another place in the Bible that is worth mentioning.

Mark 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

The difference here though is that in the Greek, these words, be still, mean to be silent or be dumb. So, in essence, hush or shut up. The Lord told the waves and wind to shut up! And I think sometimes, we need to just shut up, be silent and listen.

We fill our lives with so much ‘doing’ and not a lot of ‘listening’. We dart from one task to the next, always on the move, never resting, never stopping to catch our breath. But God requires us to come into His presence and just be still. To quieten our minds and our bodies and listen to what He has for us.

I think of Mary and Martha and the ‘encumbrance’ of Martha in contrast to the ‘quietness’ of Mary as she sat at Jesus feet. Mary chose the one thing that was needful. And that was to sit and be still and listen to the Lord. (Luke 10:42)

Sometimes we are intimidated by silence. It forces us to address issues we might be running from. It makes us stop and think. It causes us to focus on other things. But silence can be a great healer. It can be a time of communion with the Lord and gleaning guidance and wisdom from Him, without the distraction of a noise-filled world.

This is something I have been learning to do over the past few years. Sitting in the silence and letting God speak to me. I am becoming comfortable with stillness. I have begun to crave moments of solitude and times to sit and let God’s peace wash over my soul.

It has been said that we have upwards of 50 000 thoughts a day! And a lot of those thoughts are not healthy. They are anxious or fearful thoughts. We have to tell our minds to be still. To hush. To shut up! But quieting the mind takes practice. And it takes God’s help. We have to renew our minds and be transformed. (Romans 12:2)

Every day is a struggle. A battle of sorts. To keep our minds focused on God while we go about our crazy and hectic days. A constant renewing of our minds. A conscious effort of quieting our hearts and letting God speak to us. Of listening in the stillness.

If I can just force myself to stop and take the time to be still and surrender my will to God’s perfect will and sit down in body and spirit and really focus in on what He has for me, I find that the ‘noise’ quiets for a time and I am able to learn more about God’s purposes for my life and I find precious promises in His word that help me as I go about my day.

Notice in this verse, it not only says, be still, but it also says, and know. Not just be still. But also know. We are to be still and know that He is God.

“And "know"; own and acknowledge that he is God, a sovereign Being that does whatsoever he pleases; that he is unchangeable in his nature, purposes, promises, and covenant; that he is omnipotent, able to help them and deliver them at the last extremity; that he is omniscient, knows their persons, cases, and troubles, and how and where to hide them till the storm is over; that he is the all wise God, and does all things after the counsel of his own will, and makes all things work together for good to them; and that he is faithful to his word and promise, and will not suffer them to be overpressed and bore down with troubles.” Gill

So, we are not just to be still, but we are to know who God is. We are to know where it is our help comes from and where our safety lies.  (Psalm 46:1)

Sometimes I think that our being still is more like a little child that is sitting down on the outside but standing up on the inside. They’ve been told to sit, but there is rebellion in their heart as they only outwardly obey.

We sit still, we ‘look’ like we are quietly spending time in prayer and study, but on the inside, we are anything but still. Our mind is distracted; we are not focused on the words in front of us or the prayer on our lips.

Being still is not just an outward appearance. It is a matter of the heart. It is an attitude of stillness. If we are not going to quiet our hearts and minds, we might as well keep running. God sees us through and through and He knows whether we are truly being still.

So, today, I would like to encourage you to take some time to sit still. Ask the Lord to give you time to rest. Ask him to give you a few moments of quiet.

Stop thinking about your to do lists, put down your phone, just for a moment. Sit before the Lord. Dwell on his holiness. Listen to his whispers to your heart. Ask for a heavenly perspective. Focus on his presence. Set your mind on things above. Take time to worship him.

If we want to hear God speak to us, we must sit still before him and read his Word. We need to take time to cry out to him, laying all our cares at his feet and let his peace flood our soul as we soak in his mercy and love and goodness, bringing the much-needed rest we crave. 

Matthew 11:28-30  Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.