Psalm 46:10
“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.'”
Our accommodation in London was a lovely second-floor flat, situated over a Lebanese restaurant at the corner of a busy street in Mayfair. The location was perfect for our two-week stay and met all our needs except for one thing—quiet. One day, while my husband attended a reunion of his Royal Navy buddies, I stayed behind to take advantage of the solitary hours to do some writing. As I settled in for the afternoon, I became aware of a variety of noise-makers invading my quiet time: construction on the street, trucks making deliveries, the door to the restaurant below slamming every few minutes when customers exited, and hammering behind the wall beside the only table available to set up my computer. This was not what I had envisioned for the hours set aside to be still! In the end, perseverance and focus won the day as I chose to press on, blocking out the distractions with prayer, soft music, and determination.
Today our focus is on what it means to “Be Still” and then tomorrow how the Lord desires for us to, “Know that I am God.” The value of silence is somewhat foreign in today’s culture where noise inundates our lives like never before—the most invasive being the perpetual pings, bongs, and rings coming from our phones and watches. Do we even have an appetite for quiet anymore? I do, and am blessed to have an environment where that is possible most of the time, but only when I choose to close out the world. Of course, the keyword here is, “choose.”
Is it a challenge for you to set aside time to be still? Are you able to recognize His still, small voice? We were reminded of this just last week that perhaps we need a “reset” to change our compulsion from “doing” to just “being”—being in His presence, quieting our souls and slowing down long enough to be still so that we can actually hear His voice.
Stillness is a great spiritual discipline and, like any other discipline, we must commit to pursue it and exercise it often. We must choose to create an ideal time to seek stillness and ask God to develop that discipline in us, to help us lay aside our to-do lists. If fasting is one of the spiritual disciplines you commit to on occasion, ask God to replace the item you are forsaking with an appetite for stillness and quiet instead. When all the noise and distractions fade away, that is when our ears are more acutely attuned to hearing from the Lord. Here are some practical ideas to help us develop an environment for being still:
• Find a quiet, secluded place, even if it is a closet.
• Decide on the best time of day and let others know the time so they can respect it.
• Be prepared with a Bible, notebook, journal, pen, a sweater, water, and a timer so there is no need to check your watch.
• Remove distractions by turning off the phone, TV, and computer.
• Be still – listen – pray.
Oswald Chambers, evangelist, teacher and author of My Utmost for His Highest once said, “The majority of us cannot hear anything but ourselves. And we cannot hear anything God says. But to be brought to the place where we can hear the call of God is to be profoundly changed.” May we be changed forever by learning to be still.
Lord, thank You for Your instruction to “Be Still” before You, our Holy God. We long to be in Your presence, Lord, to know You more fully, to praise and exalt Your Holy Name. As we quiet our souls, reveal anything that needs to be removed from our hearts that would hinder our hearing and we will obey. “Speak, Lord, for Your servant is listening.” In Your name we pray. Amen.
~ painting by Anna Ancher
