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.'”
In the long months of lockdown during the pandemic, when we were forced by isolation to slow down and be quiet in new ways, I gained a new appreciation for “being still.” Catching up on much-needed rest benefitted my body, and long periods of reading, writing, and praying did wonders for my soul. How thankful I am that my husband and I managed to escape the wrath of the coronavirus, but in the past. I have felt the misery of a variety of flu viruses over the years.
A few winters ago, we had a wicked flu season in our area and I did not escape unscathed. Though my misery was not officially “the flu” and nowhere near how some folks suffered, particularly with the coronavirus, this particular virus had me in its grip for two weeks. One of the best medicines was rest—hours and hours of rest. Besides benefitting my body, that period of forced rest had the advantage of allowing me to experience the luxury of silence which filled me with a new appreciation for “being still.” Additionally, through those restful hours, my quiet times with the Lord were sweet and refreshing to my soul.
One of the things He confirmed for me was a desire I had to take a bit of a sabbatical, a time devoted to preparing material for devotions. Once I was well, I was able to follow through by taking a “retreat” for three days in one of our guest rooms. It was such a success I have repeated the “get-away” several times since then and hope to do so more often this year as part of my commitment to focus on Him on a deeper level this year.
In yesterday’s devotion, I shared about developing the spiritual discipline of stillness—to “be still” before the Lord—quieting our soul which puts us in a position to have our ears attuned to hear from Him and our hearts in tune to trust Him. Today, let’s look at the second part of the verse, “Know that I am God.” How can we know that He is God? Let’s look at three ways:
1. By having a relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ, Who died in our place for the forgiveness of our sins. When we accept His gift of salvation and forgiveness, we begin a new relationship, one where we come to understand Who He is as our heavenly Father.
2. By reading His Word, His love letter to us that reveals Who He is and His plan for humanity.
3. By communicating with Him through prayer, asking in faith, listening, and waiting for His answers.
When we seek to know that God is Who He says He is, with a desire to “be still,” we should come with a humble and broken heart, stripped of haughtiness, pride, and a desire to control. When we do, we escape from the world and come into the presence of the great I AM, the living God. In periods of stillness, read His Word slowly and deeply— even reading particular verses over several times—letting them sink in, to be digested fully. Pray that you come into His presence and that He will show you more of Himself.
To get you started, here are some “Be Still” verses to meditate on. Perhaps you can focus on one each day, starting today or with the start of a new week:
• Be still and see the salvation of the Lord. Exodus 14:13-14
• Be still by the side of the Lord. Exodus 33:21
• Be still and be a witness to the great things God is doing. 1 Samuel 12:16, Job 37:14
• Be still and stand to see the deliverance of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 20:17
• Be still. It’s better than fretting. Psalm 37:7
• Be still before the Lord. Zechariah 2:13a
• Be still and allow Jesus to rebuke your storms, “Peace, be still.” Mark 4:39
Dear God, the great I AM, help us rekindle our desire to be still, to read Your Word, reflect on Your truths, talk to You, trust in You, listen to Your calming voice, and rest upon Your strength. God speak, Your servant is listening. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
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