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.'”
Psalm 37:7:
“Be still in the presence of the LORD, and wait patiently for Him to act.”
I am extremely thankful that my husband and I managed to escape the wrath of the pandemic and, though not everyone in our family did, they all recovered fully, thank the Lord. A couple of winters ago, however, 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 have suffered with COVID-19, I was out of commission with a virus 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.” In addition, 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 in order to prepare material for devotions so, once I was well, I was able to follow through by taking a “retreat” for three days in one of our guest rooms. Since that first time of retreating, I have been able to devote an extended period of two to three days to spend with the Lord a couple of times each year.
During the long months of lockdown when we were forced by isolation to slow down and be quiet in new ways, the appreciation for being still filled me once again. Catching up on much-needed rest benefitted my body, and long periods of reading, writing and praying did wonders for my soul.
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 spirit 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?
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 digging into His Word, His love letter to us which 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 a deeper relationship with God, 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 during the week ahead:
• 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 to 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.
~ painting by Rowland Davidson
