“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Psalm 46:10
This week we are focusing on listening to God and answering when He calls. (Yes, I know it’s Wednesday. The season of Lent begins on a Wednesday so that’s when the new “week” for this Lent series begins.) We will not be discussing talking to God because we can’t talk and listen well at the same time and this week is about listening to God.
Being still is hard for those of us who are always on the go. My grandmother wasn’t still for one minute until she died at 94. She always had to be doing something. I’m the same way. When I sit to watch a movie, I prefer to be doing something with my hands. When waiting at a doctor’s office, I read. It’s good to make use of down time from our normal activities, but it doesn’t allow God to be easily acknowledged and heard.
When I had a screened-in porch at my previous home, I enjoyed sitting on my porch swing and watch the clouds go by. It was often at those times that I felt the Lord speaking to me because other than the motion of swinging, I was still…and listening.
Here are some other verses that encourage us to be still before the Lord:
- “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 (NIV)
- “The Levites calmed all the people, saying, “Be still, for this is a holy day. Do not grieve.” Nehemiah 8:11 (NIV)
- “Be angry, and do not sin. Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.” Psalm 4:4 (NKJV)
- “Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” Psalm 37:7 (NIV)
- “Then she said, “Sit still, my daughter, until you know how the matter will turn out…” Ruth 3:18 (NKJV)
- “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, “Quiet! Be still!” Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.” Mark 4:39 (NIV)
What does “be still” mean? First, it does not mean “relax, God’s got this”. Sometimes being still can be done while on the move. Sounds like an oxymoron, right? Not at all when you understand what be still means. In Hebrew if you put those two words together, it translates to surrender in order to know. That doesn’t mean you stop everything you’re doing and stand or sit still, although sometimes that helps us focus.
Be: Surrender. In order to surrender, you need to make a conscious decision to focus on something other than what you were. Often I need to get up, walk around, and then come back to what I was doing with a fresh set of eyes, especially if I’m doing difficult word searches or writing…things that take concentration. Why do I get up? I need to refocus so I can surrender my mind back to the task at hand.
Still: In order to know. Look at the few verses I listed above. What are the reasons for being still? Here are my thoughts on the reasons in those verses respectively:
- So you will know that the Lord will fight for you.
- It’s a holy day and being still has a calming effect.
- Meditate and resolve anger.
- Learn to wait patiently for the Lord to lead.
- Wait until you see what the Lord does before you move on.
- So you can experience nature and God’s commanding authority over it.
There are many more verses that talk about being still…and know that He is God. In these few reasons I suggested from those verses for being still, they all point to knowing God. For example, when we know that the Lord will fight for us, we will learn to trust Him more. Try being still for a few minutes and see if your mind and body slows down and gets calm. If you meditate on God’s Word and do what He says, things will go better for you. Ah, patience! You have to wait in line at the bank or the store, so wait on the Lord as well. He will move in His time. God has authority over nature and there’s a lot we can learn from nature when we take time to be still.
Knowing God can only truly come when we are still long enough to hear His voice and look for how He is already working in our lives. If we keep striving and being busy with all kinds of things that occupy our minds, it will be difficult to hear from God. Be still and really listen for God just as you would if you were straining to hear the conversation with a friend in a really noisy place. Be as anxious to hear from God as you are to get that text, email, or letter from a friend whom you haven’t heard from for a while.
Next we’ll talk about the example of sheep and see what their listening skills are like.
PRAYER POINT FOR TODAY:
Lord, help me to make time to be still and wait on You so I can hear Your voice.
- Week 1 – temptation
- Week 2 – confession, forgiveness, and fasting
- Week 3 – listening to God and answering when He calls
- Week 4 – God’s love for us
- Week 5 – waiting, anxiety, and trust
- Week 6 – suffering, pain, and struggles
- Easter – resurrection and salvation