Stillness
By Peggy Kleckner
“He says, Be still and know that I am
God. I will be exalted in the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Psalm
46:10 (NIV)
What
does God say? He says, “Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted in
the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
Dwell
there for a minute. Let those words settle into you. Let them wash over the
rocks of your worry, the boulders of your cares. Let them refresh your weary
spirit. His words are life.
Take
and eat. Let them nourish you.
Now,
breathe in His life. Look into God’s heart. Sit down as you would with your
closest and dearest friend. Put the phone away. Turn off the noise. Yes, this
will take more than a moment. Just focus on the first two words, “be still.”
Two words, two short words and yet this will take great effort on your part.
Keep breathing. Let your worries down onto the floor for now. Let all the “have to’s” and the “but, I don’t have time” excuses go and give God this moment of
stillness. Step out of the fast waters
of life by taking His hand and allowing Him to seat you beside Him.
Breathe
deeply of His grace and His compassion; release yourself into His strong arms.
Let stillness be a priority for this moment. Let it be your gift, your gift of
obedience to Him. Let yourself relax in the stillness of His strong embrace.
Trust that He is welcoming you with open arms and great joy at your gift.
When
you begin to feel the pressures lessen, focus on the next phrase, “know that I
am God.” To know is to “be well informed about, to be aware of, to be
acquainted with, to be sure of” [1] Think through each of those definitions and
ponder if you really “know” that He is God. Are you acknowledging His supremacy
in your life? Are you spending time getting to know this God whom you serve or
are you just following along? Are you busy doing for Him but setting little
time aside to be with Him and hear His heart?
Stillness
is a difficult practice it is very much against the tide of our culture, but we
are called into it by God Himself, so most assuredly He enables us to do it.
This week purposefully practice being still as your gift to Him. As you
practice, continue to grow in your knowledge of Him. He delights in you.
GOING DEEPER:
1. Will you commit to setting aside a few
moments for stillness every day for this season of lent as a gift to God?
2. In what
way do you want to know God better?
FURTHER READING:
[1]
Webster’s New World Dictionary
Peggy is a wife and
mother of four adult children - - two sons and two stepsons, and is an active
encourager at Oakwood Church in Delafield.
