BE STILL

Perhaps one of the most well-known verses in the Bible is Psalm 46:10 which says, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” What’s interesting about this verse is that while many of us know it, not many of us can actually say we live it.

Recently, in my own life, God has had to remind me again to stop what I am doing and be still. I had been saying for days I needed to take some quiet time but seemed to keep finding more and more stuff to do. Every time I tried to sit down and “be still” I ended up getting distracted and running off to do something else. It’s hard to stop in the midst of everything going on, especially in a world that says, “go, go, go” but we must also learn to stop, in order for us to be successful when we go and not burnout. While it’s good to have things to look forward to, be involved in, and keep our minds busy with, its equally important for us to take time to sit and be still in the presence of our God.

When we don’t take the necessary alone time to just “be with God” we can easily become overwhelmed with things that don’t really matter at the end of the day and we can also start losing focus on our relationship with Christ.

 Personally, when I am super busy and not allowing that quiet time with the Lord, I begin to feel a distance building in our relationship. I often get frustrated because I can’t hear His voice and feel and discern the Holy Spirit’s promptings. The worldly pressures start to get to me and I lose my focus. I keep asking God to talk to me but don’t even allow Him the ample opportunity to do so. It’s like I always expect him to just put a giant billboard right in front of my eyes telling me what to do or not to do without me just openly talking and listening to Him in a one on one conversation. How can I expect God to communicate to me when I don’t even take the dedicated time to communicate to Him?

 Often times, we as Christians, will find God in our quiet moments, speaking to us in a still small voice (1 Kings 19:12). God chooses to not always speak to us in a loud booming voice because ultimately, that doesn’t do nearly as much for us than if we took a few moments and actually had a intimate and deep conversation with Him. God  waits patiently for us to quiet down and just be in His presence and remember who He is. God is not just a God of signs but of deep relation and He desires for us to run to Him and not just constantly run to our next problem or event. He wants to hear from His children and we should want to hear from Him.

For me, I try to take time at least twice a week for about an hour or two and just have what I call, a “date with God.” In these moments, I cut out all distractions, silence the phone, grab a meal, read the Word, sometimes listen to worship music or a podcast and just have open conversation with Him just like I would someone else. I don’t necessarily speak out loud, but I am speaking in my heart directly to Him while I silence out the rest of the world. I also take time to just listen. I find doing this outside, away from the hustle and bustle of the world to be where I find that connection and hear from Him. I have my favorite spots, both at home and around town that I frequent often and these places are where I often find God.

While not perfect at this routine, I have found this to be an essential part of my life. Without it, I begin to lose focus, even when trying not to. Sometimes, I put it off and put it off until I literally am brought to my knees with no other choice because I suddenly realize (again) I can’t go on without Him. I have to repeatedly remind myself, I can’t serve from an empty vessel. I must be filled with the living Word of God which empowers me to carry out my purpose in this world. My personal goal is to not have to keep being brought to this place of confusion and frustration because I fail to make my date with God my first priority. I usually do pretty good for a few months, and then all of a sudden near holidays or special occasions, I find myself distracted again. I am a work in progress but God is helping me find new ways to make myself more accountable all the time.

I pray for you today, wherever you are in your journey of “being still” to find peace and comfort in Him. If you are struggling or feeling distant, I ask you to stop what you are doing and reevaluate your schedule. Make a date with God as often as you need it. This has to be your first priority in order for all the rest to properly fall in place. It will take time and practice, but I believe it is possible for you. Ask a trusted friend to help you keep accountable to this. Set an alarm or a daily reminder. Find days where you can wake up one hour earlier or stay up one hour later, uninterrupted for your quiet time. Don’t be afraid to say no to certain activities and requests. Your spiritual health matters just as much (actually more) than your physical health, financial health, social health, etc. Find your time to be still in the Lord.

If you find yourself in a good place with being still with the Lord, I applaud you and pray this relationship continues. I pray your actions would be a testimony to others and that in this time with the Lord you are drawn closer each time. I pray your relationship grows and grows and overflows to those around you because of your first dedication being to the Lord.

Find your still time in the Lord and pray for help sticking to it. You’ll be amazed at what you can hear, how your relationship with the Lord deepens, and how the Lord refills you to serve others like never before. Be still and know that He is God.