God’s gift . . .
Struggling to “Be Still”
Never be in a hurry; do everything quietly and in a calm spirit.
Do not lose your inner peace for anything whatsoever,
even if your whole world seems upset.
(Saint Francis de Sales)
In a world full of activity and noise, it can be difficult to find a time and place where we can slow down and quietly contemplate God . . . we struggle with the busy-ness and chaos around us that pulls and tugs at us in all directions, like a rope in a tug-of-war game.
We keep busy and generally we don’t have to look too hard to find things to occupy us . . . However, even necessary, valid activities can cause us to get distracted and lose focus on God . . . We need to be sure that we spend time in His presence, quietly reading, studying, meditating on His Word, and seeking His will . . . This precious time is easy to neglect when life is busy and everything is going well . . . We forget to be totally dependent on God and forget to turn to Him and His Word for help . . . We struggle to “be still.”
It may seem like we are doing all the right things, but there are setbacks and frustrations . . . maybe things don’t happen exactly the way we planned . . . and sometimes there is absolutely nothing that we can do to change the situation . . . Personally, I want to go outside and scream sometimes just to release the internal frustrations.
In the context of Psalm 46, everything was surrounded by chaos, strife and fear . . . Yet even in these times, the instruction was to “be still” . . . Stillness requires us to stop—stop moving, stop speaking, stop worrying, just stop—and rest in what we know to be true about God . . . Of course, it helps A LOT if we have a solid, personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ.
We learn to rest fully on God and His promises when we strive to find these times of stillness . . . We need to give up control of what we are desperately trying to hold onto . . . We need to lean completely on Him, trusting Him no matter what circumstances come up that are beyond our control.
“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 46:10
When we are still and surrender to God, we find peace even when the earth gives way, the mountains fall (Psalm 46:2), or the nations go into an uproar and kingdoms fall (Psalm 46:6) . . . When life gets overwhelming and busy-ness takes over, remember Psalm 46:1—“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” . . . Run to Him, lay down your defenses, and fall into His arms . . . Recognize and accept that He is God and that He is exalted in the earth . . . “Be still and know that He is God.”
INSIGHT . . .
Pastor John Miller wrote a beautiful reflection on Psalm 46 . . . Miller calls this psalm, “a prescription to take when life falls apart” . . . We reach out to God for help . . . and Miller reminds us, “When we call out to God, we never get God’s voicemail. That’s because God is with us.” . . . Always.
“The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Psalm 46:7
The phrase “be still” means much more than ‘don’t move,’ or ‘be quiet,’ or ‘settle down’ . . . some scholars say it can mean ‘take your hands off’—in other words, ‘Let go of trying to be in charge of your life’ . . . “Be still” can also mean ‘quit messing things up’—That’s another way of saying we can’t assume it’s our job to fix everything that’s wrong . . . it is not our job to fix this person, to fix that problem, to change this situation . . . we just need to trust in God . . . to be still, know He is in control, and trust Him to do ‘the fixing.’
Pause and consider this poem from the past, which reflects the more current saying, “Let go and let God” . . .
With thoughtless and impatient hands,
We tangle up the plans the Lord hath wrought.
And when we cry in pain, God saith,
“Be quiet, child, while I untie the knot!”
(Unknown)
INVITATION—TO TALK WITH GOD . . .
Biblically, waiting is not just something we have to do until we get what we want.
Waiting is part of the process of becoming what God wants us to be.
(John Ortberg)
Being still often means waiting . . . Waiting on God is not only difficult, sometimes it appears to be impossible . . . We want things to happen in our timing, according to our plans, NOW! . . . But God doesn’t operate on our schedules, and we’re going to be disappointed if we expect that He will do it ‘our way.’
God has the greatest perspective of life’s events . . . and His perspective, plans, and schedules are perfect and holy, because He is perfect and holy.
“God’s way is perfect. All the Lord’s promises prove true.
He is a shield for all who look to him for protection.”
Psalm 18:30
If, as scripture says that God’s ways are “perfect,” then we can trust that whatever He does—and whatever His timing—is also perfect . . . When we can accept that fact, waiting on God becomes less difficult.
We are human, and we live in a fast-paced culture that demands everything now . . . Waiting on God is never easy, but we wait because we know that God knows our situation, He cares for our needs, and He will do what is best for us all the way to the end.
God works through our waiting to strengthen our character through weakness,
to develop our peace of mind by trusting him in chaos,
and to teach us that we can glorify him just as much
by waiting on him as we can by serving him.
(Wayne Stiles)
God never lets go of you . . . even on those days when you feel like waiting on Him to intercede is more frustrating than dealing with the circumstances at hand . . . It’s the waiting on God that helps us become strong enough in our faith to be able to endure the wait.
Waiting is not the same as inactivity.
Waiting is a commitment to continue in obedience until God speaks.
(Priscilla Shirer)
Waiting on God is hard . . . Waiting on answered prayers or blessings or glimpses of hope is hard . . . But God is still God . . . His ways are not our ways, even when we can’t understand them . . . We have to trust He knows best when it comes to unanswered prayers, hurting hearts, disappointment, and closed doors.
Sometimes when we’re waiting for God to speak,
He’s waiting for us to listen.
(Martha Bolton)
Are you struggling with waiting on God for an answer?
Have you talked with Him about your struggles . . . Have you placed them in His hands?
Have you taken the time to “be still” and listen for an answer from God?
Waiting well teaches us to trust His delays rather than doubt His ways.
Waiting on God isn’t wasting time, it’s training time.
Keeping company with God is how we learn to wait well,
fight our inner battles, and find rest.
Things don’t always turn out the way we planned,
but things always turn out as God planned.
(Wendy Pope)
Are you in a season of waiting?
What peace are you seeking this season of your life?
What do you need to let go of, give to God, to find inner peace?
Ask God to help you with answers,
and to help you trust that He’s working on your behalf.
ILLUMINATION . . .
’Easily accessible’ peace . . . that peace available longer than a few vacation ‘escape’ days . . . isn’t always easy to find . . . So, we have to seek out ways to find the peace and calm that can help reset and renew our minds and refresh our spirit.
Embracing or tapping into your senses can provide a way to seek and find peace when it seems out of reach . . . Watching, listening, tasting, touching, and smelling the gentle experiences around you can open up new pathways of calm, and can bring to mind encounters that helped settle you as you embraced calm in the past.
The peace of watching . . . watching a candle flame flicker, the wind rustling the leaves on a tree, the clouds moving across the sky, stars at night (even watching an airplane move across the sky at night can be calming, because you have slowed down to watch) . . . and then there are twinkling lights, children playing, raindrops falling . . . the list can go on and on, but the intent to is to focus—slow down and focus until the crazy around you fades into the background . . . for even a few moments.
The peace of listening . . . it takes pausing (preferably silencing the TV, radio, your phone) . . . eyes closed, slowing down your breathing, then letting your ears listen . . . hear life gently move around you . . . birds, trains, gentle rains at night, the wind blowing, a dog snoring, a cat purring, far off laughter, wind chimes tinkling . . . and quiet . . . just for a few moments . . . it feels like Christ is sitting beside you and smiling .
The peace of tasting . . . Everyone has a variety of taste buds . . . some tastes are pleasant and calming, while other tastes are disturbing . . . concentrate on tastes that calm you . . . fresh baked cookies, hot chocolate, fresh watermelon, ice cold water . . . find what satisfies and calms you . . . just don’t over-indulge.
The peace of touching . . . the soft fur of a pet, sand between your fingers, cool water, for some it is working in a garden, others kneading dough, sewing, woodworking, building, creating . . . often the peace found when keeping your hands busy allows the mind to release nervous tension, hassles, and worries.
The peace of smelling . . . if you can’t find the real thing, remember . . . crisp cold mornings, baking bread or cookies, vanilla candles, freshly cut grass, a winter fire in the fireplace, a freshly cut orange, warm coffee or cocoa, pine trees . . . even smells like crayons and fresh laundry can bring back memories of simpler times and can help settle nerves.
You may laugh at any one of these . . . and that is good too because laughter can release pent up stress and emotions . . . but you also may find one or two or more keys to unlocking the inner peace we all so desperately seek during each season of life, and each season throughout the year.
Peace . . . walk outside the door or look out a window . . . take a deep cleansing breath . . . slowly exhale and relax your shoulders and allow your senses to take over.
And most important . . . prayerfully realize those moments of peace also allow precious time spent with God, because you can finally hear yourself and you can hear the Lord.
“The Lord gives strength to His people;
the Lord blesses His people with peace”
Psalm 29:11
INSPIRATION—PRAYING THROUGH MUSIC . . .
A painter paints pictures on canvas.
But musicians paint their pictures on silence.
(Leopold Stokowski)
I encourage you to take time to listen to any or all the songs below . . . there is no right or wrong style of music—it is what speaks to you . . . listen to the melody and the lyrics and feel the response of your heart to what God wants you to hear . . . and I do understand that music doesn’t speak to everyone . . . and that is okay too.
♪♬♪ Current . . . Word of God Speak
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EqsnGE3_dsg&list=RDEqsnGE3_dsg&start_radio=1
♪♬♪ Praise & Worship . . . Draw Me Close to You
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YNTvXWgAf9A&list=RDYNTvXWgAf9A&start_radio=1
♪♬♪ Traditional . . . In the Garden
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4KoN-MbSBhY&list=RD4KoN-MbSBhY&start_radio=1
INTO EACH DAY AHEAD . . .
First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others.
(Thomas á Kempis)
You have to listen to your heart to find peace in your mind and soul . . . now, looking at the words “be still and know that I am God,” we should see them through fresh eyes . . . we should treasure their meaning, their affirmation of who God is and how much He cares about each of us . . . They are not simple calls to quiet our environment or our thoughts . . . They are a call to surrender the need and desire to control things that were never ours to control in the first place . . . They remind us to trust that God is present, that He is able, and that He is still at work even when we cannot see it.
This kind of peace is rooted in the character of God Himself . . . It holds steady and firm even when everything else feels uncertain . . . This kind of peace is anchored in something that does not change, our Heavenly Father, and it is deeper and more durable than any other version we might settle for.
This verse is less about finding a quiet moment and more about learning to trust God in the center of the noise . . . It is an invitation to release our grip, to step back from struggling and pushing, and instead to rest in the reality that God is still God . . . just feel the peace of God’s arms around you as you let go and let Him be in control.
“The Lord replied, 'My Presence will go with you,
and I will give you rest.'”
Exodus 33:14
Heavenly Father, lead us to the tranquil waters of personal peace.
May Your presence be our refuge, and in the stillness of Your love,
let each of us find the peace that transcends all understanding.—Amen
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