Day Seven

Be still and know that I am God--Part 1

'Be still and know that I am God (Psalm 46:10)'.  The classic verse, right?  Walk into any Christian bookstore and you are sure to find this verse throughout.  It's that standard verse that is quoted over and over again, often off-handedly and flippantly, without much thought.  We've heard it so many times that we've stopped really hearing it.  Or maybe it's because our society has gotten so busy, so rushed and so hurried that we can't fathom, relate to or understand such a verse anymore?

Recently, a friend gave me this verse as a piece of vinyl wall art to hang on my wall.  We put it up in our kitchen above the desk where I sit and spend time with the Lord each morning.  I love having these words right over the spot where I meet with Him.  What a beautiful picture--to literally sit under His Word as I study His Word.  It helps me to envision that His Word is all around me--above me and yet also right below my finger as I read.  As if He is right there with me...

Having this verse above where I sit also reminds me that He wants us to not just read His Word, but get 'all wrapped up in it'.  We must allow it to steep into us (as a tea bag steeps in a cup of water), until we are changed.  The longer a tea bag steeps in water the more flavorful it becomes.  This concept is true of us as we steep in God's Word.  We must sit and soak in Him long enough to change us, so that when we get up from our place of meeting, we are transformed.  When we get up to start our day, it is no longer just ourselves on our own, but we now have our Helper, the Holy Spirit, ignited within us to guide us through our day.

As I have met with Him and under Him, He has whispered over and over to me: 'Be still, be still my child.  you cannot truly know me if you cannot be still.'  Through this wall art hanging above me, in His gentle and loving way, He has brought me face to face with the sin I have struggled with most this year--being still.  I have had to look this sin square in the face and repent.  I have had to ask my sweet Lord and Savior to please forgive me for allowing the cares of this world to usurp Him.

God longs for us to linger with Him, to spend the one thing that we in our western civilization truly never have enough of--time.  I've heard it said before that children spell love 't-i-m-e'.  Why do they spell love in such a way?  Because they need a relationship with us and a relationship can only be built with the building blocks of time.  It takes one daily brick after another.  It takes work, sweat, sacrifice and dedication.  It's not for the faint of heart (or shall I say the ADD of heart?).  It takes focus.  It takes intentionality.  It takes commitment.  If, in order for our relationships with our children to flourish, it takes our invaluable commodity of 'time', how much more so does our relationship with our Creator Father require such?  Oh, He longs for our time.  He wants our stillness.  He wants us to give up our 'time' and give it to Him.  He whispers 'let go... let go... please quit clinging so tightly.  Please quit being distracted with all this world has to offer.  Focus, sweet child, focus.  Commit your ways to me...'

Have you been struggling with being still?  Spend some time in quiet reflection, asking the Lord to reveal areas in your life that are keeping you from Him.  Confess these things before your Father, knowing He is faithful and just to cleanse us of all sin.

Abba Father,

We come to you asking you to help us to learn how to be still and linger before You so that we can experience Your abundant life.  We pray for Beth, Priscilla and Kay today, Lord, that you would help them to carve out time to be still and hear from you, specifically about the message they are to deliver to us at Deeper Still.  We pray You would speak clearly, audibly and powerfully to them and then, through them.  May they 'preach the Word and be prepared in season and out of season to correct, rebuke and encourage--with great patience and careful instruction (2 Tim. 4:2)'.  May their teaching be 'God-breathed' and equip the women in the audience for Your good work (2 Tim. 4:16).  May the women not just hear your Word but eat it, making it their joy and heart's delight (Jer. 15:16). 

In Jesus' faithful name we pray,
Amen.