Clothesline 270 "Be still and know I am God"

I don’t know about you, but being still isn’t my first choice. I’ve always felt that I need to be doing something, accomplishing something, making things happen. If I’m not doing something, I usually think I’m falling down on the job! And while I understand this verse from Psalm 16 to mean more than a lack of movement, it can still be complicated.

I’ve attended many retreats where we’ve been asked to sit quietly, breathe deeply, and imagine a place where you might meet God. My special place was often near a babbling brook, surrounded by trees and flowers, and Jesus would just show up, bending down to touch the water as it rushes by. I would see him…I would smile…he would see me…and he would smile. Nothing complicated…no questions asked…just a few moments of quiet peace. That’s fairly simply, isn’t it? Well, interestingly enough, I ran across someone else’s interpretation of this verse from Psalm 16 and it gave me much to think about. The author is unknown, but here it is:

There is something we need to know about “stillness.” It terrifies us because it exposes what we’ve been running from: the fear that God might not show up. (Has that ever crossed your mind? I hadn’t thought of it until I read this explanation.)

We fill every silence with noise, every pause with productivity, because deep down we wonder: What if I get quiet and God’s not there? So, we stay busy. Sometimes we mistake our activities of faith with professing our faith. But God doesn’t say “be still and work harder to find Me.” He says “Be still and know”—not learn, not discover, but know—that He already is…right here…right now.

The Hebrew word for “still” means to release, to let go, to stop fighting. It’s as if God is saying: “Child, put down your weapons. The battle is Mine, and I’ve already won the war!”

Your soul wasn’t designed for endless striving. It was designed for sacred rest in the God who never rests, never sleeps, never stops loving you….

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God surprises me on a regular basis. I hope this unexpected message surprises you into a “still” moment with your God.