Be Still

God is a God of order.  He brought order out of chaos.  He never intended for us to live at a phrenetic pace, with no time for quietness and rest. 

Our lives have seasons, to be sure, with varying levels of activity.  The Spring of life may be filled with new hope, new experiences.   Summer may be a time of harvesting some of those things we planted earlier, a time to roll up our sleeves and work hard.  Fall can be a drawing in, of gathering around hearth and home, where love and contentment abound.   We may trudge though a cold, hard Winter, where we walk through the valley of the shadow of death with a loved one.

It seems that whatever season we are in, we are always struggling for balance.  If we are raising children, we may be overwhelmed with various demands and feel like we have no time to just “be still.”  On the other hand, empty nesters and those left alone by the death of a spouse, may find they have too much quiet, and long for the days of activity and interaction. Human beings always seem to struggle with balance.   We need rest, but we need activity and stimulation.  We need fellowship and friendship, but we also need time to ourselves.

One thing you can be sure of though, is that if life feels chaotic, that is not a part of God’s plan for you.  He designed you to work and then rest.  There are things to be discovered at every age, but at every stage, we should be seeking the will of the Father.

“Be still, and know that I am God,” (Psalm 46:10) is one of the most well known verses of Scripture, but the surrounding verses in Psalm 46 give us context.   It starts out by saying, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”   Then in verse 2, “Therefore  we will not fear, though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling.”  The Psalmist goes on to tell us what God will do, “The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts…He makes wars cease to the end of the earth.  He breaks the bow and shatters the spear.”  This is all before He tells us to “Be still.”   He is doing the work, and simply tells us to, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

In other words, no matter what is going on around you, He is at work, and He wants us to rest in his ability to handle the hard things for us.   He is God, and we are not.  So today, move in the awareness of His presence, his goodness, his love. 

Be still.