The Power of Stillness
Psalm 46:10 in the NIV version it says:
Be still and know that I AM God.
In the NET version it says:
"Stop your striving and recognize that I am God!
I don’t know about you, but for me being still is hard. I have attention deficit disorder (ADD). I am so easily distracted. I didn’t know this until I was an adult. You can imagine what my childhood was like.
When my brother and I were having trouble getting along, my mom would put us on chairs in the middle of the room and tell us to sit still. We would do anything but be still. We always found something to do to interact, but we did calm down and get along.
Let’s break this verse down a bit. Be still, or cease, stop your striving. This is a physical, emotional and spiritual reference.
Be Still: Sometimes we take a physical vacation, we go somewhere besides our home, and rest. We take a break from our normal routines.
Sometimes we find ourselves day-dreaming and take a mental/emotional break from whatever we are doing. We dream, we escape, we attempt to cope with our current environment.
Other times we go on a spiritual retreat, we get away to another place of peace, where we take time to intentionally focus on God and what He would want to speak to us.
Being still is a quieting in our souls. It’s not always easy and it takes time. But God will meet us in the stillness and speak to our situations and turmoil. Only He can bring real, lasting peace.
And Know: Too often we gloss over this part of the verse. What do we know from scripture or personal experience? And Know compels us to stop and ponder, reflect, and recognize who God is.
I AM: The first time God revealed his name to Moses he said:
"I AM that I AM." And he said, "You must say this to the Israelites, 'I AM has sent me to you.’" Exodus 3:14
Knowing is a forgone conclusion. It just IS and we know it!
GOD: I AM Elohim indicates that God has always existed, he is uncreated! That’s enough to make us stop and ponder, be still, and know. It will take us eternity to know and understand God, Elohim… It’s an amazing journey.
The power of stillness is so deep that it touches our very soul, the place where God dwells in us. Holy Spirit help us develop a culture of stillness in our daily lives.
©kymforrest.com
