Be Still

Posted on September 28, 2015 by America's Keswick in Freedom Fighters

Be Still

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

We have been dialoging out soul care the past several Monday, and today I want to talk about the word solitude.

A word connected with solitude is the word “still.” I looking up the word “still” here are some of the definitions: remaining in place, at rest, motionless; stationary, free from noise, silent; free from turbulence or commotion; calmness

I am just coming off a week of vacation. I have said this before – I don’t do rest well. I started my vacation last Friday, but it really wasn’t until Wednesday that I was able to start winding down and now today, I hit the ground running.

My guess is that you struggle with this too. But what I am learning is that it isn’t God’s ideal for us to be always in motion (commotion). I need to make a concerted effort to BE STILL, to settle down, to be at rest, so that I can hear from God:

Psalm 4:4: Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still.

Psalm 23:2: He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters.

Psalm 46:10: Be still, and know that I am God!

And here is the kicker – somehow we have bought into the lie that we can keep going on this treadmill. What God has showed me in my study on soul care is that in too many ways I have allowed myself to buy into the enemy’s lie that I can do it better than God.

If God created everything that we know in six days and rested on the seventh, what makes me think I can go 24/7 and always be on?

If Jesus made it a practice to get away to a lonely place for solitude and stillness, what makes me think my life always need to be about hustle and bustle, noise and commotion?

If Jesus was able to break away and sleep even on a boat, what makes me think I can do life trying to get as little sleep as possible?

Do I miss hearing the voice of God because I am so caught up in the stuff of life that I can’t even discern HIS still small voice?

And quite frankly, some of us are afraid of the stillness because we might very well hear the voice of God speaking to our hearts.

We’ve talked about this before – it might mean making a deliberate, intentional commitment to turn off the cell phone, the IPad, the computer, the television – whatever it is that is distracting us from just being still.

Steven Smith in his book, Soul Custody: Choosing to Care for the One and Only You says: We forfeit our souls every single time we choose to drain ourselves and not replenish ourselves; run on empty rather that stopping and intentionally doing the things that will bring us life; burnout rather than live meaningful, significant, and impactful lives that are enjoyable and life-giving to others. We forfeit the life God intended for us when lower our souls to functioning as machines rather than living as soulish marvels who require more than a quart of oil or a recharging of our batteries.

For some of us it’s really quite simple. It’s about just being obedient to “Be still, and know that I am God.”

What are the steps that you can take this week in your life to “be still” and to find some solitude in the midst of the chaos? Would you share how you have learned to be still in your life? The rest of us could benefit for what God has been showing you. – Bill Welte is President/CEO of America’s Keswick

Daily Bible Reading: Ezekiel 20-21; John 12:1-26

Think About This: Can you put your arms about Jesus’ neck and just rest there? – Steven W. Smith

This Week’s Verse to Memorize: Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. Matthew 11:28-29