By Still: deep silence and calm; quieten
There are so many times that we are instructed to be still before God.
Psalm 46:10 (a fairly well-known verse) says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
Also in Psalm, in chapter 37 verse 7, it says, “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.”
Have you also seen Exodus 14:14? “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
In all these verses, let’s go ahead and underline be still. Why are we asked to be still? Furthermore, what does it mean to be still?
The definition of still is deep silence; quieten. I’m sure some of you are wondering how this relates, but let me explain.
Imagine you’re going through a really hard time, and you just need to talk to a friend or a mentor and get some advice.
So you begin to explain the situation and list all the details. You don’t leave any stones unturned. You lay it all out and you explain your feelings. You weep a little, complain and whine just a bit, and pull yourself together to finish off your tangent.
But in that whole time, you never gave space for your mentor or friend to interject with their thoughts, or even offer any advice. In that moment, you completely dominated the conversation.
Oftentimes, that’s how we are with God. We come to Him in prayer, tell Him our problems, and move on. We don’t give Him the space or time to answer. We don’t wait to hear from Him.
When we’re going through something, and even in our day-to-day lives, it’s important to be still before God.
It’s important to calm down, quiet down, and listen for His voice. We are called to be quick to listen, and when it comes to God, so many of us are failing.
This week I encourage you to be still and listen to God. Trust in Him. He does still speak to us, and He will never leave you nor forsake you. Be still and rest in that.
Maddisen Sauls is the smile and voice behind the Everyday Joy blog as well as the author of the Word of the Week posts and the editor of by leaps and bounds. Throughout her life, Maddisen has worked as a reporter for small town newspapers, a School Age and Preschool teacher, and has acquired her ministerial license.
An avid book reader and lover of the written word, Maddisen is passionate about using her favorite medium to reach the lost and the hurting, and to offer encouragement and hope to those struggling through life.
Following her battle with depression, Maddisen has made it her mission to help other people through this journey and to bring joy to the lives of the people around her.
You can find Maddisen on Instagram @maddisen.paige
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