Be Still

“Sit Still!” The words echo through my mind as I call to memory when I was a child and I used to squirm in my chair as if I had ants in my pants. As an adult I can’t even count the number of times I have said those two small words to my own children. Lately though, I have heard another voice whispering in my ear. The first word is changed, but the second remains the same. “Be still” are the words of my Heavenly Father.

Think about it for a while. Why is it so hard for children to sit still? They are always busy. They are busy learning, doing, and moving from one thing to another. As adults, that movement doesn’t slow down. We have schedules to keep, deadlines to make, and meetings to attend. It’s no wonder that many of us are tired, burned out and worn down in this crazy, fast paced day in age.

As I have been meditating on Psalm 46 this week, I have realized that it doesn’t have to be that way. Even in the middle of this crazy life, we don’t have to be crazy ourselves. Why? Because “God is our refuge and strength.” (vs 1.) The psalmist goes on to describe the earth giving way, mountains falling into the sea, and nations in uproar. Despite all of the troubles mentioned, I am comforted by verse 5. When describing a river that flows in the City of God, the psalmist says “God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.”

That is just what I need in the midst of my crazy, hectic, day to day schedule – God within me. When I call on Him, He will help me at the break of each day. With His help, no matter what comes crashing down around me, I will not fall. Once that is established in my heart, I can then “Be still.”

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."