What do you think about today so far?
Has it been a good day? Bad day? Tiresome day? Exciting day? Boring day?
Has it been fast paced, non-stop like most days are for the majority of people?
“Be still and know…that I am God.”
When did we ever receive the notion that if we go, go, go that fitting in quick prayers here and there would sustain us spiritually?
So many of us have a million, no scratch that, a billion things going on that being still is just plain crazy.
What’s being still? I don’t have time to be still. The doctor is telling me I need to be moving more anyway. If I remain still, the world and my life will rush by.
I have never understood it. This is what I have never understood:
Let’s take John Smith. John is constantly discussing, due to certain events taking place in the world and his upbringing in a particular church, the end of the world and the return of Christ. John is telling everyone how glorious it will be to live with Jesus forever with no aches and pains in this ol’ physical body.
In the same breath, John is an extremely busy person. Kids, job, church, hobbies, friends, etc. The list goes on and on. John finds himself overwhelmed yet unable to admit he is overwhelmed.
Two things about John: 1) He is in such a rush to get to heaven that he cannot enjoy life now. Let alone allow anyone else to enjoy their’s because he is constantly telling them they are going to hell if they do not hurry up and get saved since Jesus is about to come back.
2) John knows what the Bible says. The 2nd problem is that John has a really hard time living it. John is busy. Constantly busy. Either busy doing number one above, or busy with everything else he has going on.
Society for the most part tells us we must speed up. Things must be done quicker and in larger quantities. Like John, many of us are so eager to get to heaven, or get other things done, that, “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD,” has been totally pushed off our radar.
We cannot be so busy all the time that we squeeze in a prayer at a stoplight or while eating and expect to be “spiritually fit.”
It’s just like being physically fit. You cannot expect to run for 5 seconds, three times a week and lose those 10-30 pounds you want. It just doesn’t work. What is even more detrimental is when we try to do that spiritually.
Physically, emotionally, relationally, spiritually. All these aspects go out the door when we forget to be still and know.
Psalm 62:1 says, “My soul finds rest in God alone; my salvation comes from Him.”
Where are you attempting to find rest? Or are you even trying? Slow down for a minute. Not just a second. Stop what you are doing. Take a breath. Be thankful. Be less irritated. Be less stressed. Be more gracious. Be more loving. Enjoy the moment. Let other people enjoy their moments. Don’t try to rush Jesus back either. Let him do what he wants.
Be still. Know.