Psalm 46:10 (NLT) Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10 (NASB95) Cease striving and know that I am God.
I have this verse on the wall in my office, and also above my bed.
Being still in God’s presence is both the most rewarding and the most challenging part of my relationship with Him.
Stillness is not something I can claim to have mastered, but it is something that I consider to be very important.
Stillness takes incredible discipline, but it is the path to deep intimacy with God.
Being still does not mean doing nothing in an effortless or aimless way. It’s a deliberate action that takes focus and intention. It sounds so basic but it’s definitely not our default state of being.
You’ve probably heard me say - the hardest thing I ever did was nothing.
That’s because the last thing our minds want to do is be quiet.
The benefits of stillness are almost endless. Pysically it relieves stress, lowers blood pressure, slows your pulse, and releases tension. Mentally it calms the mind, brings clarity to your thoughts, increases self control, eliminates distractions, and builds mental toughness. Spiritually it increases awareness of God’s presence, opens you up to prayer, facilitates meditation on scripture, reminds you to trust in God, and helps you overcome attacks of the enemy.
It’s an immensely powerful and beneficial state of being, and for that reason it’s something that the enemy never wants you to experience. When you are in a state of stillness you are nearly impenetrable to the attacks of the enemy. But if the enemy can keep you out of that state then you become vulnerable to just about every attack.
Psalm 37:7 (NLT) Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
God achieves victory through stillness.
Moses stood over the army of Israel and held his hands up - and as long as he did so God gave them victory. The difficulty Moses had in holding his hands up is very much akin to the difficulty I experience while trying to remain still.
There are a few times in the Old Testament where God defeated Israel’s enemies while they did nothing but watch.
Jesus was silent before His accusers, which led to His crusifiction, and His ultimate victory over death and sin.
We tend to think that we need to solve every problem, or contribute to every accomplishment, but often we end up just getting busy and forgetting about what’s really important.
I’m not saying that we shouldn’t do things, but we should do them with our focus on God.
We shouldn’t be scrambling around trying to figure out how to stay busy. In fact, doing that is what leads to so much sin.
We should learn to focus on God. To be still and know Him. And let every action flow from and through that.
Then, no matter what you face, or how much you have to do, you can do it grounded in the peace that only God can give. And when you start operating from that kind of focus and peace, you will draw others to want to do the same.
So what does stillness actually look like?
It’s taking time every day to sit still - even if it’s just for 5 minutes - and focus on God’s presence. Don’t think about anything - not even God. Just know Him by being aware of His presence. Let the clarity and peace of God’s presence saturate you.
And once you get the feel for being still and knowing God, then start to incorporate it into your activities.
When you go for a walk go back to that state of focusing on God’s presence.
When you are doing chores do them in that state of focusing on God’s presence.
And eventually you will start to be able to operate from that state of stillness so that no matter what you’re doing, you will be still and aware of God’s presence even in the midst of all the activity of life.
Then you will be able to remain still in times of trouble. You will be able to respond with peace instead of worry or frustration or anger. You will be able to operate out of a sense of confidence that God has you in His hands instead of feeling like you need to carry the world on your shoulders.
Being still and remaining aware of God’s presence in every moment is not as easy as it sounds, but it’s a skill and discipline worth developing.