Come and 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 (NKJV)
Stillness does not come naturally to me.
I can sit still, but that doesn't mean I am being still.
My body may be quiet while my mind is running through everything that needs to be done, everything that could go wrong, everything I don't know, and everything I wish I could figure out.
I am sure you know what I mean. Sometimes we can look completely calm on the outside while our minds are having an entire conversation on the inside.
What if? What next? When will it happen?
Did I make the right decision? What am I supposed to do now?
I have realized that sometimes the hardest thing about being still is that stillness gives us nowhere to hide from our thoughts.
And yet, that may be exactly why God invites us into it.
"Be still, and know that I am God."
He doesn't say, "Be still and figure everything out."
He doesn't say, "Be still and make a plan."
He doesn't say, "Be still and solve tomorrow."
He simply says, Be still.
I think sometimes we misunderstand stillness. We think it means doing nothing.
But I'm learning that biblical stillness is not inactivity.
It is surrender.
Stillness is choosing to stop fighting for control over things that were never completely in my control to begin with.
Stillness is saying, "God, I don't know what happens next, but I know You do."
And honestly, that can be difficult…especially when you are waiting.
I have learned that uncertainty can make us want to move faster. We start looking for answers, creating backup plans, checking our phones, sending another application, refreshing emails, or making a scenario of what God might may be doing.
I have DONE this and I DO this.
I have asked God for direction and then immediately tried to help Him figure out how to get me there.
"Lord, I trust You...but just in case, here is the plan I want you to give me”
Maybe you have done or do the same.
But God keeps reminding me that trust requires room for Him to work.
Sometimes I do not need another plan.
Sometimes I need to sit quietly in His presence and remember that He is God.
That does not mean I stop preparing for my future.
It does not mean I stop being responsible.
It does not mean I stop pursuing the things God has placed on my heart.
It means I stop allowing uncertainty to steal my peace.
There is a difference between preparing for tomorrow and living in tomorrow.
I can prepare without worrying. I can work without striving.
I can pray without demanding an immediate answer.
I can wait without believing that nothing is happening.
And I can be still.
One of the things I am learning in this season is that God does some of His deepest work in the places where I cannot see Him moving.
Roots grow in darkness. Seeds develop beneath the soil.
And sometimes our faith grows in seasons when we cannot see what God is doing.
Stillness teaches us to trust what we cannot yet see.
So today, I want you to pause. Put down your phone. Take a deep breath.
Relax your shoulders. And for just a moment, do not ask God for anything.
Do not try to figure anything out. Simply sit in His presence.
Remind yourself…God is here.
God is faithful.
God is working.
God is still God.
Maybe you have been waiting for God to change your circumstances and instead He is first changing your perspective.
Maybe you have been asking Him to show you the next step and He is asking you to trust Him with the step you are already on.
You do not have to carry tomorrow into today.
So today, I want to leave you with the same invitation God has been extending to me:
Come and be still.
Be still when you do not have the answers. Be still when the waiting feels uncomfortable.
Be still when your mind wants to run ahead.
Be still…not because everything around you is peaceful, but because you know the One who gives you peace.
Sometimes, stillness is not the absence of movement.
Sometimes stillness is the decision to trust God while He is moving in ways you cannot yet see.
Reflection
*What would it look like to surrender your concerns to God instead of trying to figure it all out yourself?
*Take a few quiet moments today and simply remind yourself:
God is here. God is faithful. God is working. I can be still.
Prayer
Heavenly Father,
You know how difficult it can be for me to be still. My mind races ahead, searching for answers and trying to figure out what comes next. Forgive me for the times I have allowed worry to take the place of trust. Teach me to be still in Your presence.
Help me remember that I do not have to know everything because You already know the beginning, the middle, and the end. Give me peace when I cannot see what You are doing. Help me prepare without worrying, work without striving, and wait without losing hope.
Quiet my heart and mind. Remind me that You are God, You are faithful, and You are still working. Today, I choose to be still and trust You.
In Jesus' name, Amen.
His Love and MINE,
Shemeca
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