Be Still

"Be still, and know that I am God"—Psalm 46:10 NIV

Are you someone who has trouble waiting? I think that we all at times are people who cannot wait. As a child, I recall sitting in the restaurant and my parents reciting a series of thoughts to keep me occupied as we await the meal.  "Well, Mike, they need to go out and find a chicken", "They need to catch it, kill it, clean it and then they need to cook it in order for you to have your chicken tenders." A much longer process than a young boy wants to think about.  Well, for the sake of honesty, I still may have to do that in my head at times as I await dinner at a restaurant.


For whatever reason, we seem to lack patience. We do not just want things, we want them and we want them now! As Americans, we not only have fast food restaurants, rather drive-through fast food restaurants so that we can eat on the go (and even get irritated when we have to wait too long in line). In the last twenty years, I have gone from thinking that dial-up internet (if you wish to reminisce, you may click this link) was incredible to thinking…my high-speed internet could be upgraded. We do not understand what being “still” is anymore.

In the psalm, the writer calls us to look to God in times of trouble, and really all of the time. We remain in his hands, and he continues to work wonders even if we are moving too fast to see them.

Be Still. We are a country and a people who seem restless, moving from activity to activity. Moreover, because we are going at such a rapid pace, we neglect to listen, to meditate, to think. As a result, our relationship with God can suffer. We may complain that God is not speaking, but maybe we are not listening. Perhaps we need to slow down our lives and let God back in. It is time to hit the brakes!

How can we slowdown in our lives? Maybe it means taking the time to say a prayer several times a day opposed to meal times or as we lay down to sleep. Maybe it means opening the scripture, meditating on the scriptures and asking, “God what are you saying here?” rather than continuing to simply hit a “chapter a day” quota. Maybe we could start by saying a prayer of thanksgiving for who God is, and what he has done. Perhaps we invest more in our families and our relationships through family game nights opposed to catching up with our favorite reality TV show. It could be that God can speak to us through the experiences of others.

How will you and I try to slow down? Feel free to submit a thought. Let us slowdown in our lives, and turn to see what great things God is doing in our midst.

photo credit: Chovee via photopin cc