Take Time to "Be Still"

eDevotion

Encouragement for your daily walk with God

I wish I were able to count the number of times I told my children to, “Be still.” Most children have a surplus of energy. At times, no matter where they are, it seems to have no limit.

When parents issue the command to “be still,” it usually comes at a time when the energy level has reached a fever pitch, or when the surplus energy is not conducive to the activity, like riding in the car or sitting in a church service. Let’s be honest here, getting a child to be still just by saying the words is often wasted energy; sometimes more drastic measures are required. 

We are “children of God” and it seems to me that, at times, we are not so different. We have a tendency to fill our lives with “busyness” and “activities”, which have few boundaries. Perhaps the only difference is that we don’t have an adult telling us to, “Be still.” Or do we!

We have a heavenly Father who also tells us to “be still.” You’ll find it Psalm 46. What I find interesting is the Hebrew word rapa, which means, cease. The Psalmist didn’t specify what we are to cease from, but it seems the underlying meaning is to cease striving; cease filling our time with so much activity that there isn’t any time left for God. In other words, don’t put anything above God, including our energy level and activities.

With tongue in cheek, I have said many times that my favorite theological word is “RELAX.” Let’s take God seriously and not put anything before Him. We can do it if we follow the advice of the Psalmist:

“Be still [cease striving] and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalm 46:10).