Be Still
He says, “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
We are tethered to technology. The cell phone is a
friend that never leaves our side. We have Facebook, Instagram and all sorts of
other ways to communicate. We are never disconnected and we are never really
alone.
Society sure has changed and while I applaud some of
the advances, I also cringe at some of those same things. Do we ever stop? Do
we even realize that it’s okay not to answer the phone or respond to a text
right away?
We use technology as a crunch. Have you ever watched
people who are alone in a crowd? That phone pops out and we’re just so busy, so
involved, so necessary. We aren’t really alone. Someone wants to check in on
us. We’re important. That’s the message we’re trying to send anyway.
And there is God, patiently waiting for us to
acknowledge Him. This is the God of the universe, the Creator of all things,
Yahweh. He’s a big deal, you know. But we’re just so busy that we don’t have
much time to spend with Him.
We’re too busy. Really. We are. Be still, God tells
us. And know peace. And know wisdom. And know who He is. Really and truly.
Priscilla Shirer offered up the 14-minute challenge in
her Breathe Bible Study. Can you rest for 14 minutes. Can you turn off the
phone, turn off the television, and just breathe? Can you be silent with God
for 14 minutes? Can you shut out the rest of the world and focus only on
Yahweh? Remember it’s only for 14 minutes. Can you do it? Are you sure?
There was a time when we left work and went home,
knowing we wouldn’t have to deal with work issues until the next day. There was
a time when we could truly take a vacation without being bombarded by texts and
e-mails. Life changes. I understand that. But some changes have shifted us
around to a place that stresses us out and provides for no margin of rest.
God says it’s okay to rest. When God rested on that seventh
day, it wasn’t because He was tired. Shirer pointed this out in her study. He’s
God. He doesn’t get tired. Besides, it’s not like He was out doing something
strenuous. God spoke everything into being. He said it and it was so. As
amazing as that is, it wasn’t that hard for God.
So why did He create the Sabbath? Because God
understood that we would need rest. He didn’t design us to go all out seven
days a week, 52 weeks of the year. God wants us to work hard. He also wants us
to spend time with Him, rejuvenating our soul and forming a deep relationship
with Him.
But we’re just so busy. Do you remember when the
Israelites were wandering around for 40 years? God provided manna from heaven
for them to eat. And what did He say. On the sixth day, God provided enough for
the sixth and seventh days so that the Israelites wouldn’t have to work on the
Sabbath. If they gathered too much and tried to hoard extra, it spoiled and
stunk badly. God wanted them to learn to depend on His daily provision. He
wants us to learn the same thing.
The world will not fall apart if we sit down and rest.
The world will not end if we turn off the cell phone and the television and
just spend quality time with God. That’s been a hard lesson for me to learn. I’m
accustomed to always working, always doing, always trying to get caught up. How
about you?
Take the 14-minute challenge. Close the door and shut
out the world. Give those 14 minutes to God. Be still. Remember who He is.
Praise His Holy Name. Let His peace wash over you. Rest.
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