Two tough things: Being still; and knowing – I mean really knowing – a person.
First off, being still. I love to have just quiet sometimes. By quiet I mean no TV, no music, just quiet. Even when I was younger and still in school (yes, that was a long time ago), I couldn’t have the radio blaring like most of my classmates did while I did my homework (not that I did much), because when the music was playing that’s what I focused on, whereas the homework went flying out the window!
Yet our son, Jeffrey? He can have music rocking his eardrums and still be intensely focused on whatever it is he’s doing.
Secondly let’s talk about really knowing someone. How do you do that? Well you can use trusty Google, maybe read books or watch the History Channel (depending on the person of course), or if it’s someone directly in your life you can sit at that person’s feet and listen and learn from them directly.
So it was one day when I got a call from a gal at church asking me to help at a women’s retreat, that I knew exactly what I felt called to do in this instance: Have a time of quiet first thing in the morning. Perhaps equip the ladies with some verses and questions to ponder and reflect upon, but NO TALKING!
Then what did I find out? The whole retreat was to be centered on Psalm 46:10: “Be Still and Know that I Am God…” Woo-hoo!
I was tasked with preparing a short devotional to kick off the retreat. After taking time to pray about just what I was supposed to do, I spoke to my husband Gary who said why not just break down that portion of the scripture: Be Still – And Know – I Am God. Yes!!!
It was very interesting in that preparing for that devotional, I found the first 2 sections (Be Still – And Know) quite easy to put together, but then came the portion “I Am God.” How could I accurately convey the greatness and mightiness of my Lord? Where could I even begin?
As the days prior to the retreat came closer and closer I was starting to stress about that last portion. What was I going to do? Then Gary reminded me that God Himself would give me the words I needed when I needed them.
The light bulb in my head started flickering, and then I heard a still small voice reminding me: “Be still … and know … I Am God!”
Oh, duh – what on earth was I doing? Here I was taking it all upon myself to keep digging away in my own human efforts to come up with something witty and brilliant to say to the ladies about the awesomeness of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords when instead the important part was to just “be still … and know …” Because our God IS the Great I Am (see Exodus 3:14).
Because seriously, when we take the time to be still and quiet before our God, immersing ourselves in His Word and in prayer, He will reveal who He is, and show us His majesty and gloriousness Himself – He didn’t need me to do it for Him!
The retreat was awesome. It was so great to watch the ladies find quiet places to sit and read their devotionals and Bibles, and then write in their journals what they felt the Lord was speaking to them about. There were tears, and there was laughter, and there was a closeness with our Heavenly Father which made it such a special weekend.
It’s hard in these busy days of our lives to just sit and be quiet and read the Bible, isn’t it? Yet if we say we really want to know just Who God is, and what He is like, that’s what we need to do. So do you really love Him and desire to know more about Him?
The God Of All Comfort 