Today as I randomly wandered around from one project to the next, my thoughts returned to Psalm 46:10. “Be still, and know that I am God!”
After thinking about that phrase, I realized why it resonated with me. When my children were growing up—perhaps misbehaving or fidgeting—rather than telling them to “Be quiet,” I would tell them to “Be still.”
Maybe I should heed this admonition that I so often used. “Be still.”
“Be still, and know that I am God” reminds me to pause and acknowledge God’s presence and to listen to what God is saying to me. Be still. Listen to the birds in your back yard. Hear the sound of the waves as they roll onto the shore at the beach. Take in the sounds of the rustle of the leaves as the wind blows through the mountains.
However you say it—Be still, be quiet, don’t move, stop, listen, pause, take time—the meaning is the same. Be still and let God be in control and in charge.
This message is excerpted from “Be still and know…” by Susan Harris from the January 25, 2016, blog of the Women of the ELCA.
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