Be still and know…

by Guest blogger

It has been one of those days. Since I didn’t have anything scheduled on my calendar today, I imagined that I could tackle some things on my “to do” list.

But as soon as I began a task, I became distracted or my attention was diverted. Now, it is the end of the day and I have not accomplished many of the things I had hoped to complete today.

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.”

Evidently, I said this a lot, not only when they were young children but as they grew into their teen years and even beyond. My son-in-law often joked with me about using the phrase. My daughter’s best friend from elementary school also recalls me saying to the two of them.

Maybe I should heed this admonition that I so often used. “Be still.”

Rather than shifting from one task to another, as I did today, I should remember the words of Psalm 46:10.

“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. Be still. Listen.

In the words of a hymn written by Katharina von Schlegel in 1752, “Be still, my soul; your God will undertake to guide the future.” And the psalmist wrote in Psalms 37:7: “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him.”

So 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.

Susan Harris is president of the North Carolina Synodical Women’s Organization. Do you want a daily devotional sent directly to your email? Sign up for a little Daily Grace.

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Photo by Ken Mattison, used with permission from Creative Commons.