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How often do we hear the words, “Be still and know that I am God” from Psalm 46:10? See posts and paintings featuring the words “Be Still”? But what does that really mean? How are we supposed to “be still” in our modern, every day lives?
A command to “Be Still”
More than just a feel-good statement or reminder to slow down, it’s a command. God is commanding us to BE STILL.
Be still. Rest. Stop moving. Stop worrying so much. Stop trying to fix it all on your own.
God wants us to rest, but more than just rest. He wants us to rest IN HIM.
Why do we need to rest? Well, look no further than Genesis 2:2-3. Even God took a rest on the 7th day of creation after working hard for 6 days. If God needed rest, don’t we?
Rest allows us to be recharged, renewed, re-energized.
But God’s command is more than just rest, it’s a command to take Sabbath rest. Resting IN GOD.
I love this verse from Isaiah 58:13-14:
[callout]“If you keep your feet from breaking the Sabbath
and from doing as you please on my holy day,
if you call the Sabbath a delight
and the Lord’s holy day honorable,
and if you honor it by not going your own way
and not doing as you please or speaking idle words,
then you will find your joy in the Lord,
and I will cause you to ride in triumph on the heights of the land
and to feast on the inheritance of your father Jacob.”
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken. [/callout]
Sabbath is about resting and delighting in God. Honoring Sabbath is about spending time with God and following God’s way. Finding joy in the Lord.
Sabbath rest is worship and restoration. The refilling of our souls so we can go back out and continue to give to others.
We must listen to “Know that I am God”
Rest is also about listening and opening our eyes and ears to who God is.
How often do you allow time in your prayers to listen for God’s response? Or, do you run through your list of prayer requests and hurriedly say “amen”?
Would you talk to a friend this way? Wouldn’t be much of a conversation, would it? So, why do we so often do this when talking to God? Do you just forget? Too busy? Or, maybe not sure He’ll actually respond?
Stillness is giving God that space to enter into the conversation. Quieting our thoughts so He can speak to our hearts.
When we begin to hear Him in our lives and see how He’s at work around us, then only will we truly know that He is God.
“Be still and know that I am God”
Still your body, your mind, your worries and take rest in God.
Find delight and joy in God as you rest.
Allow yourself to be filled up with God’s power, so you’re ready to go back out.
Listen for God’s word in your life. Believe He responds to your prayers.
Take notice of God at work in you and around you.
Stillness… rest, renewal, refilling, recharging, restoring, repairing.
[reminder]So, how will you carve out some stillness in your life? [/reminder]
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deyarrison says
Hi Kathryn, I chose LOVE to be my guiding word in 2015. The Lord is calling me to love in a way that reflects a phrase from a book I read recently “silence & obscurity.” Not two of my favorite words! In answer to your questions about finding still time with God:
Silence means pausing my petitions and spending my prayer time quietly loving Him and letting Him love me.
Obscurity means making EVERYTHING far less about me and far more about Jesus! Oh boy, this is the more challenging one for me. But I love the peace and the deepened ability to surrender that are resulting already.
And on a practical note, spending still time with the Lord is actually giving me MORE energy for my daily responsibilities. It’s like He is blessing me for my time and prayerfulness by making other aspects of my life flow smoothly (most days 🙂 ). God bless you and yours!
Found your post through Motivation Monday.
See my recent post:
Kathryn says
Love your word for the year – and the specific way you’re called to love. I’m still amazed at how stillness with God helps in our lives, but it does renew us, reenergize us, refill us so we’re better able to love and serve others. This blog will focused on stillness and prayer during the season of Lent, so I hope you’ll come back especially for that and maybe find more inspiration for your stillness journey. Glad you stopped by!
passagethroughgrace says
There is so much goodness in your post today. I love the line that “sabbath rest is worship and restoration”. That alone could be the the reminder we keep in front of us not just as we enter the Sabbath each week but everyday as we center and slow down to prepare for the day ahead. Beautiful! Have a blessed week!
Kathryn says
Mary, thank you! I’ve loved discovering how rest – particularly rest IN GOD – is so restorative. Whether we can spend a day in that rest or even just an hour, it helps keep us more aligned with God.
betsydecruz says
I’m with you here, Kathryn. Sometimes we don’t have a whole day, but even an hour or so restores our souls!
Beth Willis Miller says
Love this post, especially “Take notice of God at work in you and around you. Stillness… rest, renewal, refilling, recharging, restoring, repairing.” Love all those present-active-participle “ing” words ❤️
Kathryn says
Thanks, Beth! So many “re-… ing” words that apply to what stillness does in our lives 🙂
Karen Brown says
Kathryn- I’ve been thinking about this verse so much lately… and wrote my post for this week on it, also! 🙂 Like you, I feel like I’ve got to fill the silence with my own response, when what I really need is His. I love your words here: “Stillness is giving God that space to enter into the conversation. Quieting our thoughts so He can speak to our hearts.” Amen! Thank you for this beautiful and well- crafted encouragement. I’m glad I stopped by!
Kathryn says
Oh, how I loved your post! Stillness and knowing God is in control is what gets me through these tumultuous days of parenting – and mine are still little! I know I’ll need to get even better at this – being still and knowing God – as they get older.
joanneviola says
Kathryn – there is so much I loved in this post. But this right here is what spoke deeply >> “The refilling of our souls so we can go back out and continue to give to others.” It is as we are still in Him that we find ourselves filled once again. And it is as we are still that we come to know Him more deeply. Grateful to have read your words today! Blessings!
Kathryn says
That’s the part that’s affected me so deeply, too. Incorporating stillness into the rhythm of my life has be so restorative – and even helps solve writer’s block 🙂
susieteramura says
This is wonderful- I am finding that like you shared that the knowing and the being still go hand in hand- the more i really know him, and his goodness and power and grace, the more still I can be knowing He’s got this, and me and it’s all gonna be ok. But I am learning that I need to actively still myself and quiet to focus on Him- then the peace comes. It is hard for me–!! I think I fuss a lot 😉 Thank you for this post this morning!! 🙂
Kathryn says
I think stillness takes practice – it’s hard to sit in the silence. Thankfully there are lots of ways to find stillness other than simply being still and quiet!
sarahgirl3 says
“Take notice of God at work in you and around you.” That is what I am trying to do now. I hate to think of all the things I have missed in my busyness!
Kathryn says
Sometimes (often) I wish my life were less busy, but at least carving out these stillness moments helps and lets me see God’s amazing work around me.
Heather Hart says
Love this! The front of my journal for this year has that verse on it and it’s always something that I struggle to do. I want to be active and productive, and being still is hard. But I have to remind myself regularly that being still before the Lord, knowing that He is God is the most productive thing I can do to actively grow my faith.
Kathryn says
I’ve been researching different prayer and stillness techniques for a series I’m writing for Lent – it’s been amazing to find new ways to be still.
betsydecruz says
Kathryn, my word for this year is REST. (After FORWARD with FAITH) last year. Your post echoes many of the things I’ve been thinking and writing about myself. There are so many ways we ruin our sabbath by filling it with work and activity instead of carving out a bit of extra time for God.
Kathryn says
I love your word! (ok, maybe a little one-word envy) It’s hard to truly rest and take Sabbath in our busy lives, yet it’s so critical for our spiritual and emotional health. I’ve been preparing for a Lent series about prayer and other ways to be still and connect with God – and I’m so excited about it. It’s been quite an experience to dig into these and further explore stillness.
betsydecruz says
Wow, that series sounds great. I’m actually going to work for the next months, as I can on an e-book on rest and related topics. I’ve brain-stormed chapters. We’ll see what happens. I figure even if I never do the e-book, I’ll still have quite a few blog posts or articles… Blessings on your stillness and your writing!
Dianna Auton (@DiannaAuton) says
What a wonderful reminder to find rest in Him. I know I rush many times and its not healthy. I also know that I have rushed through prayer without waiting to listen for God to speak to me. It bothers me when I do it and when I realize that I do it. #BloggerCareGroup
Chris Malkemes says
Just for you today. I would like to share a few lines of what I wrote – It’s calling Move to Worship. It is the beauty in that moment we stand still to know He is God:
Move to Worship
Stop everything
Enter in
Move in expectation
He is here.
Step into the holy hush of His presence.
Breathe in the aroma of His Holy Spirit.
Bow in reverence to His Majesty
Rest in the beauty of His grace
Listen, oh soul, to His whisper
Watch, oh spirit, to His movement
Receive, oh heart, His touch
Accept, oh mind, His knowledge
Washed in the power of His blood
Cleansed by the completeness of His touch
Purified by His presence
Accepted in His sight
………there is more to this piece – but I think this speaks to what you were saying
Kathryn says
Beautiful! Love the line: “step into the holy hush of His presence” This poem has spoken deeply to me and I’m grateful that you’ve shared it here.
lperkowski says
You give such a wonderful message here, Kathryn…and also bring it right back to scripture! Rest certainly has to be among the things on our “to do” list…or how else can we get everything else done? I love how you emphasize that not only do we need rest…we need to rest IN HIM! A whole lot of truth there, my friend. Have a blessed and RESTFUL weekend!
Kathryn says
We really should schedule rest and put it on our to do list! Isn’t it crazy that rest is usually the thing that takes last priority, yet how much better could we do the rest of our list if we lived into a regular rhythm of rest?
Sarah Ann (@faithalongway) says
Beautiful reminder to be still before Him! So often life passes by and we realize we haven’t basked in His presence. May we learn to embrace the command to Be Still and just fellowship with Him in glory! Thanks for sharing this gem at the Sat. Soiree! Many blessings to you, sweet friend!
Kathryn says
So true! I especially think about how quickly these parenting year will fly by – even though the days seem long now. I want to carve out stillness so I can live fully in the moment and see the beauty around me – in my family, in my kids, even in the craziness of life.
Barbie says
I am a “doer” by nature, so rest does not come easily for me. I am thankful for times of rest and refreshing, even when I think I can do it all in my own strength. It’s so necessary to stop and be still. Thank you for sharing at The Weekend Brew!
Kathryn says
Me too, Barbie! I’m not one to sit still at all, yet I’m learning how critical rest really is – and also how wonderful!
Angie says
Beautiful post!!! 😉