Be Still

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

There is nothing more peaceful than waking early in the morning and having some time in the quiet darkness before rising and beginning the day.

How rare it is to be able to listen to the silence and enjoy the calm and quiet. It seems as if we are always in such a rush and in a state of commotion. But during these moments, we can rest our hearts and minds with no sounds of radio or TV, no music blaring in our ears, no cell phones ringing, no chatter of voices or loud noises, or even the humming of machines or the roar of motor vehicles. Just quiet peace. We all need this time of stillness and restful solitude. And what better way to enjoy it than by saying a silent prayer and asking God to join us in the quietness!

We are such restless beings, and being still and quiet is not our way. Strangely, it seems as if we have become accustomed to noise and chaos and we become uncomfortable without it. Yet, we need these times of quiet reflection, to let go of the tensions of our lives for just a few moments and rest our minds of distractions and worries. We need these times of silence to rest before God and to let Him refresh our spirits and replenish our souls.

Being still with Him is often a part of prayer that we neglect and fail to appreciate. We are so intent on lifting our concerns before Him, trying to remember all the ways we need to praise Him, and thinking of the ways we may need to ask for His grace, that we fail to just enjoy spending time in His presence and listening for His quiet, still “voice” to us.

We forget that prayer is communication, and He longs to speak to us as much as He wants to hear from us. His desire is to have a personal, loving relationship with each one of us. By being still before Him, we are giving Him the opportunity to reveal Himself to us, to reassure us of His strength and love, or to even place a thought in our minds and hearts to help us deal with a situation, fear, or concern we may be struggling with.

We may not always hear His “voice” as we wait with breathless anticipation of what He has to say to us, but in place of words, He may just want to give us a reminder of His reassuring presence and love. We honor Him by going before Him in stillness.  We can find joy in the moments we share with Him and find “a peace that surpasses all understanding.” 

What greater gift could there be! May we exalt His most Holy name and give Him praise as we spend time in His loving presence.

  Prayer

Our most loving God, thank you for your quiet peace that can settle our anxious minds and hearts, not only for today, but for the  future. May we come to you, spend time with you, and rest in your stillness, and may we place our trust and hope in you for all time. Amen