Be still and know that I am God - Ps. 46:10

Listen to The Message translation of this verse:

"Step out of the traffic! Take a long,

loving look at me, your High God,

above politics, above everything."

 

When was the last time we took a "long, loving" look at our Father?  There is not much stillness in our lives...we fill each day up with busyness; when we're not talking or texting, we're planning to.  We prefer to be in the midst of chaos rather than to sit quietly and thoughtfully and gaze upon the One who has given us "blessing after blessing".

 

God did a huge work in His creation of the world and everything in it.  It was, however, exhausting work and He chose to make the 7th day of Creation a day of rest.  The Layman's Commentary said He rested just "from the work of bringing the world into being to mark the successful completion of the creative event".  We see throughout the Bible references to God not "slumbering or sleeping", but He did almost in celebration of the work completed.  The 4th of the Ten Commandments tells us to "observe the Sabbath (rest) Day by keeping it holy."  He wants us to have a day of renewal, celebrating and worshipping His work in our lives.  Why do we fill it - the day He wants us to set aside for Him alone - with work, shopping, entertainment, sports...and no special time set aside for Him?  Is your Sunday just another 24 hours to fill with stuff?

 

It is key to knowing the Jesus of the New Testament to see many times he went off  by himself to be still.  That was how He kept in communion with His Father.  How He knew the work God wanted Him to do.  It was the quietness of the Garden that inspired Him to know and yield to the sacrifice He would make on the Cross.  Do we have any pictures of Him rushing here and there filling every hour with busyness?  I think we see from the verse today that it is in the stillness that we can "know" God.  If we never are still, how can that knowledge occur?  What do we say to our children when we overbook and overschedule?

 

Just for fun, let's do a chart on our week...time spent to eat, sleep, work, shop, quietness....see if Sunday wouldn't be a good day to begin a new chapter of stillness. It might be amazing to see what we can know about the great "I am".

 

For further study:  Genesis 2:2-3, Deuteronomy 5:12-15, Psalm 23:2, Isaiah 30;15, Isaiah 32:17, Jer. 6:16, Jer. 24:7, Zec. 2:13, Matt. 6:33, Matt. 11:28-30, Mark 8:36, 1 Timothy 2:11, 1 Peter 3:4

 

Be blessed in your understanding of God's word.

 

Love,

Holly