We are busy people these days. Many of us have too many things to do and too many places to go. Some of this excessive busyness is self-imposed. Some of it has been placed upon us by a society that subjects us to its endless changes and demands. But we must not allow this busyness to squeeze God out of a relevant place in our life. The psalmist writes:
“Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth”
Psalm 46:10, KJV
This verse gives us a key to experiencing God more deeply. We need to learn how to be still so we can know Him on a more intimate level. To do that, we must slow down the pace and wait on the Lord. Also, we must dial down the noise of this noisy world so we can hear the quiet voice of God through His Spirit.
This is a challenge for many if not most of us. As I said, we are busy people these days. The words of the psalmist go against the grain of who we are—busy, busy, busy.
Personally, I face this challenge regularly. I live a busy life. This poses a problem for me in the area of sermon prep. As a pastor, I need a word from the Lord weekly to share with His people. But I find it hard to get that kind of input from God when my mind is preoccupied with the busyness of my day.
It is only when I can slow down the pace a few hours and bask in quietness that I can hear God speaking to me most clearly. That’s my sweet spot when it comes to sermon preparation. The same thing is true about our prayer time and personal Bible study. We must learn to be still, if we are to experience God. more deeply.
That God May Be Exalted in the Earth
It may sound strange but sometimes, the best thing we can do when facing a challenge in life is absolutely nothing. That’s because some battles are not ours to fight; rather, they belong to the Lord. He wants us to trust Him so He can prove himself strong on our behalf. That’s what He means when He says for us to be still and know He is God.
Note God’s objective in the verse: “I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” That’s what happens when we allow God to show Himself strong on our behalf. He is exalted in the earth. But His part is the easy part. The hard part is for us to learn to be still. That is especially true when our world seems to be falling apart and time seems to be running out for us.
Can you imagine the desperation the Israelites must have felt when Pharaoh’s huge army was behind them, and the Red Sea was before them? Moses said to them, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will show to you today. For the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever” (Exodus 14:13, KJV).
God parted the Red Sea for Israel to pass through it dryshod. Then He closed the parted waters upon the Egyptian army to destroy it. Through this miraculous act, God was exalted in the earth.
So, do you feel overwhelmed by your current circumstances? If so, will you accept God’s invitation to be still and know that He is God? He can, but He won’t shout above the noise of this world. He is not trying to outpace the tempo of our society. It is only when you learn to be still that you can hear Him the loudest and experience Him the most.
Copyright © 2023 by Frank King. All rights reserved.