“Be still, and know that I am God!
I will be honored by every nation.
I will be honored throughout the world.”
Psalm 46:10
"BE STILL... AND KNOW"
As I walked along the road, I became aware that the only sounds were made by the dog’s paws and my boots. I stopped … and listened. There was nothing – except silence. No distant trucks, no aeroplanes, no rumble of tractors, no clang of construction. No drip of rain from wet leaves. No warble of magpies, no concert of lyrebirds. No whisper of wind. Just silence and stillness. This was not sensory deprivation, but intense listening.
Was this what the prophet Elijah heard when the noise and activity stopped? Did he hear the ‘still small voice’ in total silence and stillness? These are rare qualities. Silence is defined as the absence of sound; sound is not defined as the absence of silence. Stillness is defined as the absence of movement; movement is not defined as the absence of stillness.
Do you have a special time or place where you can ‘be still and know’? Jesus sometimes chose a solitary place to meet with His Father.
You may not ever be in a place of complete silence or stillness, but you can pray anywhere. One of the ‘noisiest’ chapters in the Bible is Daniel 3. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego did not experience silence, only loud martial music, the pomp and pageantry of an empire, the murmur of a large crowd and the shouts of the king! There was no stillness either, as they were roughly handled, tied, and thrown into the superheated furnace. There was no time for long prayers! But they were not alone in this most unlikely of places, for there was a fourth ‘like the Son of God.’
In the words of Reuben Morgan’s ‘Still’
Hide me now under your wings,
cover me within your mighty power.
When the oceans rise and thunders roar,
I will soar with you above the storm.
Father, you are king over the flood,
I will be still, know you are God.
Rest my soul in Christ alone,
know his power in quietness and trust.
When the oceans rise and thunders roar,
I will soar with you above the storm,
Father, you are king over the flood,
I will be still, know you are God.
Pray for God’s presence wherever you are.
Today's contributor: Gwen Pascoe
