Purposeful Stillness

   One of my favorite verses from Psalm 46 this morning:

“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”

   Then it shows up again in the devotional online: (from Jesus Calling 12/27/13)

"I am preparing you for what is on the road ahead... Take time to be still in My Presence so that I can strengthen you."

   Must be something that I am supposed to think about now.

   I think about a shot I took some time back, all the leaves pointing to a still pinecone. Is that a picture of stillness? Nature has many lessons for those who look.

   In the early days of our church, back when we had no pastor and were still pretty small, the men of the church divided the speaking assignments for the Sunday service. One particular Sunday was mine, and I decided to do a little experiment with the congregation.

   After the music time, I got up to speak, spread my Bible on the small lectern, opened my notes and then just stood and looked around at the people. Probably could not do this now, but back then I could scan the congregation and would be able to call all the people by name. As all these folks looked back at me and waited, I could feel the anxiety start to mount. As 30 seconds went by, I sensed the nervousness as to what was going on. As I looked at them and smiled, they seem to ask:

   "Did he forget how to begin?"

   "What is wrong with this guy?"

   I believe that our music worship leader, Harriet Jones, was about to get up and lead another song to get me out of my misery.

   How hard is it for us to be still, even in church? It seems that we are just not wired for that type of inactivity.

   It is not hard for me to be still in body most of the time, but being still, as God seems to define it, includes more than just sitting, doing nothing. The hardest part is to still my mind. It wants to race on and think, and wonder, and project. It does not want to be just a blank slate that God may write on.

   "Be still and know that I am God" Just know that I am God and I love you. There is no great need to worry about your plans and your future. I've got your back. Just sit still and know Me."

   Oh, to be able to do that on a consistent basis.

   Being still with an Eternal Purpose.