Have you ever asked a two-year-old child to be still? How did that work out for you? Getting a toddler to quit wiggling and moving has always been a challenge for me. I do not know where they get the energy to keep in constant motion. They even move so much in their sleep that I do not understand how they wake up rested.
As I have aged, I find it has become easier to be physically still. Quieting my mind is another matter entirely. My mind is continually planning, considering possibilities, and trying to solve problems I am facing. It requires significant effort to quiet my mind and rest.
Being still is a challenge for humans. Yet we find a reoccurring theme in scripture about being still before God. We find scripture counsels us with verses like, “Be still and know that I am God!” Psalms 46:10 (NRSV). Maybe it is because we fail to recognize that we cannot conquer every situation we face that scripture says, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 (NIV) Our tendency to worry about things out of our control seems to answered by, “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.” Psalms 37:7 (NRSV)
What does it mean to be still? Is it not talking? Is it not moving? I believe that when God asks us to be quiet and know who He is or to wait on Him, there is a reason. He is asking that we exhibit trust in Him. I know that sometimes when I pray, I ask for God to work out a problem, but then I go and try to figure it out on my own. Other times I have no ideas of how to resolve the situation. In these latter situations, I am always amazed at how God worked out the circumstance because I was still and waited on Him.
The Apostle Peter wrote about this concept when he wrote, “Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:6-7 (NIV) Being still before God requires us to acknowledge that He is more powerful than we are and that He is in control of everything.
When I was about 8, my family moved to Indiana for a few years. While we lived there, I saw a kind of fishing I had never seen before. People would sit in a lawn chair on the shore of a lake or pond to fish. They would bait their hook, put a bobber on the line, then cast the line out and sit there until a fish happened along. I believed it could not be exciting because it lacked in movement. The point of that kind of fishing was not to create excitement or lots of action. It usually did not result in catching a lot of fish. The purpose of that style of fishing was to relax and to refresh the person by being still.
Part of living in God’s shadow is being still. When we stop moving, we can hear instructions from God. Our minds are open for Him to suggest solutions to the problems we face when we relax in Him.
Several times I have become so caught up in my work that I would forget to rest and sometimes even forget to eat. These times usually came to a sudden halt when I would become so exhausted I would get sick. Proper rest and care would enable me to recover within a short time. However, I had to be still to recuperate. This time of stillness helped me to analyze how I had gotten into this exhausted state. During these downtimes, I would resolve to be more careful and try to restrict my work to certain hours and days. I have managed to get better about following my resolutions as I have aged.
Our spiritual lives require a certain amount of quietly sitting in God’s presence for proper health. It is impossible to continue to live in God’s shadow if you never take time to be still. Often when we think God is not speaking to us or is not working out our circumstances, the problem is that we are not quiet long enough to hear Him or see what He is doing. We wear ourselves out because we do not heed Jesus’ invitation, “Come to me, all you that are weary and carrying heavy burdens, and I will give you rest.” Matthew 11:28 (NRSV) Finding this rest in Jesus Christ requires us to be still before God.
When I was a teenager, I spent a lot of time hiking in the mountains. I never understood why I saw so little wildlife compared to other people. One day another person told me that I was moving through the forest too fast. I slowed down, and I started to see more animals. In the stillness between movements, I occasionally saw and heard the deer before they saw and heard me. When I stopped moving, the squirrels would start running and chattering. Being still enabled me to see and hear much more in the forest than ever before.
If you believe you have not been hearing from God or seeing Him move recently, perhaps you are moving too quickly. It could be time to sit quietly and read scripture. Maybe it is time to treat prayer like a conversation instead of a wish list. Conversations have pauses and space for the other person to respond. When you want God to intervene, you must be still. Stillness enables you to recognize your limitations and the fact that God is all-powerful.
When you want to live in God’s shadow consistently, find a place, and make the time to be still. Living close to God requires us to stop and recognize that God can and does care for us.