Be Still by Karen Ruhl

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! -Psalm 46:10 NKJV

A favorite time of my day is when Craig and I go out and sit on our patio. We live in a beautiful neighborhood with mature trees and wonderful neighbors. This is a time when we put our work away and enjoy the outdoors. Our neighbors stop over to chat and others wave or honk as they drive by. It is a peaceful time.

As we talk about things going on in our lives, we often stop and pray immediately. We lift up those who are ill or needing help in their lives. We lift up our own needs as well. And then, we will sit quietly just watching the world around us.

I would like to encourage you to find a quiet time to be still and listen for God’s word. It will probably come in a verse, or someone may stop by and say something that is affirming. Being still may mean to put away your stress, stop battling and give it to God. And then, and this is not easy, don’t take it back. I say this isn’t easy because I admit that I often take back the stress or worry. It takes practice to give it to God and then let it be handled by Him. You may not get an immediate answer or reaction, you may feel the stress for a long period of time. We need to be reminded that God is the one in control.

Recently, we had a family situation that caused quite a bit of sadness and stress in our family. We tried to help but it was not something we were prepared to handle. After decisions were made, we had a rough time wondering if we made the right decisions. The next morning, God let me know that we were under Spiritual Warfare and the decisions we made (through prayer) were to help us stay safe. We were being protected and kept safe from harm.

I looked in my study bible to get clarity on Psalm 46:10, sometimes we use verses without knowing the meaning of the verse. I suggest you read Psalm 46 and pray about it. Verse 46:10 talks about war and destruction and tells that they are inevitable. It goes on to say that at the time when God has final victory, we will all stand quietly before the all-powerful Lord. So how much more can we honor him by taking time each and every day to be still and honor God.

Find a quiet place, pray, and then sit quietly. Let God whisper to you. Again, you may not hear him audibly, few people I know do. He affirms my prayers by sending scripture repeatedly. It may be in a devotion I get, a book I am reading, a friend’s post on social media, or just a knowledge that I should look the scripture up and pray over it. Each of us will receive His word in different ways. Stay Silent, Be Still, Know that He is God.

Blessings to you all, Karen

Photo by Karen Ruhl