Be Still

Be Still, and Know that I am God.

I think that’s one of the Bible verses that is commonly quoted – but how are we doing with it?

Here’s some things to consider:

·       Be still (Psalm 46:10), Enter His rest and rest from works (Hebrews 4:10) does not mean stop and do nothing!

·       Meditate on the Word (Joshua 1:8) does not mean we are to choose to do the meditation bit the Buddhist or New Age way.

·       Know God (Psalm 46:10) does not mean filling your head with so much head knowledge that we don’t put anything into practice!

Recently I read an e-mail from James Goll (God Encounter Ministries) where he spoke on the importance of prayer, one of the types of prayer we should practice is ‘Contemplation’. As I read that bit, I felt the Spirit of God stir something up in me. I felt that the Spirit of God wants to know from me and from you how well we are doing in the area of ‘Being Still’.

Contemplate: To gaze at intently, to think, to study, to expect, to muse, to meditate

This definition of ‘contemplate’ is helpful, but let’s dig deeper into some these words:

•       Muse: To think on, to consider deeply, to meditate.

•       Meditate: To plan, intent, to think deeply, reflect.

•       Reflect: To throw back light, heat, or sound, to give back an image or mirror, to bring or come back as a consequence as reflected glory.

•       Reflect on: To contemplate, to ponder on, to cast blame or to discredit, to meditate, to be thoughtful.

(From the contents of his e-mail)

I wonder if we have become shaped by the world in a couple of areas that it is difficult for us to ‘Be Still’ in God’s Presence, contemplate the Word and meditate on it.

For many of us we are so busy doing life that the thought of being still or finding solitude in the Presence of God irritates us. We have been indoctrinated into the ‘Microwave Society’ where we have to do things fast and instant. I wonder if we also use busyness as an excuse to run away from the reality of our lives? Which then makes the thought of entering God’s rest and being still in His Presence, considering Him deeply, pondering and being thoughtful about His Word and His Ways something that we struggle to do.

Lucille Zimmerman, author, writes “Humans may be social beings, but solitude has been shown to have great societal value. Jesus was a great healer and teacher, but he took time to rest and pray. Solitude is essential for our spiritual experience – it is where we hear the still, small voice”

Could it also be that our minds are whirring so fast that when we do try and stop for a moment, our minds just won’t let us?

I wonder also if the wording puts us off – meditate, contemplate. I have to confess that for a very long time in my Christian walk I really did not like it when Christians used the word ‘meditate’. Why? – my mind went straight to Eastern Meditation and my reaction was ‘that’s not of God’. Well, let’s consider this – God gave the command to meditate on His word long before the other religions and ways of life caught onto this. And to meditate is entirely Scriptural. So, let’s break off the lies of the evil one and recognise that God wants us to meditate on His word day and night.  (It may be a good exercise if you researched the difference between Christian meditation and other meditation).

Why does God ask us to be still before Him, to enter His rest, to meditate (contemplate) on His Word? There is only one real answer - to get to know Him and the ways of the Kingdom through intimacy and communion with Him. To stop trying to do things our way, and to do life and ministry and service HIS WAY! To know His Word and to live by it.

One way to Be Still before God is to pray contemplatively. I find this quote on how to pray contemplatively from Madam Jeanne Guyon so helpful:-

“Whatever truth you have chosen, read only a small portion of it, endeavouring to taste and digest it, to extract the essence and substance thereof, and proceed no farther while any savour or relish remains in the passage: when this subsides, pick up your book again and proceed as before, seldom reading more than half a page at a time, for it is not the quantity that is read, but the manner of reading, that yields us profit.”

― Madame Guyon, A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

As I continued to contemplate why God was bringing the importance of Contemplative Prayer to my attention again, I felt the Spirit of God stirring within me that it is one of the most important things we can do. How else do we get to absorb the Word of God unless we not only study it, but allow it to come to life in us.

I also felt the Lord say that unless we are ready and prepared, we (yes even those who are strong in the Lord) will miss the signs and the times that we are entering into. I heard Him say that it is important to hear His voice and know His heart in these days. I heard Him say that He wants our full attention and not just when we have time to give Him a few minutes that will appease Him. He’s not impressed by our token Quiet Times. He wants all of us, all the time, seeking Him, knowing Him, contemplating His Word and entering into His rest. He wants us prepared and ready to align with Him when He moves.

“In contemplative prayer we seek to become the person we are called to be, not by thinking of God, but by being with God. Simply to be with God is to be drawn into being the person God calls us to be.” - John Main

Cease striving, enter His rest and get to know the God who created you, the God who loves you, the God who has chosen you to do good works for Him, the God who is calling you out of the darkness and into His wonderful light.

I bless you to become the person God has called you to be. I bless you to enjoy being in the Presence of God each moment of each day. I bless you to be still and enter His rest today.

Be blessed

Jean

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