Stillness

Raise your hand if you’ve ever prayed for God’s help, and immediately jump on the phone to call someone for their opinion. Or, ask a friend or co-worker close by what you should do. Well, you are not alone! The Bible says that without faith, it’s impossible to please God because when we come to him, we must believe he exists and that he will reward us for seeking him (Hebrews 11:6). However, what it doesn’t emphasize in that verse is that coming to him and then receiving HIS best (our reward), requires us to WAIT for his response.

That means that although we have the power, ability, and oftentimes the access to seek a resolution, we must choose to surrender (there’s that word again) our will and all our resources to God for his perfect take on the matter. In other words,. . . Be Still!

Whew! That was deep. Yet, some might come back with Scriptures like, “faith without works is dead,” and so on to justify their need to act. And it is true that we must be ready to do as God leads when we seek him, but the key word here is as “God” leads. That means when he’s not leading, we’re not moving. Instead, we are using that time to continue giving thanks for God’s perfect will being done in our lives in his perfect time.

Stillness as a spiritual practice also helps to quiet down the noise and open our hearts to what God is saying during our time of prayer, Bible study, or devotion. It is through tuning out the noise and anxious activity of our everyday lives yet tapping into God’s still, small voice that we become primed for God’s best.

Spiritual Practice #3

STILLNESS

This week’s study spoke to the implied waiting period involved in seeking God’s face and receiving his best every time we call on him. However, as simple as being “still” sounds, it is not always easy to just pause and refrain from trying to figure out a resolution to our problems. Especially those that are presented as critical by others or demand our attention.

Challenge: Take a moment and watch this short video demonstrating a simple meditation I use to get still and open myself up to hear from God. It will also help you understand that it only takes a few minutes to simply pause throughout various times of the day to both ask for God’s leading and demonstrate your willingness to wait for his intervention.