Be Stillfeatured

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

I don’t know about you, but I have trouble being still, especially when it comes to spending time with God.  I have always been a very task-oriented person, so I tend to approach my “quiet” time with God with a spiritual “to-do” list:  read “Jesus Calling”- check; read “Jesus Always” – check; pray using my mental (sometimes written) checklist of people and things to pray for and about – check!  Oops, forgot to be still and listen to God.  Back to the task:  listen for 30 to 60 seconds – done! 

I don’t think this was what the Psalmist had in mind when the he wrote the verse above.  The truth is that in order to know God and to hear Him, we need to be still.  Often God speaks in a gentle whisper (1 Kings 19:12) and usually I am too busy blabbing and “to-doing” to hear His voice.

So, this week I thought I’d paint a picture based on Psalm 46:10.  I started by writing the verse on a blank canvas.  I also wrote words like peace, calm, quiet, rest, and joy – benefits that come from listening to God.  I painted the whole canvas orange (which is not a restful, quiet color!).  My idea was that I would paint an energetic, vibrant picture and then would overlay it with more calming, quiet colors like blue and green. 

Unfortunately, even after I applied the cooler colors, the painting just didn’t feel like it was communicating “be still.”  Not surprisingly, I then sensed the Holy Spirit saying, “just stop” and even more surprisingly, I did just that.  I put the painting on our mantle and just let it sit for a while.  As I studied the painting, I began to realize that the painting wasn’t going to be about being still, it was about the love of Christ expressed in Ephesians 3: 17-18:

“. . .And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the Lord’s holy people, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ.” 

I worked some more on the painting and titled it “Deep.”  I began to notice that as I gazed at the painting, the Holy Spirit would seem to call me into contemplation of the expansive and deep love of Christ for me.  I found myself being still and being receptive to His voice.  Maybe this painting is about being still after all!

I try to jump in our pool most mornings and get my work-out checked off my to-do list.  After a nudge from the Holy Spirit, I have recently started working out in silence – no music.  I have tried to use this time as an opportunity to be still spiritually (not bodily since my arms and legs are churning under the surface!).  My goal is to use this time to intentionally listen.  Now my mind can and does roam and wander far away from Him, so I have not yet mastered this still/listening time.

There was very little breeze this morning as I was doing my “still time.”  I noticed that if I kept looking around the yard, I could always find a tree branch or leaf that was being moved by an unseen breeze.  I think God is like that breeze, He is always moving and speaking but if I don’t quiet myself and intentionally listen for His gentle whisper, I might miss what He wants to share with me.  He just might want to tell me how deeply He loves me.  I’d hate to miss that.[jetpack_subscription_form]