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PROGRAM D-8432
One of the more familiar verses of Scripture is “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). This verse is deceptively simple because it holds for us the real key to successful Christian living. What does it mean to “Be still and know that I am God”?
I noted that you must first get your body to be still: Plan a time of stillness. But I can get up early and get my body into that “still” place, and discover that I’m still not “still.” Now the battle really begins for me: My mind starts going a mile a minute! It’s easy to lose my concentration on the purpose of this “still” time; even though the body is in the right place, I’m not still before God.
In order to be still before God, I need to have that inner focus which centers on God and God alone. This brings me into that place where he is, for that time, my whole universe, and no extraneous or conflicting information is allowed to interfere.
How can I get to the place where I can be truly still before God, so that I am completely swallowed up with his presence and his reality, and nothing interferes with it? Frankly, I don’t think it’s easy for any of us because our three enemies—the world, the flesh and the devil—are all out to break up this quiet inner stillness. A spiritual war rages whenever we sit down to be still before God.
Here are some things which I have found helpful. First, I begin by praying for inner concentration by claiming the blood of Christ as protection, and by putting on the helmet of salvation to keep my mind from wandering.
Singing can help me “be still” before the Lord, so at times I sing a hymn or chorus which focuses on God. Try keeping a pad nearby so that when your mind starts to think of other things, you can quickly make a note of it and then get right back to your meditation time. Then, simply be prepared to stay with it no matter how much your mind wanders. Just keep re-focusing; don’t give up.
This simple verse which tells us to “Be still and know that I am God” requires some strong discipline on our part. We have to make a commitment to it and ask God to give us the strength to be still, both on the outside—stop the perpetual motion and find time to be alone with God—and on the inside—focusing our thoughts and mind on him alone.