“Being still and doing nothing are two very different things.” ( Jackie Chan in The Karate Kid.)
Stillness is a foreign concept to city-dwellers like us. Rare is the person who truly comprehends the value of tranquility. In doing nothing, the typical modern man is not necessarily free from noise and restlessness.
Stillness, motionlessness, silence, quietness, tranquility and calmness are not the same as doing nothing.
As disciples of Christ, we are to treasure and become acquaint with silence and contemplation.
“Be still and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
Being still requires focus. It requires letting go of our entire being to become so intensely focused and immersed in the Presence of God that everything else tunes out. It is that consciousness of our will becoming aligned with God and our spirit with God’s Spirit.
“Isn’t our faith based on objective truth?” you may ask.
True. Our faith is built on the historical Jesus and the gospel is not an irrational faith. Yet more than rational, the Christian faith is suprarational; meaning it transcends the rational.
Quietness and contemplation is not just a part of our pursuit of God. In fact, it is the bedrock on which we build our relationship with God.
After all, a person who knows God and a person who has knowledge about God are two very different things.
Showing posts with label be still. Show all posts
Showing posts with label be still. Show all posts
Saturday, February 11, 2012
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Be still and Know that i am God
Read Psalm 46
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
There are always almost two reactions when we hear of wars, uprisings, epidemics and natural disasters. The first reaction is to be overwhelmed and become crippled by fears toward the happenings. We then switch off the news or becomes so glued to the television with a sense of helplessness.
The second reaction is to numb ourselves from feeling anything. Casualties are just statistics and figures to us. What happens somewhere else has nothing to do with us and we stay in our bubble-world; refusing to be emotionally engaged with any bad news.
The psalmist is neither unaware, nor unaffected by the events of his world but declares his confidence in the Lord. In our turbulent world, do we have the faith that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Verse 1).
Verse 10 “be still and know that I am God’ is perhaps the most misquoted verse in the Bible. It is used before worship services and prayer meetings to request the people to quiet down their hearts and pray.
In its context, this verse is a call for God’s people to remain steady in the midst of disasters and great unrest. It is a call for God’s people to remember who God is. He is who He claims to be – the Lord of the universe. Our hearts and minds must be completely at rest, confidence that He is in full control of all things on earth and everything in heaven. Nothing surprises Him and disturbs Him. He is Creator, Sustainer and King of all things seen and unseen.
With that quiet confident trust comes the realization that God is exalting Himself in all the world and making Himself known to all nations. God is the God of the universe and He reveals and is still revealing Himself to the peoples – we are then to be still and see God at His mission – knowing His Name great.
The next time you steady your heart using this verse, reminds yourself that God is the One you know and He wants others to know Him too.
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
There are always almost two reactions when we hear of wars, uprisings, epidemics and natural disasters. The first reaction is to be overwhelmed and become crippled by fears toward the happenings. We then switch off the news or becomes so glued to the television with a sense of helplessness.
The second reaction is to numb ourselves from feeling anything. Casualties are just statistics and figures to us. What happens somewhere else has nothing to do with us and we stay in our bubble-world; refusing to be emotionally engaged with any bad news.
The psalmist is neither unaware, nor unaffected by the events of his world but declares his confidence in the Lord. In our turbulent world, do we have the faith that “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Verse 1).
Verse 10 “be still and know that I am God’ is perhaps the most misquoted verse in the Bible. It is used before worship services and prayer meetings to request the people to quiet down their hearts and pray.
In its context, this verse is a call for God’s people to remain steady in the midst of disasters and great unrest. It is a call for God’s people to remember who God is. He is who He claims to be – the Lord of the universe. Our hearts and minds must be completely at rest, confidence that He is in full control of all things on earth and everything in heaven. Nothing surprises Him and disturbs Him. He is Creator, Sustainer and King of all things seen and unseen.
With that quiet confident trust comes the realization that God is exalting Himself in all the world and making Himself known to all nations. God is the God of the universe and He reveals and is still revealing Himself to the peoples – we are then to be still and see God at His mission – knowing His Name great.
The next time you steady your heart using this verse, reminds yourself that God is the One you know and He wants others to know Him too.
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