Be Still

“Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalms 46:10)

What a wonderful verse this is! It is filled with such promise for us all. Why do we hurry around from place to place giving God five minutes (if that) of our time each day? This 21st century is a time of hustle and bustle. No matter where you live or what you do there never seems to be enough time. I believe this is one of the signs of the end of this age. “But thou, O Daniel, shut up the words, and seal the book, even to the time of the end: many shall run to and fro, and knowledge shall be increased.” (Dan. 12:4) Although we may desire to have quiet and peaceful surroundings, circumstances in our lives these days do not always make this possible. We must MAKE the time.

It is no wonder today that there is so much disease and suffering. We are all wound up so tight that we don’t know how to stop. We always seem to be rushing from one thing to another. It is evident everywhere. Noise is everywhere. We have radio, television, stereo, cell phones, etc. I find it ironic that even when people go for a walk or a jog in the park they still seem to need their earphones. We don’t seem to know how to handle the quiet. We can’t even appreciate the sounds of nature.

We must find the time to be still. It is when we are still that God speaks to us. In I Kings 19:11-12 it says that God spoke to Elijah not through the wind or the earthquake, or the fire, but “a still small voice” . It is when we are still and our soul is quiet that God can speak to us.

We are living in wonderful and exciting times. The world is getting ready for the return of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. As bad as things appear to be we know they must happen. Therefore we must rejoice in the promises of our Lord. Hebrews 13:5-6 says “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.”

Our God is faithful. He made promises to His people Israel and He does not forget His promises, His covenants. He is here with us today. Our nations are floundering under the weight of their sin, but God is watching over us. At the right time He will intervene. We must wait! We must wait for His guidance. “And thine ears shall hear a word behind thee, saying, This is the way, walk ye in it, when ye turn to the right hand, and when ye turn to the left.” (Isa. 30:21) I find these words amazingly comforting. He is our hope. He is there watching over us and guiding us. Our nations will repent and He will protect us.

The world today is filled with fear. The tensions and pressures of this world have created a spirit of fear in our people. It is hard to avoid. There is so much sickness, loneliness, depression, financial problems, job loss and death that cause us to fear. God, however, does not want us to fear. We must listen to God’s voice to overcome our fears. “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” (Psa. 23:4) Jesus Christ is with us always. More and more our thoughts should turn away from the noise and chaos of this world to the quiet still voice that is trying to speak to us through it all. We must live in this world but with the Holy Spirit living inside of us and guiding us we do not have to live as the world lives, with its fears and anxieties. God is in control, not us. We must give control over to Him and wait for His voice to guide us. This crazy old world has a lot of problems but we know it will not go on forever. Soon our eyes and ears will be open. What a great day that will be when many will seek the knowledge of the Lord. Our God is waiting to speak to us, are we waiting to hear?

“These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)