Psalm 46:10 eloquently states, Be still and know that I AM God. This passage is profoundly rich in its invitation. We are invited into the spaciousness of silence, of stopping, of being present, to know God. This isn’t just a mental exercise, but a soul one. It is to know, in the sense of interconnectedness; of experiencing the awesomeness of love engulfing you; of knowing that though life isn’t perfect, it is a gift in and of itself.
Coach was a man who was all about relationships. He had players who 50 years later called him to check-in and catch up. Beside his bed sat an old worn-out bible. It had been his companion throughout the last many decades. He only used it at night as he prepared for sleep. He would often read a Psalm and then drift off to sleep.
One day we talked about knowing God. God had never spoken in audible form to this man. In fact, after his wife’s passing, he demanded that God explain why he was now a widow. The voice from heaven never gave an answer. Instead, he would return to the Psalms to seek comfort and connection.
For some, to be attentive is the thought that if I’m quiet enough, God’s voice will be heard. For a few, they may actually hear a voice, but for most it isn’t an audible voice but a sense of presence, a pull in a direction, a fullness of soul. The thing with being still to know God is that often we give up too soon. Five minutes in and our minds start running, our “to do’s” start knocking and our attention is pulled in a million directions. Yet, we are invited to sit in the beauty of a moment, to let the distractions pass, and to keep returning our attention to God. Today, why not set a timer for 20 minutes, sit in the silence of the moment, and allow your mind to keep being pulled back to God by restating, Be Still.