The Renewing Grace of Stillness
What if, rather than start our day with doing, we began it with knowing?
“Be still and know that I am God.” - Psalm 146:10a
Dear believer,
What was the first thing that ran through your mind as you woke this morning? For me, it was a list of things to do. Tasks to get done.
Rather than stillness, most of our days call us to activity. Much of that activity is surrounded by noise. Early morning news shows. Social media notifications. Email. Texts. Spam calls. Netflix. Repeat.
What if, rather than start our day with doing, we began it with knowing? That’s the kind invitation of the Lord in Psalm 146. In the midst of global and personal chaos, we are called “to be still and know that I am God.”
Be still. Know. They go together, don’t they?
To know something is to be convinced and assured. It is Jesus asleep in the storm on the sea. He knew something the disciples didn’t.
Apparently, the way to know is to be still and quiet enough to hear.
What we typically hear are the calls of lesser gods that demand our efforts and achievements before we can rest. These lesser gods could be our jobs requiring us to meet high-performance targets, societal pressures urging us to achieve certain milestones, or even our own self-imposed expectations of success and accomplishment. Or even Saturday DIY projects.
These things are not necessarily bad. Not at all. But they can be loud.
And we find ourselves working to rest. But the kind of rest we most deeply desire is elusive. And so we keep doing. Keep working.
And yet, in the midst of the noise and distractions, the cross speaks.
It tells us of an ultimate work that is complete. The sovereign God has entered the chaos and with nail-scared hands and feet, cried out, “Be still!” And like the storm on the sea became as glass, so do the demanding and accusing voices that fuel our doing obsession to make a name for ourselves.
By exchanging our sin for his righteousness, Jesus has made a name for us. Forgiven. Accepted. Beloved.
We need to know this. Really know it.
The Hebrew word used for still is "רָפָה" (raphah), an imperative verb which literally means “stop striving.” It calls us to put everything down so we can focus.
Even the Psalmists knew humans really can’t multitask. At least when it comes to the mind. For example, you know how easy it is to lose the storyline in our favorite streaming show when we take even a few minutes to check email or Twitter. Thankfully, there’s a rewind button.
This is why we have “quiet times.” Not to check off a religious duty but to “put everything down” and remember who we are in view of who God says we are in Christ. The means of grace, Scripture, prayer, the sacraments, are ways to consciously connect our hearts to the present value of Jesus’ blood.
But this requires stillness, quiet, and focus. Some might like to use the word “effort.” Indeed, stopping to listen does take effort. Those of us so used to doing will struggle to rest.
This is why I need to know who God is, know what he has done, and know what that means for me right now.
He is my sovereign, wise, strong, kind, and merciful Abba, Father.
Not only do I not have to strive for forgiveness, acceptance, and love, I no longer need to feel the burden of holding up the world or putting the broken pieces back together. He is God. I’m not. He is working all things for our good according to his ultimate redemptive plan for history. And this is good news!
I no longer have to work to rest because my life is not defined by my work but by the work of Jesus, who calls to any who will respond, "Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28).
Knowing this enables me, by the power of the Spirit, to pursue vocational goals, personal aspirations, and even daily to-do lists with less pressure and more calm.
This is the peace of those who take time to be still, know, and glory in the work of God in Christ Jesus—the work for us in the cross (justification) and ongoing work in and through us by the indwelling Holy Spirit (sanctification).
Now, any moment can be an opportunity for a retreat into a quiet that listens, remembers, and believes.
Don't wait until tomorrow.
Be still and know right now and experience the renewing grace of stillness.
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