“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:10-11)

Life has a way of being very busy and very loud. It is easy to miss something because we are in a hurry, or because the noise of life drowns it out. It happens when things are bad and when things are good. Elijah had experienced this busyness when He defeated the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel followed by the threats of Jezebel. When he fled to Horeb, he cried out to God, “I have had enough, Lord.” (1 Kings 19:4) After some food, water, and rest, he waited for the Lord to come to him. Then came a great wind, an earthquake, and a fire. If you have ever experienced one of these, you know the urgency which they can bring. Yet, the Lord was not in these. After them came a “gentle whisper.” (1 Kings 19:12) Now in the peace and quiet, Elijah could hear God communicate with Him. In this time God let Elijah know that God was not only with him, but there were others who were following the Lord. “Yet I reserve seven thousand in Israel—all whose knees have not bowed down to Baal and whose mouths have not kissed him.” (1 Kings 19:18)

This is also the message of the Psalmist. Life has much loud busyness in it and it is God to whom we are to turn. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. . .. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” (Psalm 46:1-3;6-7) It sounds like any day in the news today. Yet in the midst of it all, we need to do as Elijah did. We need to be still so that we can hear the gentle voice of our Lord.

During the years of Jesus’ ministry here on earth, He also was very busy. He is God in the flesh bringing God to man. However, life for Him was also very busy and many times also loud. People were with Him, following Him, seeking Him out. There were the confrontations of the Pharisees and Sadducees. Also, there were those who wanted to be healed. Even the crowds who were there listening to His message. How did Jesus handle all of this? “Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” (Luke 5:16) One day Jesus took Peter, James and John with Him for a time to get away and pray. They saw this. “As he was praying, the appearance of his face changed, and his clothes became as bright as a flash of lightning. Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about his departure, which he was about to bring to fulfillment at Jerusalem.” (Luke 9:29-31) In the most critical moment of Jesus’ life, He went and prayed to His Father three times in the Garden of Gethsemane. Jesus knew the importance of time alone with his Father.

If it was important in the life of Jesus, then it is also important for us. We need time to be still in God’s presence as we pray and as we listen to Him. We need time alone where we can read His Word and the Holy Spirit can teach us all truth. Being still before God is where God confirms our relationship with Him and directs us in the ways we are to go.

Jesus, our good shepherd, would express this relationship by saying, “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one will snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all ; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand.” (John 10:27-29)

Let us be still and know God.

In the Love of Jesus,

Michael Block