Be Still: September 15, 2023

Psalm 46: 10 “Be still and know that I am God.” (NIV)

In the midst of our praying, let us “listen” . . . And let us listen carefully, for God doesn’t shout.*

Writing these meditations is sometimes like time travel. Today's entry, for a day in September, was composed in January. I reposted it two years later, and I am posting it again, two years after the second publication. So let's go back in time as we recall something that happened to me "yesterday" - the day before I first wrote this.

That day, the words that I had written months (now years) earlier were about prayer. I talked about how Jesus’ example teaches us that prayer is a conversation with God. Conversation involves talking and listening. As we mature in our spiritual walk, we should move beyond the “it’s all about me” kind of prayers. So, the night before I wrote this entry, as I was journaling my prayers, I began with my usual thankfulness for the day’s blessings (all about me), but then I moved on to something different. I said, “And how was your day?” I then moved on to list the great and small things that are a part of God’s day and I thanked him for his attributes. And I felt like I had progressed to a higher level of communication with the Lord.

After I turned out the light and started my journey into sleep, I was suddenly jolted by the realization that I had asked God about his day – and then I didn’t bother to wait for his answer. Turns out, my prayer had still been all about me. He didn’t tell me how his day went – I told him how I imagined it to have gone.

I don’t know if God will ever talk to me about his day, but I am sure of this: if I had taken the time to be still, he would have revealed himself. I know this because I have practiced this spiritual discipline before. It is not easy to be so still, to quiet the mind, to become hyper-aware of God’s presence, but it is an awesome experience.

The next time I ask God how his day went, I will wait for him to answer. If all I hear is, “I am God,” that will be enough!

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