It seems like there are countless little phrases in the Bible that people can spurt off at a moments notice. So many of us can rattle of Scripture like a shopping list… James 4:8 “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you”… Matt 6:34 “Do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself, each day has enough trouble of it’s own”… John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son”… the list goes on and on. For those of us who can quote Scripture, it can almost become a source of sinful pride. For those of us who struggle with committing Scripture to memory, we feel beaten down, as if we are just not as good at being Christians as others are. But which ever camp you are in, there is one truth that you need to come to grips with… Knowing the words and living the words are two very different things. As many of you may remember, in the heady days in Dallas of Jimmy Johnson, Jerry Jones and Lombardi Trophies, there was a famous sound byte from Jimmy that has been played almost as much as Lombardi’s mantra on winning… “If you are gonna talk the talk, then you gotta walk the walk” Big words from a guy who proclaimed his Cowboys would win the NFC, and told reporters to print it in 3 inch headlines. And while Jimmy was chastised for the comments he made, how many of us do the exact same thing with Scripture. Sure, we talk a good game… we can quote it, reference it, use it to give sage advice to a friend or coworker… but what about living it?
“Be still and know that I am God…” Psalms 46:10
8 simple words from the Book of Psalms that are quoted almost as often as John 3:16 can put us all to the test on that question. Now that test applies to so many verses that we could never address them all here, but for now, lets stick with Psalms 46:10. “Be still and know that I am God”… “Be still and know that I am God”… “Be still and know that I am God”… let the words resonate in your mind…”Be still and know that I am God”…
Now, a lot of us don’t have a lot of problem with the last 5 words in that verse. Many of us have no arguments there… you may be saying to yourself, “know that I am God… come on, Jon, that’s easy… done deal… I don’t need to be still to know that… why do you think I go to church? I know He is God… and I like having Him on my side… what’s your point?” Well, my point is simply this: most of us don’t know how to be still long enough to actually acknowledge that He is God. Think about it… how painful are those first two words in our society? “Be still”… wow… most of us don’t even know how to do that. And even if we tried, our first question would be, “well, how long do I need to be still?” For many of you, being still long enough to read this e-mail will be a real stretch.
If you struggle with being still you are not alone. As a society, we are working longer and harder than ever before, and the condition of our spiritual lives is a testament to just how detrimental not being able to be still can be. Fortunately, I was able for the first time in a long time to be still for a while this week. I was fortunate enough to be able to go out to a friend’s ranch, by myself – which can be a stretch in and of itself for a social guy like me – and just be alone with God. Just me and Him. No phones… no doorbells… no internet… no nothing. Me, Him and the beauty of the Texas Hill Country. At first, being still was uncomfortable. It seemed like I needed to be doing something. But a voice kept telling me, “just be still, Jon, just be still” And as strange as it felt to me, I was. For a solid 24 hours plus. It was amazing. It was unbelievable how God honored and blessed that time of being still. Suddenly, in the quiet tranquility of the ranch, I could hear God’s voice in a way that is hard to do in the hustle and bustle of our daily lives. There was no tv, or ringing phones or anything else to drown Him out. Much like being able to see the stars when you get away from the city, God’s voice comes through better when there is less to drown Him out.
I don’t know what issues you may be facing in your life right now. I don’t know what may be going on in your heart and mind. I don’t know where you are in your walk with the Lord, but I do know that two little words from the Psalms apply to you, right where you are at, no matter what condition your life is in… “Be still”… allow God to talk to you.. “Be still”… gain some perspective on your life and your issues… just “Be still”. There is never a bad time to “Be still”. You may or may not have a ranch to go to, but you can find somewhere… and God will honor your time there, where ever there is. As hard as it may be for you to do in the hectic schedule that is your life, I urge you to find some time in the immediate future to get away and just “Be still and know that HE is God”
You won’t regret it.
God Bless,
Jon
July 11, 2001
