Sermonette: Be Still

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.”

-Psalm 46:10

The Lord has been reminding me of the basics lately. He has been bringing me back to him, his heart and the building blocks of knowing him. Two weeks ago, I wrote about prayer, last week I talked about love, and this week I want to explore the idea of being still. I want to explore what that means and why it’s important in our lives.

Last week I had a busy week. I went to Fargo, went camping, had to work and got ready for a road trip, all within a few days. I was a little stressed to say the least. As I was getting ready to go camping, my to-do list seemed to get bigger by the moment. As I got in my car to leave, I was flustered and on the edge of tears. I was stressed and overwhelmed. All I could do is ask God to help me in that moment.

Stress… I think it can overtake our lives if we are not careful. Within the first few hours of getting to my campsite, the Lord reminded me to “be still.” He reminded me he is in control, no matter how out of control my life may have felt at that moment. And though everyone seemed to need something from me, God just wanted me to sit with him and be content. And that is the same in your life. He doesn’t need anything from us, but he does desire to spend time with us.

So, what does “be still” really mean? How can we incorporate that into our lives practically? When we have families, jobs and responsibilities it does not seem possible to be still. Being still doesn’t always seem attainable in our lives. But the Bible tells us the importance of coming to God, clearing our minds, and seeking him wholeheartedly.

One way I have found to be still in my own life is spending time reading my Bible, praying and seeking the Lord. The best time for me to do this is in the morning before the busy-ness of the day starts, a time I call quiet time. I wake up, brew my coffee, sit down and have quiet time. It’s a perfect way to ground myself and keep myself close to the Lord on a daily basis. How can you quiet yourself before the Lord?

It might be leaving early for work and praying in your car before going inside to start your day. Or ending your evening by sitting with him and reading his word. Prayer and that is a great place to start. Ask God to help quiet yourself before the him.

One way my dad always taught me to be still before the Lord is praying the Jesus Prayer and deep breathing. I encourage you to pray and seek God using your own words and thoughts but here is the Jesus Prayer to help get you started.

Have a great week!

“Lord Jesus Christ.

Son of God.

Have mercy on me,

A sinner.”