“But the Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth keep silence before Him.” Habakkuk‬ ‭2:20‬ ‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬‬

While in college, I spent a summer volunteering at a camp in the Rocky Mountains. As I was walking back to my cabin one night in the dark, I looked up at the sky and was suddenly aware of how great and massive it was, and simultaneously how small and insignificant I was. As the stars shone brightly in the vast expanse, my spirit reverberated with the words, “Be still and know that I am God.” I was awestruck and couldn’t help but acknowledge and praise God in that moment. I also wondered, “Is that from the Bible?” I was a young Christian at the time and wasn’t well versed in Scripture.

As soon as I got back to my cabin, I skimmed the concordance of my Bible to see if it was. Sure enough, Psalm 46:10 states, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations.” I thanked God for this revelation, and the more I thought about it, the more I was drawn to the word “still.” We all want to hear from God, but the world we live in is loud and busy. We have these little things called phones that will consume our minds and our time in a big way if we let them. We rush from one commitment to the next, our minds buzzing with the news of the day or a conversation that leaves us a little on edge. It’s easy to seek God halfheartedly, but to be still before Him takes an intentional turning off or turning away from things. It may mean saying “no” to good things if we are so busy doing those good things that we don’t have time to be still and seek the Best Thing.

Stillness is uncomfortable. We feel exposed, unsure. That’s ok. God meets us where we are and shows up. Submitting our time and ourselves to God may feel awkward and unnatural at first, but if you’re not in the habit of doing it, I encourage you to try it. It’s hard to hear from God when it’s noisy. Seeking Him means being willing to still yourself long enough to hear from Him. God tells the Israelites through Jeremiah, “Then you will call on Me, and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you will search for Me with all your heart. Then I will be found by you, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29: 12-13). Be encouraged, we were made for fellowship with our Creator. He delights in you and will speak life into the dry and desert places of our hearts. His love for you is endless, and His mercies are new every morning. Allow yourself to be still and filled with His Truth today.

Reflection: When was the last time you stood in awe of God? If it has been a while, what can you do to be still and notice His awesomeness?