Sunday, May 03, 2009

Devotion: Be Still...

Be Still...

By Marsha Iddings

Psalm 46:10  Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.

Recently my children took a CPR/First Aid class as part of their schooling.  One of the first things they learned when coming on the scene of an accident or medical emergency is to stop and assess the situation before jumping into action. "Be still and know..."

I had the opportunity of putting that into practice at the grocery store this week when the cashier who was checking me out collapsed.  It didn’t take but seconds to assess the situation and know that she was going to crack her head on the cement floor when she went down if I didn’t do something quick, so I reached across the counter and grabbed her wrist and held on, holding her in a squat position while yelling for help. Stopping to assess the situation is not inaction, but action.

Our verse says, "Be still and know that I am God."  It's more than just sitting and contemplating God.  It is taking action. This phrase is rich with meaning.

It implies acting in patience--not on impulse. It implies not jumping to conclusions until I've first stopped and considered the situation and what God might be trying to accomplish through it.  It implies watching my tongue. It implies taking time away from the cares of this life to center my thoughts on God.  It implies coming to an understanding of God's sovereignty in all things.  It implies studying God's Word in order to get to know Him.  I can't really know that He is God unless I know Him!  This takes study and hard work. To be still and know that He is God takes action on our part.

Think of how much upset, frustration and anxiety could be avoided if we could just lay hold of this truth and practice it daily in our lives! 

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