Photo Credit: VinothChandar via Compfight cc
Have you ever thought:
- How can it be Wednesday already?
- The end of November? We just celebrated the 4th of July!
- Thanksgiving is tomorrow?!?!
- Why is life going so fast?
The last few weeks in my life have been a rush. My “to do” list ever increases but my time does not. And when the days are full, time seems to fly by despite my desire to slam on the brakes.
When we live in our fast-pace, never-ending, rush-rush-rush society, it often causes us to loose focus on Christ, turn inward, and stop abiding and depending upon Jesus for life, energy, focus, and strength. We become the source of our lives, rather than allowing Jesus to live His life through us (which, for clarity, IS Christianity: a life of surrender, abiding, and dependency).
But there is hope. There is a secret per se. And it is …
Be still, and know that I am God
Psalm 46.10a
The word for “be still” in Hebrew has the idea to let go, refrain, and be quiet but it is also associated with the concept of to sink down into, relax, and rest. It is not that I am to just quit moving around and be stiff, it is the idea of releasing a hold of my life, my control, my ways, to sink down into who He is and rest in Him. I am to be quiet and still so that in the quietness of my soul He may reveal to me who He is. I am not to have a grip on my life, I am to lay hold of God.
Knowledge here is one of my favorite words. When you look at the Greek translation of this passage (the Septuagint) it is a form of the word ginosko. There are several words for “knowledge” in the Greek—one for facts and data, another for perception and insight, and yet another for knowing something through intimacy or experience. The word here that is used is knowing something through relationship and experience.
I am not merely to know facts about God. I rest In Him, sink down into, release a hold on my life, and become intimate with Him. I know Him through relationship and experience. It is not facts and data I am after, but a Person.
This idea is all throughout the New Testament. Jesus doesn’t want me to just know stories and facts about Him, He wants me to know Him. There are a lot of people who know a lot about Jesus who don’t really know Jesus.
The Secret
Do you see that when life gets crazy, when time seems to melt, when the Christmas season is upon us and we race to Easter, they key to life is stop, rest, quiet my soul, release the hold on my life and become intimate with Jesus.
“I don’t have time!” you retort.
I would say that you don’t have time NOT to. It is a necessity.
It is said that Martin Luther would pray everyday for two hours. However, when life got busy and the pressures of life pressed in upon him, he would often pray for three hours. His famous quote is: “I have so much to do today that I’m going to need to spend three hours in prayer in order to be able to get it all done.”
When your life gets crazy, do you turn within and try to accomplish it … or do you throw yourself upon Jesus?
As we continue through this season of life, may we find our rest, focus, source in Jesus Himself. May we not just know about Him but intimately know Him. Be still and know who He is.
Interact: Why is it difficult for you to “be still and know that He is God”? Leave a thought or comment in the section below.
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