“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, ESV)
To be honest, today’s passage hits me right between the eyes. Being still is something that I don’t do very well. I am very good at using excuses to avoid its call. Whether it’s with work or my relationship with my wife or studying for seminary, there is always something that can conflict with this command. However, the times I do listen to this instruction and reflect on how good my God is are usually filled with joy, rejuvenation, and a closer walk with him.
Several weekends back I really got to experience this. I went on a small men’s retreat away from the city of Birmingham, where a lot of my distractions lie. From Thursday around 3 pm until Sunday at 1 pm, I had no connection with the outside world. No phone, no computer, no television. It was an intensive conference with very little free time involved. I was definitely worried and anxious about it, not knowing how I was going to survive the weekend. It took a little while getting used to not checking football and golf scores on the weekend!
What I discovered was shocking to me. I absolutely loved not having my phone and actually started to dread turning it back on Sunday afternoon (besides being able to talk to my wife, of course). For the first time in a while, I was truly able to drop almost everything and commune only with my community of Christian men and God. My walk with God and getting back to believing true, core beliefs were critical that weekend. Having my Bible, a journal, and this mask-free community with real guys was such a blessing.
This is a command by God, that we find time to be still and rest (or dwell) in his presence. It doesn’t have to be as long or as intense as the weekend I experienced. We can capture shorter sessions, like turning off the phone while in the Word and praying, or taking a couple of hours off in the afternoon to reflect on how much he loves us despite our broken and sinful lives. God never prescribes a particular quantity of time we should spend with him. But he is much concerned about the state of our heart, about the quality of the time we spend with him.
You see, I can fake a good quiet time and check it off the list. I will look good in front of others and be able to brag about getting in the Word x amount of days in a row. However, if we believe God and how he describes himself, then we know he can see our heart and that is all that matters.
God doesn’t care about our checklist. He wants us, just as we are, to come to him. There is absolutely no need to clean up before we come to him; this is actually impossible. God is the one who cleanses our hearts, and he will do this when we simply come to him. Trust him, praise him, glorify him, and get to know him. Be still and be assured that he is God, the great Savior of our souls!
—
Rosson Anderson
November 24, 2014
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The Links Daily Devotional appears Monday-Friday at www.linksplayers.com.