THIS portion of the Psalm is loaded with precious spiritual insights. What is so remarkable is that it is so connected to life, I mean, to the daily realities of living. What is so outstanding is that this text clamors for application more than just plain appreciation of truth. So far, we have talked about our schedules and how they are connected to our spiritual life and we talked about how this verse defines spirituality and how it sharpens our sensitivity in relating to God.
Today, let us hit one more insight. "Be still and know that I am God" assaults our spiritual pride, our superior posture which we so unashamedly display. We make sure that whoever is engaged with us clearly sees our superiority! Well, God's command to be "hands off, be still, cease striving" is a direct assault to pride.
How? It puts us in our proper place of being a "nobody". It renders our brightest options null. Our addiction to significance and honor has finally found a rehab center.
In the case of God, He is working, not only for rehab, He is into personal transformation. We find ourselves among other patients waiting for our turn at the doctor's clinic.
It is in this deliberate stillness of the heart that we begin to see things as things and people as people. We find that life is larger, much, much larger than ourselves. We slowly see the beauty of silence and with it comes a sprinkling of embarrassment because as we are learning stillness, we recall how arrogantly loud-mouthed we have been. The ugly sight of pride and superiority, like Nebuchadnezzar eating grass, has successfully performed a spiritual surgery which now leads to a fresh awakening of grace in our hearts.
Soon, "spiritual stillness" starts to open the door to really knowing God. As we step out of the traffic to take a long, loving look at God, being first and driving the fastest car simply does not matter anymore.
Time has now become a friend... "shalom" in the heart despite chaotic demands of work and ministry. It is also here that we develop genuine compassion for many of our friends who are still in the rat-race of vanity. Even with our concerns, God reminds us to ‘be still’ or we are right back in the fast lane. Let our stillness be a rebuke... then, as grace is abundantly dispensed, our testimony of stillness of the heart becomes a model which many others would desire. At first, they may be after the stillness, later, like us, we are all now longing for God.
Remember, knowing God, much more, worshipping God cannot happen in a posture of superiority. We need to level down, bowing down... that's the way we know Jesus. It is via brokenness and not bitterness. It is by faith and not by force. It is by grace and not by earning points but by receiving mercy that we get to find God. Even a few minutes of being still before God repairs a lot of damage in our soul and can prevent a lot of potential damage to others.
Consider this... spiritual stillness declares a ceasefire from toxic words that may not break bones, yet has broken many hearts. Well, time for me to be still and let God do the much-needed awakening in our hearts. Thanks for reading, I always write from my heart... and sometimes, from my hurt. Enjoy your day.