Be Still

Psalm 46:10 New International Version (NIV)

10  He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth.”

Read: Psalm 46:8-11

Attending my first NASCAR race led to many surprises. I will never forget the noise as I sat in the grandstands. The roar of the engines rocked my ears and rattled my chest. I could feel the sound deep within my body. The noise required a response. If we were going to enjoy the race, we would need to block out the sound and find a way to communicate with each other.

When you look across the grandstands at a NASCAR race, many fans wear noise cancelling headphones that can access the scanner feeds of the drivers and the play-by-play of the race. The most expensive headsets also include a microphone for communicating with your friends. The goal is to block out the extra noise so you can tune in to the messages you need to hear.

During the hours and days after my son’s accident. I struggled with noise. I could feel it deep in my body and it overwhelmed my mind . The sounds of stores were too much to handle and I found myself walking out. The radio and TV remained silent as my mind could not receive any more inputs from the world. I had to find a place for my mind to be still so I could process all that had taken place.

In Psalm 46, God calls us to do two things. The first is to be still. We must cancel out the noise of the world. We receive so many inputs from the world that it can overwhelm our minds. The second part is to know that he is God. In verses eight and nine, we see the actions of God. While we are called to be still. We are also called to focus on the works of God. When we are overwhelmed by the world, It is time to be still and focus on God because everything else is just background noise.

Are you overwhelmed by the world as you try to grieve? Is it difficult to focus with all the questions in your head and input from others? Then it is time to be still. It is time to put on the noise cancelling headphones of stillness and tune in to the message of the One who at work in your life.