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"Be still, and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10a NIV)
If you have ever seen a Hummingbird, you know how fast they fly. In fact, their wings beat 70-80 times per second and up to 200 times per second when they are diving. They seem tireless and always on the move.
My granddaughter Ade, reminds me of a Hummingbird, constantly dancing about and unceasingly chattering. Getting her to sit for a meal or while doing a craft is a never-ending process. Her mind is whirling from morning to night and her body keeps up with it. We have thus begun to work on a new discipline: the discipline of self-control in the form of being still. A couple of times a day, we take 5-10 minutes and simply practice the art of self-control by being still, being quiet, being calm.
Learning this type of self-control, is something the Psalmist understood. In Psalm 46 he begins with these words: God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. What a wonderful as well as fearsome picture these words paint. The fearsome being, how absolutely terrifying such an experience which involved these types of natural disasters would be to any human being. Yet, the Psalmist does not begin with the terrifying but with the wonderful: God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble, now and forever. Therefore we will not fear.
How though do we not fear in such times amidst moments or seasons of great distress and upheaval, times of grief and uncertainty? We find the answer to this question in today’s scripture reading with God speaking this command: Be still, and know that I am God.
As God’s people, when we practice the discipline of self-control, by learning to be still within ourselves, the Holy Spirit is able to quietly remind us of Gods’ truths: He is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. He is with us and will never forsake us. He is the One who watches over us and has wonderful plans for our lives. He is trustworthy and faithful. He is the one who grants us wisdom for the asking, the One who guides and directs us as we are still and look to Him. Learning to be still allows us to hear His voice amidst the chaos and every disaster we may encounter.
We do not know what today may bring. We can know however, that as we practice the art of being still, staying calm within, we will be assured that no matter what it brings, God is enough amidst it. Prayer: Father God, thank You that You are ever-present and totally dependable. Teach us to be still and know that You alone, are God. In Christ’s name. Amen.
Lynne Phipps
Tawatinaw, Alberta, Canada
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