One time when I was very upset and agitated (with good reason), I plopped myself down on the sofa and repeated the verse above over and over to try to calm myself down. The Lord blessed my efforts by causing me to fall into a deep sleep almost immediately, and when I awoke I felt a strong sense of peace. Now I still repeat Psalm 46:10 by saying, "Be still and know that You are God." It has a calming peace about it to say it out loud. The Holy Word of God has power ! It can transform anyone from the clutches of the wicked world and the power of satan and mold them into a mild and humble child of God; a life from wickedness to a godly life; a life from loud and unruly actions and brazen speech into a gentle and meek and quiet spirit.
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." - Romans 12:2
"And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." - Romans 12:2
In Psalm 46:10, to "be still" means to stop, to cease striving. In today's hustle and bustle world, people are constantly on the go and busy, busy, all the time. Even many Christians do not take time to pray or study the Bible because of their hectic schedules. This should not be so. Sadly, even some who call themselves Christians put their careers first and foremost, always striving and they seldom call upon the Lord. Before I was born-again, I was guilty of putting my career first before anyone or anything. Now I am more happy doing the Lord's work than I ever was previously. There is also a considerable amount of peace within your soul when you know you are in right standing with God and Jesus.
Tied in with being still and quiet, is the willingness to wait upon the Lord. Andrew Murray says that, "quietness is an element of true waiting on God. ......But when it is seen that the waiting on God is itself an unspeakable blessedness, one of the highest forms of fellowship with the Holy One, the adoration of Him in His glory will of necessity humble the soul into a holy stillness, making way for God to speak and reveal Himself."
The quote above by Andrew Murray is from his book/devotional "Waiting on God" . It is an excellent rendition on the subject of waiting on God and you may still find it here .
"Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: Wait, I say, on the Lord." - Psalm 27:14
Sometime ago I wrote about how waiting can be good and I quoted Charles Spurgeon who said, "If the Lord Jehovah makes us wait, let us do so with our whole hearts; for blessed are all they that wait for Him. He is worth waiting for. The waiting itself is beneficial to us: it tries faith, exercises patience, trains submission, and endears the blessing when it comes. The Lord's people have always been a waiting people."
Following is a sermon by Charles H. Spurgeon titled "Waiting Only Upon God". It seems to fit including it here because waiting on God involves stillness and a quiet hope.
So, to wait for the Lord is to be done in quietness and stillness. That shows faith. Don't jump blindly into something or say something you may regret later.....wait on God to show the way.
"Seeing then that these things cannot be spoken against, ye ought to be quiet, and to do nothing rashly." - Acts 19:36
Following is a 49 minute sermon by Charles R. Swindoll on being still and being quiet:
You must be still in order to sense God's presence - whether in prayer or in Bible reading It is hard sometimes because even then our minds tend to wander, but we need to focus as much as we possibly can on the Lord and in reverent fear and with a sense of His sovereignty and majesty. Be still in your humble heart and realize God is your Creator, your Lord and Master, as is Jesus, and give Him honor and respect as you pray and as you wait for Him in all matters.
"My soul, wait thou only upon God; for my expectation is from Him." - Psalm 62:5
God responds to a meek and quiet spirit. It is pleasing to Him to see us as being meek and quiet. No one likes a loud and brash person; God is no different, except He is more patient than we are. God is love, and in His great love He does not wish any to perish, but to come to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ and to believe in the heart that He is the Savior who can wash away all of our sins....and that includes even the brash person, the person we may give up on. God is forgiving.
"But (let it be) the hidden man of the heart, in which is not corruptible, (even the ornament) of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price." - 1 Peter 3:4
We have seen that to be still (as in Psalm 46:10), involves to "cease striving"; to let God be God and let Him be in control of our lives. Not frantically pursuing endeavors contrary to God's will. Just to simply rest in the Lord and to wait for Him.
Be still.
Be quiet.
Be still.
Be quiet.
"It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord." - Lamentations 3:26
"For thus saith the Lord God, the Holy one of Israel, In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength......" - Isaiah 30:15
"And say unto him, take heed, and be quiet; fear not, neither be fainthearted..." Isaiah 7:4a
