“Be still and know that I am God.” [Psalm 46:10]

“Be:” How difficult that seems to be for us mortals. Just being … not doing. It seems that every time we think of drawing near to Him, we think of what we must DO to get there. Way too simple it seems for it to be enough to just “be” with Him, because we’re so accustomed to “doing.”

“Still:” If being seems difficult, add to that the concept of being “still.” Determinedly we can make our bodies stand still, sit still, or even lie still. But being still inside is a learned art. Quietening our minds, unpacking our list, halting immediate plans in order to be still in His presence seems quite a feat. The noise of our internal world screams for our attention!

“Know:” To “know” has the potential of being a deeply relational term. We can know someone at a distance by recognizing their name. We can know someone in our social circle as an acquaintance. We can know someone personally as a friend. But to know Father God in the context of spiritually conceiving of Him [Hebrew: ‘yada’] … preparing to birth a calling, a ministry, a Kingdom undertaking … is the most intimate encounter as a result of “being still and knowing.”

To “know God.“ To know Him for who He is. To know Him for who He is to us personally. To know Him for who He desires to be through us. To know that He is the Source of the abundant life. And so much more.

So why settle for “fillers”? Nutritionally we would call it “foodless food:” processed foods that we stuff in our mouths, which fill our stomachs; and yet provide no nutritional value whatsoever. Such is life without ‘being still and knowing our God’ as our primary source of spiritual nutrition.