Be Still: Dare 2019 Song Story

This is one of the most famous verses in the Bible. We post it on social media, we put it on posters, we send it as encouragement during times of difficulty. We all long to feel the deep and lasting peace of this scripture.

And yet, if we’re honest, we have trouble living it out. We are rarely still, we rarely have moments to our self, we rarely sleep without tossing and turning, and we hardly ever take time to just breathe.

So how do we be still in God’s presence and truly know that He is God?

Some of the best friends I have are the ones I have known for the longest time and that I share a lot of memories with. We’ve spent a lot of time together, been to a lot of places together, shared a lot of experiences together. And yet some of my greatest memories with them, the times when we have grown the closest, aren’t always the activities we’ve done or the conversations we’ve had. I often make the best memories with people when I am simply with them. We aren’t necessarily saying anything profound or doing anything ground-breaking or revolutionary, but simply sitting together, still and just being.

Yet, when I think about being with God, my mind immediately springs to worship, or prayer, or reading the bible. Don’t get me wrong, these are all incredibly important ways of connecting with God, but I know I can often overlook just being with God. If we want to truly know God, we have to make time to just be still together. We have to intentionally invite him to just be with us, not asking him for anything, not tying to learn anything new, not exploring our thoughts or searching for an answer to a question we have, but just being with him and letting his presence be felt.

“Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act.” – Psalms 37:7 NLT

I think being still, in silence, is often so foreign to us. We live in a society where it’s go, go, go, where busyness is on display like a badge of honour, and where we are constantly bombarded with new information and distractions. We never switch off. Why? I think there are so many reasons, fear of judgement, the worry that we are wasting time, the fear of missing out. And I think we apply this to our faith as well. We are continually looking to “do” something in our faith, but sometimes God is urging us – Just Be Still.

We need to make an intentional effort to be still in our daily lives. Maybe that’s starting with 5 minutes a day just taking in the beauty of God’s creation. Perhaps that’s enjoying a sunrise, or watching the clouds, or counting the stars, or going for a walk somewhere beautiful. Maybe that’s simply dwelling on the incredible things God is doing in your own life or the life of those around you. Enjoy God’s works (Psalm 37:7) and take some time to just be with God.

“Then Jesus said, “Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you… and you will find rest for your souls.”” – Matthew 11:28-29 NLT.

It is in the still times, the quiet moments, the secret place, when we take the time to meet with God, that we find peace beyond all understanding (Philippians 4:6-7) and rest for our souls (Matthew 11:28-29). His grace is sufficient for us and his power is made perfect in our weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9-10). When we are still, God promises that he will fight for us (Exodus 14:14), for there are riches and wisdom beyond our wildest imagination to be found . It’s here we learn to recognise God’s voice in the middle of the crazy, in the mess, when we take the time to listen and just be still.

“The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul.” – Psalms 23:1-2 NIV