Read Psalm 46
We are busy people. We often talk about all the places we have to go, the people we have to see, and the things we need to do. In all this busyness, it can be easy to lose our focus on God. When we fail to notice or see God’s hand in the work we are trying to accomplish, we must beware. Without God’s hand involved, we are acting in our strength. Sometimes we get busy and become stressed because things aren’t going our way. So, God tells us to be still. That’s difficult for working people to do. But it is needful.
Being still brings peace and helps regain our focus. Although Jesus said this to the wind, He could have well said it to us, “Peace, be still.” We cannot be still if we have no peace. There are times when we need to step back and check our vision. Where is our focus? God or self? Do we have eternity’s values in view?
Once we are still and bring our attention back to God, we will be able to hear that still small voice for direction and guidance. God says that the steps of a good man are ordered by the Lord (Psalm 37:23). It is the path that He has made that we need to follow. Even a slight deviation can get us outside of God’s will. Someone said that just one drop of kerosene spoils a good soup! We must avoid pragmatism. God doesn’t appreciate it when we take shortcuts. Everything must be done decently and in order (1 Corinthians 14:40). The Lord’s way is always perfect!
Being still allows God to shape us for His purpose. I’m now going to borrow an analogy from a preacher friend of mine. When you see someone work with wood, you notice that the piece of wood is dead and broken. Wood sculptors don’t use live trees to make their masterpiece. If they did, then their sculpture would become ruined as the tree continues to grow. So, they use the pieces of wood that are dead and broken. If we want to become vessels of honor, we must put ourselves in the Master Craftsman’s hands and let Him do the work in our lives. It’s interesting how, in John 15, Jesus says that we are the branches and that we can do nothing without Him Who is the True Vine. If we attempted to put a branch into the ground, it would not produce fruit because it wouldn’t be connected to the source. We must die to ourselves and, again, allow God to mold us.
So let’s learn to be still and remember who God is. He knows what the bigger picture is. We need to trust our Lord Jesus Christ and allow Him to show us the path we are called to take in all that we do. If we do this, we will have success.
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