Be Still...

My grandmother, Sadie Brock Heard, was one of the greatest influences in my life. She was a wonderful godly woman, loved by all who knew her. Recently my mother came upon the document below that my grandmother wrote about 50 years ago, but as you read it you will see it is a timeless piece of advice for us today as well. I hope you enjoy it and heed her recommendation.

“It is good for our souls to have quiet times of silence and meditation as often as possible. Then the things begin to fall into their proper places and we look with quiet eyes at the whole of life. Noise confuses; silence brings order. The value of worshipping alone cannot be proved by words. We must be willing to try it. We Americans tend to be a noisy, hurrying people. We seldom pause to go deeply into the things of the spirit.

Prayer is not just talking to God, asking Him for things. It is listening to Him in silence, giving Him an opportunity to speak to us. An intense silence can sometimes be the truest prayer. God has a chance to calm us down; to give us an inward peace, poise; to heal the hurts of our hearts. We are enabled to see things as they are. We are able to face our tasks with courage and wisdom. God has been given a chance to mold us after His will. 

We must learn to be silent while God speaks. The psalmist said, “I will hear what the Lord God will speak.” (Psalm 85:8a KJV) Daily we see the weakness of ourselves and others. Where can we find strength and guidance? If the answer is not God, then there is no answer.

Have you ever stopped to think how large a role quiet plays in the story of religion? Moses was alone on the mountain when he heard God’s voice speak to him out of the burning bush. Elijah heard the voice of God after he had been told to go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord. It was not in the wind or earthquake but in the “still small voice” that Elijah heard God. Our Lord was often alone in the dawn. In quiet places, silent places, God still speaks to us today. 

As we listen to God, the strange power of His cleansing, refreshing and remaking us takes place. When God finds a man willing to listen, he begins to work miracles through him. In this way He took Paul into Arabia and through him He made Christianity a world religion. But Paul had to learn “not my will but Thy will be done.” Paul had to learn to listen to God rather than the dictates of his own selfish heart. In this way God took Augustine and through him ruled human thought for a thousand years.”

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. 

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