A Moment of Silence

This devotional was written by Kelly McFadden

Be still, and know that I am God. —Psalm 46:10

At a sporting event I attended, we took a moment of silence to show our respect for a player who had died. It’s not often that I am surrounded by thousands of people (or even just a few for that matter) and not hear a single word spoken…just silence. When I look back at my life, I see countless events, meetings and to-do lists that have all been checked off as completed…not quiet moments. Of course, as I look forward to the weeks ahead, I simply see a list of meetings, events and to-do’s that have yet to be done. As usual, I will wake up early, work on the list, get the items done, check them off, and collapse into bed exhausted from yet another busy day.

Sound familiar?

I am surrounded by “to-dos” – a lot of them good, a lot of them for God – but in all the hurry, sometimes I forget “to be.” Even in doing good things, we are called by God to be His people before doing His work. To sit and be still does not always come naturally. It’s easy to be still with the television on or when listening to music, but to be quiet, just being still to hear God…that’s when the brain kicks in with the nonverbal to-do list.

The verse above found in Psalm 46, continues to say that God will be honored by every nation and throughout the world. Why wait for tomorrow? Perhaps we all need to be more proactive each day taking time to be still, being reflective on who God is and all He has done, recognizing His power, His might, and His omnipotence.

Be still and know that He is God. Make one of your “to-dos” this week simply “to be.”

GOING DEEPER:

1. In what ways are you working towards “being God’s people” in your daily life?

2. How can you make sure to focus on being still before the Lord, and honoring Him not just in your actions, but in silent and still reverence as well?

FURTHER READING:

Psalm 37:7-20; Mark 4:35-41; James 1:16-23

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