Be Still and Know

Let’s lay aside some of the Mary/Martha comparisons today and look at something from which we all can glean!

"BE STILL AND KNOW I AM GOD!" 

 None of us do that enough!  Truthfully, I consider myself to be a Mary only because I KNOW for a fact that I am not a Martha.  But…I also know I am not the Mary Jesus would have referred to Martha!  Spending time at the feet of our Lord and Master is a struggle for all of us. It is so easy to blame our busy schedules-and it is true we often don’t have the time to fit it all in. 

As many of you know, I was laid off my teaching job in September. Up until then I was right with you in the “I just don’t know where to fit the time in!” category.  I tried waking up earlier, but my eyes just wouldn’t focus. I felt as if I was reading out of obligation and getting nothing. Then there was going to work, running errands, fixing supper, managing a little housework, relaxing-while grading papers, then, too pooped to really get anything out of an eye-strained nightly Bible reading time.  How many of you are nodding your head and saying “YEP”?  This scenario is just as true for Marys as it is for Marthas. We all have basic responsibilities that we need to deal with. (I can’t imagine how Marthas manage to add to that list!!)

Elizabeth George poses the following set of questions in her Mary/Martha section of Remarkable Women of the Bible. When we are faced with the everyday pressures of life do we respond with “Peace or Panic?”, “Turmoil or Trust?” That is where the Mary/Martha struggle rests.  Mary was at peace while Martha was in a panic.  Martha was in turmoil, while Mary trusted her Lord. You see, it is not really a matter of how much we DO or even how much time we spend in God’s word. It comes down to how we choose to respond to the pressures and circumstances of our daily lives. We can force ourselves to have a set devotional time-out of obligation- and still respond to our circumstances as Martha did. BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD is more than sitting in your recliner reading a couple of verses and saying a quick, “please help me today” prayer.  Don’t get me wrong, prayer and Bible reading are a very important part of Christian life and growth process (Romans 12:1-2)-but there is much more to it as we shall see below. Oh, and just because there is much MORE to it, doesn’t mean, “Oh, no!-not more!” Can you imagine Martha’s thought processes when Jesus said, “Martha, one more thing is needed”?

A Look at Psalm 46:10

BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD… This powerful verse comes towards the end of a familiar Psalm. Many of you probably have Psalm 46:1 memorized. God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. This is a Psalm that proclaims God’s power, sovereignty, protection, and greatness.  When we find ourselves in a bind we often call out to the Lord with verse 1. However, applying verse 10 more often in our lives may relieve some of the pressures that create the binds. Take a moment and read the entire Psalm.  This is the God in Whom we have placed our trust and peace. Why, then, do we allow ourselves to live in turmoil and panic?

Moune’s Hebrew dictionary states that the Hebrew usage of KNOW goes beyond the knowledge level. It refers to a detailed or specific understanding of a person or a concept. This KNOWING is gained through "sensory experience and intellectual appreciation". What has been seen and experienced allows one to KNOW (truly understand) someone or something in one’s heart. Recall how many times throughout the book of Exodus that God told the Children of Israel that He had done various miracles so they would KNOW He was the only True God.  When God commands in Psalm 46:10 that we "be still" and know He is God, He is commanding us to stop and take time out to consider all He has done and to recognize and exalt His goodness.

 We may have days when we get away without spending time in the Word. That happens!  But when we are faced with the pressures of life, we can still--Stop! Be Still! Reflect, remember, recall how the Lord has provided His help and grace in the past. We can recall how He worked in the life of our favorite Bible character. I Corinthians 10:11 (while you are at it, go ahead and read verse 13 as well!)  tells us that these things were written for our examples. Bible reading is important because it allows God an opportunity to remind us of His love, care, and grace. But, more importantly, are we making these lessons a part of us so that we respond to life’s’ pressures with peace and trust rather than with panic and turmoil?

I especially like the following note regarding Psalm 46:10 from my CHILDREN’S Ministry Resource Bible. This verse is “a call to cease from personal efforts and submit to God.” Maybe this was a note to the teacher, and not the children??

 We know that the pressures are going to be there, so what is important is that we prepare ourselves by filling our jars with God’s grace and presence before the little pebbles begin to take over.  It is THEN that we can DO the things the Lord has set before us each day. This preparation is a life-long learning process based on seeing, experiencing, and trusting God’s grace and goodness. We learn and grow by BEING STILL and recognizing what God has been doing and is doing in our lives and by recalling examples of His grace and goodness from His Word.

 The Lord has blessed us in that I haven’t HAD to find another source of income right now, and I have been able to spend time with my Bible reading, studies, and my newly-revived love for writing. However, that by no means indicates that I have it all together now. What this 'Mary' often finds is that I read and then I write and then I get up do some stuff around the house and then I…. Have I truly BEEN STILL and reflected on what He is trying to say to me today?

Maybe the following is something both Marys and Marthas should live by: You'll find success in life when you stop trying to include God in your plans and instead ask God to include you in His plans. Taken from a Rick Warren devotion posted on FB by a friend –January 1/26/11. Thanks, Anne!

In closing, consider this thought from Elizabeth George. “The woman whose heart and soul are at rest is the woman who knows one theological truth-Her times are in God’s hands (Psalm 31:15).”

Keep on "be 'stilling'!"

Debbie