Be Still, Listen, Then Act 

   “Be still and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46: 11) 

   I think the exclamation point at the end of the verse is important; as least to me.  Sometimes I need my God to be emphatic, to tell me to shut up and listen.  Like many men, and I suspect more than most, I want to be the one making the decisions in life.

   Even in simple household things, little things like which way the toilet tissue must be placed on the holder, the way towels and sheets are folded and put away; and heaven forbid a picture is hanging even slightly askew.  My wife, rest her soul, used to tell me I was anal about such things.  I think it was her gentler way of telling me that I could be a stubborn ass at times.  She was right, of course.

   Even in my spiritual life this fault comes into play.  Rather than quietly follow the voice of God, I want to speak up and put in my two cents worth.  He will lead, and He will lead me where I need to go.  But I must shut up, listen, and follow, because He will also let me take the lead and go astray if I insist.

“Breathe on me, Breath of God,

Fill me with life anew.

That I may love what thou dost love,

And do what thou wouldst do.”

(“O Breathe on Me, Breath of God”; text by Edwin Hatch 1835 – 1839)

 

   I need to listen often to those words, then sit quietly seeking His will, doing what He would have me do.  If I can do this, I can serve Him as I should.