by L. Joy Douglas

joy4rain@aol.com

"In the secret, in the quiet place, in the stillness, You are there…"

These are some lyrics from a worship song that has long been one of my favorites. It sounds so wonderful, doesn’t it? Who wouldn’t desire that kind of peace and communion with the Lord? Yet, stillness is a concept that is difficult to comprehend. In this world of chaos and rushing, how is it possible to achieve a stillness of spirit?

The dictionary defines stillness as "The state or instance of being quiet or calm".

Look it up in a thesaurus and you will read, "the absence of sound or noise: hush, noiselessness, quiet, quietness, silence, soundlessness, an absence or reduction of motion or disturbance: calm, calmness, hush, lull, peace, peacefulness, placidity, placidness, quiet, quietness, serenity, tranquillity".

Most of us have just come through a couple months worth of festivities. When we are in the middle of family celebrations, shopping excursions and cooking frenzies, it is an almost unattainable goal to find stillness. But, did you know that it is actually a command given by the Lord? Psalm 46:10 says, "Be still, and know that I am God…"

Don’t panic at this point, thinking you can’t possibly obey that command with your hectic lifestyle. Stillness is not necessarily the lack of movement. It is the presence of perfect harmony or, if you will, the peace filled opposite of chaos. When we quiet our hearts before God and meditate on Scripture, we are more receptive to hearing His voice.

1 Kings 19:12 "… and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice."

Slow down for a moment. Allow yourself to feel God’s presence in the silence. Don’t fear it. Have you forgotten how soothing it was when you spent a childhood afternoon fishing or exploring or just daydreaming? When did we decide that we couldn’t live without IPODs, cell phones or internet? Re-learn how to hear God's voice even when the whirlwind of life’s noise threatens to drown Him out.

Psalm 37:7 "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him."

Psalm 131:2 "But I have stilled and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with its mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me."

As we still our spirits, and learn to hear from Him, we can find the peace we crave even in the midst of everything life throws at us.

It is vital that we learn to be still, because there will be times of turmoil and battle when our protection depends on us being still and letting God take over! I remember the first time a bee landed on me in kindergarten. The teacher told me, "Stand still!" It was for my protection, and that obedient stillness kept me safe from harm. I was delivered from danger when I obeyed the command to be still.

Exodus 14:14 "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."

1 Samuel 12:16 "Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!"

Zechariah 2:13 "Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling."

In a world where multitasking is an art form to be coveted, the alternative of complete stillness offers the benefit of focus. When we still our minds and hearts, ridding ourselves momentarily of the details that bombard us, then we can truly focus on God, on His word, and on His voice.

I hope that by this point you are not considering throwing out all your electronic devices and going to live in the mountains in an attempt to avoid daily distractions. Instead, embrace the role you have in life. Accept gracefully the responsibilities God has given you. But, when you reach the point where you close your eyes and cannot find a place of stillness within you, pray for it. Ask and you shall receive.

As we begin a new year, I hope you will search for the silence, peace and stillness that will allow you to hear what the loving Father desires to convey.

Copyright by L. Joy Douglas