The language of the Bible is one of beauty, cadence, and poetry. The structure and selection of words produce an abundance of richness.
'Be still and know that I am God.' What does it mean to 'be still' and to 'know' God?
To 'be still' in this context, I think refers to the disposition of the heart and mind of a person. What I mean by that is not allowing oneself to get so caught up in the busyness of life, that one forgets to take moments out of each day to 'stop and smell the roses'. It's about ensuring that you 'slow down' and spend time with God throughout the day... and be enriched by it.
I find it amazing and bewildering to think that the God who made this universe and holds the world in His hand, the one and only Almighty God that there is, wants to spend time with me.
You might ask - how do I spend time with God?
*By praying - Praising, Thanking and Confiding in Him: telling God what is on our heart, acknowledging that He is there and that you trust Him. (A post on Prayer to come soon).
*Reading His Word, the Bible. When we go on a journey in the car to somewhere we haven't been before or are unsure where to go and which way to turn, we take and use a map. Life is a journey full of twists and turns, and the Bible is the map for life.*Singing songs of praise
*Being amongst His creation - for example walking along the beach, bushwalking or hiking, watching a sunset, standing at the top of a ski run and looking at snow-capped mountain views, standing under a canopy of stars... just being surrounded by His beauty.
I tend to combine ways of spending time with God; for example I'll walk along the beach and pray; I like to pray before and after I read any passage out of the Bible...
In today's society, where life just seems to get more and more busy, it isn't easy to 'be still' - life's realities are a distraction. Being 'still' is something that God expects and encourages us to do throughout our day; it is an inherent quality that God wants us to develop. Why? When we close the door on the world and open the windows to heaven, by way of setting aside time to just 'be', we allow our minds to 'take a break' from the stresses of life, change and re-direct our focus, and thus enrich our hearts and minds with God's love.
By spending time with God, you get to 'know' God - know Who He is, What He is capable of, What He has done, What He will continue to do for you and just how much HE LOVES YOU!
God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time;
enjoying one moment at a time;
accepting hardships as the pathway to peace;
taking, as He did, this sinful world
as it is, not as I would have it;
trusting that He will make all things right
if I surrender to His Will;
that I may be reasonably happy in this life
and supremely happy with Him
forever in the next.
Amen.
~Reinhold Niebuhr
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