The act of being still is practically non-existent today. We are a society that is constantly on the move. At work, our bodies are anxiously moving to meet deadlines and at home, we are on the go to meet family needs. Stillness is a luxury we seldom enjoy.
However, learning to be still before God is essential to properly hear from Him. When our minds are full of the day’s activities, it is hard to hear God to receive His direction for the day. It is important that we find time to pause, rest and remain still so He can properly guide us (Psalm 4:4).
Another reason why God demands stillness is because His works are best seen when we are still before Him. When the Israelites feared that they were trapped before a Red Sea and the Egyptian army advancing behind, they panicked and cried out to Moses.
Despite their cries, God knew exactly what He would do to calm their fears so that they could witness a miracle. However, to better appreciate the miracle, Moses told them to “stand still” so they could see God’s salvation (Exodus 14:13). God cannot help us if we are frantically moving about; instead, we must develop stillness to allow Him to move on our behalf.
The photo of the Blue Heron above caught my attention because the Heron remained still in shallow water for approximately thirty minutes. Little did I know that this is actually a hunting method. The Heron stalks its’ prey by remaining still as a statue before it strikes.
What would happen if we used stillness against the devil? Instead of panicking before God when trouble comes, let us learn the art of stillness, allowing God to act our behalf (Isaiah 64:4). When we do, know that we will experience peace like never before as we remain still through life’s storms.