Be still and know

When we were children, time seemed to crawl. I can remember sitting in class staring at the clock, waiting for the last bell to ring. I remember wanting to be 10 years old so I could finally be a “double digit” age, and then 16 so I could date and drive. Then graduation day couldn’t come soon enough. 

I was ready to be free of school so I could start my life — all without realizing my life had already begun. 

As adults, though, time seems to fly by so fast. We can’t get it all done even with the best of intentions. Racing around every day, with too much to do and not enough time to do it. And then at the end of the day, we’re exhausted and wondering where the time went. 

Then comes the year 2020. 

This new normal is making us slow down, whether we want to or not. Many of us are no longer driving in traffic to get to work or racing to get ready for church. We’re now waiting in lines at the grocery store just to get in. We have had to slow down so much, giving us more time to think about what else this new normal has brought — job losses, health problems, fears about our future. While these things are important to think about, they cannot be our focus. What we allow in our minds will determine the path for our day. If we focus on the things we cannot control, our minds and attitudes will spiral, leading us to frustrating and difficult days.  

What can we do then to get our focus where it needs to be? The Bible tells us to “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (Ps. 46:10). 

The directive here is to “Be still,” meaning we must choose to be still and choose to know He is God. It is a choice to stop and empty our mind of things not of God, like our fears and concerns. And it is a choice to ask God to help us focus on the most important things we need right now. 

Our God is a big God. We can ask Him for big things. He created everyone with a purpose; He fashioned our steps well before we were even thought of on earth. 

Cry out to Him as David did in Psalm 57:2: “I cry out to God Most High, to God who fulfills His purpose for me.” That doesn’t change just because of the uncertainty in our circumstances. Ask Him and trust Him. Be still and know.


Amy Hacker is a regular contributor to The Scroll. She also is advertising manager for The Alabama Baptist/TAB Media Group. She attends the Church of the Highlands and has three children.

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