Have you noticed it seems like the world is getting louder? The noise of the distractions, the noise of current events, the noise of the pace of life. What I mean by noise is a lack of quietness. A lack of peacefulness. A lack of focus. A lack of internal rest. A time to just be still, without the outside world influencing our thoughts – for the moment. I remember the days when I woke up in the morning without an electronic device to check. There were no alerts or to-do list reminders, no social media accounts to check, no overnight news alerts that enticed my immediate attention.
We are living in the information age. We have access to more information (information isn’t necessarily knowledge) of things big and small, significant and insignificant, all across the four corners of the world than we ever have before. You and I can search out just about anything on the internet and turn up various opinions, pontifications, images, and history on an endless variety of topics and events. Why is this so appealing to us? Why do we have such a curiosity for information? I don’t think it’s altogether bad, but I think to a large degree it can be a distraction that crowds out the quietness of the life the Lord wants us to have on the inside. I think we lack balance.
Have you noticed the noise of the outside world affects the quietness of your mind? It affects the peace you and I experience.
Psalm 46:10 (NKJV) Be still and know that I am God…
The Amplified Classic reads this way: Let be and be still, and know (recognize and understand) that I am God…
I like this – let be and be still. How hard have we made this in our day and age? To let be carries with it the idea of let it be – let what be? The noise, the problem, the worry, the constant going and doing, the endless questioning, the anxiousness of not knowing, the fear of an outcome, and so on. So, let those things be – for the moment. Then be still and know that He is God. This paints a picture for me. When I can hush all the noise in my head and the periphery of life, get still (internally and physically) and put my mind on Him, know Him and who He is, I am flooded with a different perspective. I become still. It is an inner posture of my heart.
It is in the quiet times that I get recharged and refreshed. In my early morning time when I can get alone with the Lord without the distractions of anyone looking for me or the noise of others awake in the house – in the quiet where I can hear the birds outside my window and hear myself think, and hear the Lord speak. These are the times revelation comes, when answers come, when vision comes, when direction comes. These are the times I draw closer to Him.
In the parable of the sower (see Mark 4 and Luke 8), we read about the ones who heard the word of God but then the cares of life, the pleasures for other things, the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and they bring no fruit to maturity, or it doesn’t yield a crop. This is saying you can sow the word of God in your heart, but the thorns of life can choke the word and it doesn’t yield a crop. Notice the thorns are the noise of life.
Our hearts are the soil this parable is talking about.
I remember one of my pastors explaining it this way and it has stuck with me for years. The cares and distractions of life are competing for the same ground or soil in your heart as the word of God. Which one is going to win?
When we let the cares win (that means we are consumed by them, we meditate on them, we let them rule our focus), we bring no fruit to maturity. But when we let the word win (by continuing to pour it in and let it consume our thoughts), we bear fruit, it yields a crop.
Case in point – even as I write this, in the past 30 seconds I have received two alerts on my phone. 😊 Why does that matter? It drew my attention away from this blog, momentarily. It caused me to stop looking at what was important in the moment and shift my attention to a solicitation text message and an alert on my fitness app. Sheesh!
We are being trained to be consumed with something every waking moment. I like the word to be still and know that He is God. It will transform your experience with Him. In those moments when you are still with Him and He is your focus, the noise of life will begin to fade. Take time to quiet yourself and BE with Him.
How much do we love to be in His presence? He feels the same way about you! Let be. Be still, and know that He is God.
I really like this devotional, Lacey. It reminds me to keep life simple and remember why I am here is the first place – to follow Jesus and serve him. The rest of life’s worries and distractions can take a back seat. “Let be” – what a great thought. I don’t need to think about or fix everything. God is in control.