Christian Living

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The Position of Stillness

Psalms 46:10 be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen; I will be exalted in the earth.

Four weeks ago, as I began to establish my home in New Mexico, the Lord began to show me ‘The Position of Stillness.’ My finite mind looked at the obvious, I was moving out of a hectic, fast-pace environment into a place of turtle crawling life-style. So I determined that was it? I was to be still and relax and calm myself down. Enjoy the beauty of the surroundings and meditate on the Word.

As I began to look back over the last few months, I understood the Lord was preparing me for such a time as this. A couple years ago, if I had been sat down in this pace, I would not have reacted in such a calm fashion. But as the gears have been shifted, and I have begun to learn a different pace, I am learning to enjoy ‘The Position of Stillness.’

Nevertheless, I still felt I needed to do something with what the Lord was showing me. So I tried to write about it. I tried to put it in words so that all could understand, but every time I would sit down with paper and pen, the words just weren’t there, thus leaving me to pace the floor and wonder why, if this was so important I couldn’t explain it. As the week drew to an end, I began to have a clearer picture.

While I read Job 37:14 Hearken unto this O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God, I had assumed the Lord was taking me in one direction. Then I began to search out the word ‘still’ in the Hebrew text and the light came on. Let me explain.

The word ‘still’ in Hebrew, from the text Psalms 46:10 is raphah (faw-wah) which means to slacken, abate and cease. It is taken from the prime root rapha, which means to mend, to cure, to heal, repair and thoroughly make whole.

As I read this I began to understand even more what the Lord is doing. For years I have been drawn to this scripture, be still and know that I am God, always when at the end of myself and always when I had exhausted all means or avenues. It was in these times I would attempt to be still and let God, but there was always this part of me that thought I could still fix things. Yet, my inability to control situations left me running back to my prayer closet in frustration, only to read again, BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.

Today I am surrounded by God’s beauty. When I look out my front window I see Haystack Mountain, designed by the Master’s hand. At night I watch the stars, and it would seem that with a little stretch you could touch the canvas of the sky and pull a star from the night. At every angle God’s beauty is displayed which exemplifies the text from Job 37:14 hearken unto this, O Job: stand still, and consider the wondrous works of God. But even in all the glory of the surrounding nature, it wasn’t until the last few days did I comprehend the magnitude of standing still and considering the wondrous works of God.

It is in ‘The Position of Stillness’ that we are able to notice the beauty all around us.
It is in ‘The Position of Stillness’ that God is able to speak to our hearts.
It is in ‘The Position of Stillness’ that God is able to make us whole.
It is in ‘The Position of Stillness’ that God is able to heal our most inward parts.

You see when we are ‘busy’ we often get wrapped up in what ‘we can do.’ We have agendas, plans and mega to-do list. We build bigger buildings and develop larger dreams. We become consumed with goals and ideas and although God may ordain them, if we are not careful we can lose sight of God’s purpose. If we are not careful, we will become so busy that we no longer can hear the ‘still small voice’ for all the commotion surrounding us.

Let me ask you this.

What is it that you or I can do that compares to what God has already done?

The Position of Stillness is not intended to be a torturous experience, but rather a time of healing; a time of mending and cleansing; a time of fine tuning the spiritual ear in order to hear the voice of God. Yet we resist as if we know better. As if our ideas, plans and agendas are better suited for the ministry and or our lives. Regardless of what position you hold in life, there comes a time, when just as Job, we must stand still and consider the wondrous works of God. Just as the Psalmist wrote, be still and know that I am God; we must still ourselves and take in just who God is and what He wants to do within us.

It is in ‘The Position of Stillness’ that we learn who we are in God.
It is in ‘The Position of Stillness’ that we can fully understand the wondrous works of God.
It is in ‘The Position of Stillness’ that we can hear the still small voice.
It is in ‘The Position of Stillness’ that we are able to see just what God has done; what He wants to do; for us; in us and through us.

But we must come to the place where we can accept The Position of Stillness, not as torture, but rather as a time to be made whole, a healing process or perhaps a learning process. Whatever the process God intends to take you through, understand this, there is nothing we can do or say, that can compare to the wondrous work that God has already done, is doing and will continue to do.

So if today you find yourself in ‘The Position of Stillness,’ my friends do not resist, but rather rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him (Psalms 37:7a). It is in ‘The Position of Stillness’ that God is able to work in us and through us. And isn’t that what we really want?

© Jounda LaMance September 27, 2005

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