Be Still and Know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)

 Psalm 46:10 

He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

    I will be exalted among the nations,

    I will be exalted in the earth.”

God lives just behind the noise. Isn’t this true? Our minds are so filled with static sometimes, the static of worry, the static of always feeling we have to do something to feel valued, the static of peer pressure, the static of feeling valueless. The static of business, the static of busyness, the static of wanting to be heard, the static of not being heard. There are many things that occupy the mind, and try to prevent us from being at rest and even feeling the peace and presence of God! Yes God exists, and one place he exists is in the quiet. Psalm 46:10 says “Be still and know that I am God.” We need to learn how to quiet our minds from worry and even panic, and to do this sometimes we need to learn to still our bodies. 

When we sleep, our bodies are still, the only activity our minds engage in while we sleep are our dreams, so sometimes in the process of quieting our minds sometimes means taking a posture that evokes rest, like sitting in a chair or lying on a bed. The desire for constant activity mentally or physically, prevents the mind from being at rest. When we are constantly thinking of what we should do to solve a problem, or how to help ourselves we need to quiet the mental noise, and even sometimes the physical noise. Constantly having noise around you, causes your mind to constantly think, and if you are trying to rest or to be still, sometimes the best thing to do is turn off the tv or the radio and be physically still. 

God lives just behind the noise, of course God lives in Heaven, but his presence is always with us and can be experienced. When the bible says “be still and know that I am God” (psalm 46:10) it’s as though God is inviting us to quiet our hearts, and release to him all that burdens us. We can do this through a quiet prayer, through contemplation of beauty, through contemplation of nature, through quiet music, or a walk in the brisk air of nature. Being still before the Lord doesn’t mean you have to sit still, even though that can be the best way to quiet your mind. It can mean being mentally quiet as you do an activity that creates harmony in your soul. 

There is noise all around us during the day so the best way to be quiet while there is noise around you is inward silence. Look inside to how you are reacting to negative circumstances and you will find peace of mind coming back into your soul. Focus on a verse in the bible when you are stressed, and meditate on that. Try not to get frustrated with those who are constantly restless in their moods and their behaviour. God lives just behind the noise and commotion of other people’s bad behaviour as well. Look for opportunities to look behind all restlessness to see what God is speaking to you behind other’s constant need to distract themselves. You won’t know the quiet of your own soul if you don’t know how to forgive others for their inability to quiet themselves. Try to create an inner and if possible an outer environment of peace and tranquillity. Never force someone to see beyond the noise of their own distractions, because you can only be still when you make the choice. Part of the noise that prevents people from experiencing God is their lack of a real choice to deal with their own problems. The best thing to do with these kinds of people is to let them be. You need to find God behind the noise of your own life, not in the noise of other people’s lives.

In times of deep stress, stop to smell the flowers. Buy yourself some flowers and place them in the sunlight. When you feel overwhelmed by the busyness of others, remember God is not in the noise, God lives just behind the noise. This is Mike. Good luck.