Be Still

How do you usually respond when someone tells you to "be still"?

I can tell you that telling my toddler daughter to be still is just words that she hears. She may try for a minute or two, but the reality is that as a toddler, she has too many things capturing her attention to stay in one place and rest.

The reality is that, in this technology-driven world, humans can be the same.

There is so much noise in the world. What would it mean to be quiet and listen? What would it mean to set your phone aside for 10 minutes, disconnect, and breathe?

The command to be still is derived from the Hebrew word Raphah, which means "to be weak, to let go, or to release."

I am captivated by the words' to be weak."

Waiting on God in a place where we can take action with our own hands requires a form of humility that, to others, can "appear" as weakness.

I struggle with this in some situations. Do you? In those situations, the reality is that we are choosing to turn over that specific thing in our lives where we can clearly take vindication into our own hands and instead give it to God to be our vindicator.

There is absolutely nothing weak about such a strong decision.

Pause for a Moment:

What would it mean "to be weak" in a place right now where you want to take time to vindicate yourself?

Reminder:

The Hebrew word for "Be Still" is Raphah.

Raphah is defined as "to be weak, to let go, or to release."

How easily can this command to "be still" be connected to the process of "surrender"?

There are some areas in our lives where "be still" will translate to "surrender."

Practice:

• Set aside 5 minutes to meditate on the word Rapha from today's devotional.
• Repeat its meaning out loud.
• Acknowledge which meaning is landing the most within you.
• Sit, breathe, and rest.
• Journal about what God has revealed today.