He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed. Psalm 107:29(ESV)
Stillness in this world is a rare commodity. With all the busyness and noise, it’s easy to forget the need for stillness and the blessings it can bring. As I look back on growing up, I realize how fortunate I was to grow up in one of the most quiet places on the East Coast. How can I make this claim? Just a few short miles from my hometown, at the foot of the Shenandoah Mountain, lies the tiny town of Sugar Grove, WV. Google reports a population of around eight hundred, but I believe that to be somewhat inflated. Sugar Grove is the home of one of this country’s most historic and vital National Security Agencies (NSA). While growing up, it was simply called the Navy Base. Yes, a radio receiving station in West Virginia that is so secret and valuable that it is built underground with very limited access. Sugar Grove was chosen in the late 1950s because it was an area with the least amount of radio frequency interference. It is located in the National Radio Quiet Zone, established by Congress in 1958 to facilitate its mission. To this day, cellphone reception in many areas is non-existent. My children affectionately refer to my hometown as “the cave.” It is one of the stillest places on earth.
In the busyness of this life, it is easy to ignore the need for stillness and prioritize the wrong things. But the Bible teaches us to “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him” (Psalm 37:7). God gives stillness precedence, and so should we. The words be still are translated from the Hebrew harp, which means “to let go” or “to release or to cause to let go.” One of my most challenging struggles as a Christian is the axiom, “Let go and let God.” Exodus 14:14 reinforces this principle. Consider the scene in Exodus. The Israelites were trapped between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army that was barreling toward them. They were outnumbered and powerless, but God intervened. Using Moses as His instrument, He reassured the Israelites, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Can you imagine the thoughts racing through their heads in that situation and being told to be still? We know the story ends well with God parting the Red Sea and the Israelites finding safety on the other side. God showed up in a big way. But what about the moments, hours, days, weeks, months, and years before God shows up in His perfect timing? What does stillness look like, then? Being still is not just a physical act but also a spiritual act of refusing to strive in our power. In fact, in Psalm 46:10, “be still” means to “cease striving.” Being still must happen in the heart and the mind before our body can emulate it.
In my life, my need for productivity is my biggest stumbling block to practicing stillness. I call myself a “piddler.” I can spend a whole day going from one thing to the next, trying to avoid idleness. But stillness is not the same as idleness, and that false belief is a lie from satan. It is one of the many ways he convinces us to operate in the flesh and not in the Spirit. Clouding our minds with the busyness of this world through to-do lists and projects, social media and search engines, and the endless connectivity of texting and phone calls leads us down the wrong path of depending on outside sources for wisdom and peace. We must not let our drive for productivity and connectivity make us feel guilty for practicing stillness and miss out on connecting with the only source of true peace and wisdom- Jesus. Being still in the presence of the Lord is where we learn His will for our lives and all He has called us to accomplish. Productivity for Him brings genuine satisfaction in this life. I pray for all of us to stop striving for whatever it is in our day that prevents us from practicing stillness. May “being still” in the presence of our Lord be the umbrella that we gather under as life in this world rains down upon us. And that’s your Tuesday Tidbit.
The photo is of family land in WV taken during a recent trip while enjoying the stillness.