Day 9 Advent Devotional | December 12th
Psalm 46:10-11
He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
All through the ages the event of Jesus’ birth has been associated with stillness, quiet and peace. Christmas is a time that we hear through scripture readings, poetry, and carols that with the arrival of the Christ Child, peace will reign. It seems especially the carols bring this truth as we sing “Silent night, holy night, all is calm…” and “O little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lie…” What better way to usher in the Prince of Peace than by singing about stillness and quiet while we meditate on his divine nature.
In our passage today, we hear the Lord himself through the psalmist implore us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” We are told to cease from our striving, to stop, to be quiet. Earlier in the Psalm the writer says that the warriors might rage, the mountains might crumble, and the sea might churn, but this is not to be our way. We as believers in the Lord are to be still before Him, exalt Him, and trust that He is our fortress.
Why is this so important in our walk with Christ? I believe part of it is that a peaceful and still mind and heart in the presence of the Prince of Peace is fertile soil where the Lord can plant his truth into our hearts. When we are striving and distracted there is much less of a chance that we will hear the still, small voice of the Lord. In my own life of responsibility and busyness I have experienced this personally. I remember a 3:00 am feeding with our first-born son. It was so still, so quiet. It was just our baby and me. I would often speak to the Lord during that precious time. On this particular morning, though, the Lord spoke very sweetly back to me. He told my waiting and quiet mind of His great love for me; far greater than the love I was then giving our baby. What an incredible moment of intimacy with my Father. I hear from Him most when I am still and submissive before Him, and you can also know this same intimacy.
Prayer: Lord, help me to carve out time to spend with you in stillness every day because your words are life and truth. Be exalted not only in the earth but in my heart today so that I might hear your voice and trust you more fully. In Jesus’ name, amen.