Be still and KNOW…thoughts from the beach (part II)

16 Aug 2011 1 Comment

by Heidi Reiszner in Uncategorized

Continuing my thoughts from our beach vacation

When I felt God speak the revelation to me about being still….”Heidi, it’s your responsibility to be STILL…it’s My responsibility for you to KNOW”, I began to wonder how many other significant things does God want to tell me, but my mind has been too busy to hear Him?

I don’t think God is holding on to His wisdom, revelations, instructions or knowledge, expecting us to beg for it.  I think there is MUCH He wants to speak to us but far too often, we’re just too busy to “be still” and hear Him.  My prayer is that I will continue to “be still” in my heart and mind.  Even though life continues on after the beach get-a-way, I can purposely STILL my mind and heart to hear Him better.

God reveals Himself, His heart and His purposes to us through stillness.

There’s a passage of scripture in the book of Matthew, that my husband and I read many times over while on vacation.  “Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to Me. Get away with Me and you’ll recover your life. I’ll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me-watch how I do it. LEARN THE UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF GRACE. I won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you’ll learn to live freely and lightly.” (Matt. 11: 28-30 Message Bible)

How many of us can relate to those verses??  God instructs us to LEARN (which means we may not currently know how) the UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF GRACE.  That is now our new mantra: learning the unforced rhythms of God’s grace. His promise to us is that He won’t lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on us.  If I feel the “heaviness”, then it simply means that either I’m putting that weight on myself (which is usually the case!! ) or I’m allowing someone else to put it on me.  God IS NOT placing a heavy weight on me….or on you.

I find myself at the doorway of an entirely new season in my life. My second daughter is a senior this year and will be graduating and moving away to college by this time next year, which will leave only one teenager at home.  I will be facing an “empty nest” before I know it.  Spiritually, I’m also facing a new season.  So much of what God has spoken to me about assignments He has given me, I am on the brink of seeing those things come to pass.

I don’t think it’s a coincidence that God is speaking STILLNESS to me at this season of my life. I don’t think it’s a coincidence that He’s helping me to LEARN THE UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF GRACE either.  I think He knows what will be absolutely necessary for me to walk forward into this new and exciting season: BE STILL AND KNOW…..

Enough about me…..let’s talk about you!

Are you STILL enough in your heart and mind, to hear the voice of God if He needed to tell you something?  Do you desire to KNOW Him more, but haven’t been STILL enough to listen?  Have you allowed the HEAVINESS of life and responsibilities to weigh you down?  Do you also need to LEARN THE UNFORCED RHYTHMS OF GOD’S GRACE?

Half of the battle is just recognizing where you are.  It’s not too late to begin making some changes in your life.  It’s not too late to begin to BE STILL and it’s certainly not too late to begin to KNOW HIM.  What are some changes you need to make? 

Do ONE thing each day to STILL yourself.  Turn off the radio/music in your car and just listen with your heart. Take a moment to simply sit down and BE STILL.  It will take some time for your mind to settle down but be patient….it will happen.  Get up a little earlier, just to sit and listen to what God wants to say to you.  Take a walk outside (in the cool of the day, of course!) without your ipod, and BE STILL in your mind and heart, enjoying the creation of God.

It is simply amazing what STILLNESS will do for you!!

“BE STILL and KNOW that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”  Psalm 46:10

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