Be Still

"I will climb up into my watchtower now and wait to see what the Lord will say to me." Habakkuk 2:1....."Anyone who is willing to hear should listen to the Spirit and understand what the Spirit is saying to the churches." Revelation 2:29....."Be still and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10

Our culture and nation are in turmoil. It seems everyone is looking at the immediate problems, be it race, civic disorder edging toward societal chaos, and open lawlessness to name a few. Many, particularly in the church are seeking ways and means to respond to it all. This is not bad, but I fear that most, including we in the church, are responding emotionally rather than in His Spirit. This, no matter how good and pure our intentions will always be wrong if we are doing it apart from the counsel and leading of His Holy Spirit. Our flesh is impulsive. His Spirit is not, and I believe that is clear from the above Scriptures.

The prophet Habakkuk lived in days like this, indeed much worse days than this. His nation and people were being overrun by a powerful and evil empire. Destruction and loss were everywhere, and Habakkuk sought reasons and answers for it all. Surely his flesh response was one of feeling he had to "do something." Yet the Holy Spirit led him to a spiritual "watchtower" where he would wait upon His God for direction and leading. He composed himself before the Lord and focused his attention on hearing His voice. In due time he did, and the Father spoke beautiful and wonderful truth and understanding into His Spirit. Dare we admit that there are not many Habakkuk's among us today who are willing to refuse the urge to do something and instead seek the leading and wisdom of the Father? Dare we admit that few of us even know how to go about doing so?

Jesus through His Holy Spirit called upon the churches of Revelation (as well as the churches of today) to hear what He was saying and so understand what He would do in the days they were living in as well as the days yet to come. The call to hear His voice is still being given to us through this Scripture, yet how many are listening? How many of us even have the spiritual skill needed so that we can listen? We believe God is silent and has to be pleaded with to speak. Sometimes He does keep silent in order to teach us, discipline us, and in these, work in us. Most of the time though, He is speaking. Our problem is we have no idea how to listen and so can't hear Him, or worse, we don't know His voice and so can't recognize Him when He whispers in the Spirit.

His Word says, "My people are perishing for lack of knowledge." Knowledge first and foremost of their God. We are a people who may name Him as our Savior, but who are largely ignorant of who He is, His ways, and His voice. In the myriad of "voices" constantly screaming at us, we have no real ability to distinguish His. Yet His pathway to such intimacy is open to us. Too few of us ever discover it.

Psalm 46 calls us to "Be still and know that I am God." Not a mental knowing, but a heart knowledge. Knowing that comes from time spent just soaking in His presence. This requires a stillness in our souls, a release of all distractions, and a centering on His Person. None of this is natural to our flesh, but all are spiritual disciplines that He can and will nurture in us. How many of us know how to be still that we might also know Him?

Oswald Chambers, founder of a college for missionaries, exhorted his students to never step out into service until they had spent much time in His presence, listening to His voice, hearing His heart. That way, they did not go out, they were sent out. There is a difference, and we must learn it. He is speaking, moving, doing in this and all times. Whether we are actually a part of it all will depend upon whether we will be still, hear, and know...His voice and His heart.

Blessings,
Pastor O