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 NKJV
When God first called me into ministry, after a very humble “yes” in response, I was all excited and my mind began to race with all sorts of ideas as I wondered how God might use me to minister to people, especially to those who were hurting. It wasn’t very long before I realized some cold hard truth—how in the world was I going to be able to fulfill the second part of this verse (exalt God among His people wherever that might lead) if I didn’t first learn to practice the discipline of “being still” and then in that stillness to “know that He is God.” Being still (and being quiet!) was not an easy thing for someone who likes to be in control and to be busy making sure it all gets done! And it was especially hard to learn to be still in the midst of the storms and trials of life. I still have not perfected the art of “being still” by any means, but I am so much better than I used to be!
Once again in the midst of this worldwide pandemic, I find the call from the Lord to “be still” is almost deafening. I also find that the circumstances of the day can be even louder. It is a daily battle to “be still” before the Lord instead of catching the latest news updates or making one more run to Wal Mart! These days are mindboggling to say the least! The magnitude of what is happening all over the world is staggering and now it is here in our part of the world. It begs for my attention…not on the circumstances around me, but on my God, Who is sovereign and in control of it all and loves me beyond my ability to understand. It is my heart’s desire to exalt Him in the midst of these anything-but-normal days, but I must first BE STILL and then KNOW THAT HE IS GOD even (and especially!) in the days of a pandemic.