The Stillness That Draws Us Near

Psalms 46:10 (NIV)

¹⁰ 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 nearness we have to God depends upon our ability to be still. 

At first thought, we might say being still is impossible. Of course, we can sit still for a few minutes of prayer. Some, however, may struggle with remaining physically stationary for any length of time. However, the stillness we need is of the mind and spirit. Being still with our body enhances our ability to bring stillness to our mind and spirit, but even for those who struggle to sit still, nearness to God is possible when we still our mind and spirit.

A significant problem in disciplining ourselves to be still is a lack of motivation because we don’t know what we don’t know. We are not adequately motivated because the benefits are far greater than anything previously known. 

We say that God reveals Himself, but this is a nuanced statement. God is who He is. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. It is not as if God is hiding and slowly shows more of Himself over time. God doesn’t change, but our ability to see Him more clearly does.

Every relationship is dynamic. The more interaction and experience we have with someone, the more familiar we become with them. With each interaction, we adjust our approach based on our understanding. When we perceive them as beneficial to our lives, we will adjust our interactions to be more closely aligned with them. If we perceive they are not suitable for us, we will do the opposite. When we move closer, we learn more. We see more. We know them more.

The difficulty in being near to God is that who He is challenges our natural disposition. He is love. He is self-sacrificial. The path to knowing Him, then, requires us to engage with Him in self-sacrifice. This can seem counterproductive to human reasoning. More often than not, we do not engage God very deeply for this reason. Human nature is not self-sacrificing. However, by not engaging, we remain unaware of the greater aspects of His person. But our ignorance of what we don’t know suppresses our desire to go deeper. Because we struggle to live in a self-sacrificing way, our understanding of God is hindered, and we lack the motivation to press deeper into an intimate relationship with Him. But there is a stillness that draws us near.

However, if we can adopt the mindset that there is still much to experience and know in our relationship with God, then God promises to give us Himself, the Holy Spirit, the mind of Christ. He is giving us Himself because He knows Himself entirely, and only He can help us understand Him more. Our part is to simply be still. Will you posture your spirit over the next seven days to know Him more? The Bible says no one can fathom His greatness (Psalm 145:3), but we have the mind of Christ (1 Corinthians 2:16).

Questions for meditation:

Psalm 46:10 tells us to “be still” and know God. What does stillness look like in your spiritual life, and what challenges keep you from practicing it regularly?

The reflection suggests that knowing God requires self-sacrificial engagement. Why do you think self-sacrifice is a necessary part of drawing near to God? How have you experienced this in your own walk with Him?

How does the idea that “we don’t know what we don’t know” affect your desire to pursue God more deeply? In what ways can you open your heart to discover more of who He is this week?

Prayer:

"Lord, teach us to be still. Quiet the noise within us and around us so we can know You more. We confess that our desire for comfort and control often keeps us from going deeper. Help us surrender to Your presence with humility and courage. Open our eyes to see what we do not yet know and give us the desire to know You as You truly are. Thank You for the promise that if we draw near to You, You will draw near to us. In Jesus’ name, Amen."