Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
My church friend told me, "I've been praying for you, and I have a message for you. 'Be still and know that I am God.'"
Wow. Truth.
I certainly can be too eager to drive things, to run ahead of God, to avoid slowing down and listening. So I began attempting stillness and knowing God's presence in my life in that moment.
The next Sunday, I thanked my friend for the message. He added, "Someone once told me a modification: Be still and listen until you can only hear one voice."
Whoa. Truth.
We can try to slow down and listen, but there are so many voices in our heads. Voices like our to-do lists, our work and personal obligations, our anxieties, our desires, even our relationships. They can make so much noise while we're trying to be quiet and listen. Somehow we have to discard and ignore those voices until they go away so we can listen to the voice of The One.
Henri Nouwen compared this cacophony of thoughts to unwelcome neighbors knocking on our door, trying to get in. The key, he said, is to refuse to answer the door, until the neighbors give up and drift away.
Let us refuse to answer those many voices and keep listening until only one voice remains: the voice of God. Let us know God and hear God in that stillness.
Coming next week, Cecil Taylor Ministries will add to the lineup of Wednesday devotionals and Friday Seven-Day Practical Faith Blog posts. Mondays, we'll share quotes from Cecil in various mediums. Tuesdays, we'll post a video. Thursdays, we'll share quotes from podcast guests. Weekends will have different rotating features. Keep checking the Cecil Taylor Ministries Facebook page to supplement your seven-day practical faith journey.
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