"Be Still" a Tough Commitment to Follow Through On

Be still , and know that I am God ... (Psalm 46:10a)
No unexpeceted interuptions, no TV, no hard schedules, no radio and nobody around and I spent two hours sitting on a couch trying to understand this ( admonishment? command? instruction?) portion of a verse.  In my "unstillness" I wanted to get on my computer for a Bible study on this and yet I sensed the Holy Spirit say, "No ... be still".  And so I remained on the couch.  I began to watch the wind blowing the coconut palms and as a palm frond blew off, I began to wonder if any coconuts had fallen off last night.  As I started to get up to check, I sensed the Holy Spirit say, "No ... be still".  And so I remained on the couch. I thought about what I was going to have for breakfast and heard that still small voice saying, "Be still".  I thought ...so that's part of what fasting is about, being still, especially being still in my mind.  I can't believe how much I can think about food!  Then I began to think about my trip to Waycross next week and what I wanted to share with the Iron Men and I clearly heard again, "No ... don't think about that.  Be still." I found the little scabs on my head that I cannot leave alone in my continuous nervousness and realized how difficult it is, even sitting on the couch with everything in place, how difficult it is for me to "be still". I was beginning to feel like this is  lost cause.  What's this all about?

Enter God ... finally! I began to reflect on my 70's experiences with TM (transcendental meditation) ... not calling up spirits or anything too weird, but what TM taught about centering, getting all thoughts out of your mind.  I remembered how you neeeded to pick out a personal mantra, ("Ohmmm ..." was as personal as I got.) a word that would help you focus yourself so that when all the random thoughts came through your mind you could just let them pass through and keep going with your mantra.  I also remembered the visualizing techniques of seeing yourself as a stone slowly sinking into the depths of the oceans and watching the surface light become more and more dim until it was darkness.  Peace and centering was supposed to occur but I usually fell asleep or was overcome with an irresitable urge to smoke a cigarette and forgot the whole thing.  It did relax me but my life didn't change for the better, I didn't care more about humanity, my neighbor or my nasty habits,  and I felt no peace ...just a little closer to the Beatles when I heard some of their zitar songs during their foray into eastern mysticism. I'm sure John, Paul, Ringo and George appreciated my "openness".

However, I think meditating on God and TM has some parallels.  One: It takes some discipline to stop and do somethings that is aimed as minimizing distractions ("When you pray go into your closet and shut the door and pray to your Father who sees what's done in secret ..."Mt. 6:6).  Two: The need to focus is there, "know that I am God".  The huge differences between TM and meditating  on God is that the purpose in focusing on God is not to empty your mind  but to fill it with what God wants to fill it with.  We aren't trying to reach "nervana" (the great nothingness on the wheel of life)  but intimacy and understanding with our Creator God ...and when that happens it's certainly not darkness but the light of God's countenance shinning upon us.

When I get back to real life I realize that I need to focus on some disciplines in my life that have been anemic.  That's what I learned this morning by attempting to "Be still and know that God is God". There need to be times when I turn off the phone, the TV, the radio, my appetite, my ministry schedule and deadlines, my hobbies ...my many distractions, so I can hear from God clearly, as I simply reflect on who God is ...He is God.  He is the God of my life and He is full of grace and truth.

Two hours and a wonderful revelation from God was specially delivered to me.  Okay God, that's one thing.  Help me hear some more because that's why I'm here.