July 6, 2011
SUBSCRIBE TO PODCAST | LISTEN TO DEVOTIONAL
Be Still
Ryan Duncan, TheFish.com Editor
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." – Psalms 46:10-11
Midway through the Book of Luke, there’s a section where Jesus and his disciples visit the house of Mary and Martha.
“As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" "Martha, Martha," the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her." – (John 10:38-42)
It’s easy when reading this for us to laugh and shake our heads at Martha. It seems so obvious that listening to Jesus was more important than housework, but how many of us have made the same mistake at one point or another? I know I have.
A week ago I found myself in a pretty bad place. I was tired, angry, and stressed. I’d let all sorts of little things compile during the week, and while in hindsight none of them were that important, it reached the point where I couldn’t even relax at home. With no idea what to do, I went out to my patio and had a ranting session with God. I began venting my worries about work, finances, small group, and a hundred other things when I suddenly felt God say, “Ryan, Stop!”
I stopped mid-sentence and looked around. The sun was setting over the James River. Birds were flying in the air, all the trees and plants seemed to glow green, and a freight train was slowly making its way over a bridge into the city. It was as if God had painted a picture and said, “See, look what I can do. Look what you’re missing because your anxiety got the better of you.” For a while I just sat there and watched the scenery. By the time I finished I felt calmer, collected and my worries didn’t seem all that big anymore. Sometimes we get so agitated that we forget who God is, and we end up running to him with demands like “Fix my problems!” In times like this, it’s important that we take a step back and remember, He is God.
Intersecting Faith and Life
Be still and know that He is God.
Further Reading
John 16: 33
