Meeting God - Daily Thoughts about God

“Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10

Imagine the scene: a well-dressed businesswoman rushes to the conference table, arriving five minutes after the meeting’s scheduled opening. Papers scatter as she places them before her, beads of perspiration coat her brow and we hear one side of a frantic cell phone conversation.

Another woman, equally important in the company hierarchy, drops her child at day care, turns her phone to vibrate and five minutes before the scheduled opening seats herself at the conference table where her colleagues gather for planning. They relax in her confident appearance of leadership.

Both women carry heavy loads of responsibilities. Both have families and full schedules. Both know that the hours ahead may present nearly insurmountable difficulties. Without examining the reasons behind each woman’s preparation, or lack of same, perhaps there is a spiritual lesson to be learned.

Which woman do I most resemble when I meet with God each day? Do I dash into His presence wearing an attitude of “Hear I am, God, let’s get on with it.” Does my mind appear as scattered as a haystack? Or do I take a deep breath, close my “closet” door on all the whirling responsibilities of my life, sink into a chair and simply be still before Him?

God awaits and welcomes us no matter our appearance or attitude, but how much more precious to us would be the time if we prepared more thoroughly. In the 17th Century, Catharina von Schlegel wrote these words:

Be still, my soul; thy God doth undertake
To guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence, let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul; the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.

By Marilyn Ehle