Be Still and Know that I am God

Be still, and know that I am God.  Psalm 46:10

Several months ago my daughter-in-law text me and shared that she had asked their two-year old son, Graham, to be quiet upon waking up early that morning.  He responded back to her ever so sweetly, “I want to talk.  I like to talk”.  Of course, all his precious mother could do was laugh at his honest response.

I love hearing my daughter and daughter-in-law share precious stories of their small children.  However, as I pondered Graham’s words….”I want to talk…I like to talk”…I thought how true that is for all of us.  We often spend much more time talking than we do listening.  Often our life requires us to do a lot of talking.  We chat with our spouses, friends, children, co-workers, with complete strangers at the grocery store!  At the end of the day, we realize that we have spent very little time listening to others because we have been so busy sharing our own story.

God desires us to pour our hearts out to Him…to share our cares, concerns and needs with Him.  He longs for us to communicate with Him.  But he also desires that we take time to listen…to listen for His voice throughout the day.  He longs for us to sit at his feet and just be still.  His word says, “Be still, and know that I am God”, Psalm 46:10. 

As I pondered Graham’s words, I realize that I often spend much more time talking than listening.  I think of my own prayer life.  How often do I pour my heart out to the Lord, lifting up one prayer request after another, and though often those prayers are for precious loved ones, I realize that I often rattle off one prayer after another, taking very little time to just sit at HIS feet and listen.  Just as God longs to have open communication with me, I know He desires that I take time to listen to His voice…to be still and wait upon Him and what He desires to share with me at that moment.

Though I am thankful for the opportunity to pour my heart out to the Lord, I am so thankful that He desires to pour His love…His wisdom…His word…into me.  All I need to do is to be still before Him and listen. 

Dear Heavenly Father…thank you for the open communication that each of us has with you and for hearing each prayer that is lifted up to you.  Help me to be still and listen for your voice throughout the day.

Our Sweet Graham