Be still....AND...

Alright.  It has been a while since I've posted a blog.  Life just seemed to get in the way for a spell, then a little more time went by, and then I got to thinking that since I haven't blogged in a while I'd better come up with a REALLY good topic for my next blog.  Hmmm.  What should it be about?  Uh oh, it's been another week, better make it even better.  It is just plain crazy the amount of pressure I conjured up in my head over a blog.  I had a couple of ideas here and there and honestly had every intention of sharing, but I didn't.  So, here were are pretty far removed from my last blog and I have to tell you that as I sit here I feel no pressure.  I began this blog to share my struggles and victories, my joys and my pain as the LORD would have me with the sole purpose of encouraging others that are on the very same journey as I am.  I share as I am lead and this is what I feel the Lord would have me say.


For the past number of months I have felt the Lord telling me over and over (and over and over) to be still.  He is working on me and unfortunately I seem to wiggle like a 3 year old that's getting a splinter removed from his toe.  (I'm probably as loud too).   I'm able to be still for a while and then before you know it I'm back to being my helpful self because, well, God can always use helpers, right?  I'd hear the whisper again...."Janiece, be still."  Yesterday I was recalling the verses that quickly come to mind when I think of His instruction to "be still".  Have you ever noticed that God doesn't JUST tell us to be still?  He knows us so intimately that he  knows that asking us to simply "be still" would be a challenge.  He tells us to "Be still AND KNOW he is God.  He tells us to "Be still before the LORD and WAIT PATIENTLY for him".  When he is instructing the sea he says simply "Be still", but not his children.  God doesn't shush us off into the corner and then come back when he's done with his work.  He tells us to be still and KNOW that he is God, which means that even though the waiting is hard, we have the comfort in knowing who it is that asks us to wait.  God loves us so much that he wants us to be comforted in our waiting and in the stillness.  I have lately learned that there is much more going on than we realize when we are still.   Exodus 14:14 says "The LORD will fight for you, you have only to be silent."  Psalm 23 talks about our souls being restored as we are lead by STILL waters.   How many times have we read or quoted that Psalm?  I can't count...but when I rest on the words "He restores my soul"  I am encouraged.  He is working, he is refining, he is sanding rough edges, he is perfecting and lets not forget the best part, he is fighting.  He is doing all these things in me in the stillness.  That isn't even the best part.  The best part is that these promises are not just for me, they are for you.  All we have to do is be still....and know.