The Pastor’s Blog – BE STILL
Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10
When I was young, I was full of energy. (Weren’t we all?) During High School I attended class all day and then went to my job at the grocery store afterwards, and still had time for two to three church events each week and outings with my friends. One summer I had four jobs, which paled to the five jobs I had while attending college full time. But I could do it then, and the message God kept giving me was, “Be Still.”
As I got older, I went off to college and seminary I immersed myself in studies. I studied psychology and sociology, history and old languages like Greek and Hebrew. I studied literature, in particular the Bible, and I was instructed in public speaking (a daunting course for a shy small town boy). Then it was time to make decisions about the future – where would we minister? Seven opportunities all opened up at the same time. Information seemed to be coming at me from every direction. God had to keep reminding me, “Be still and know…”
Then as the years passed, and the family came and started to grow up, and we moved from our first church to our second, then to our third, I found I had acquired lots on information through the years. I had experience as a husband, father, pastor and community leader. I was becoming more and more opinionated, knowing I had lots of experience to shape my thoughts. Now God had to keep reminding me, “Be still and know that I am God.”
Now COVID-19 has come, and everything has changed – my work schedule, the demands of the tasks, and certainly the interactions I was so used to. And as I looked at the garden in our yard blooming with Spring flowers I heard God say once again: “Be still…” May you also hear His voice calmly telling you, “Be Still.”
– Pastor Gary