Last week we had the privilege of enjoying a Fall Break.  What was done for those days varied from one family to another… some staying home, some visiting family, some enjoying a respite in a remote location.  However, one of the truths that most of us share was that opportunity to “Be Still.”  Sometimes we forget the importance of taking time to stop.  We are so driven by schedules and routines that we lose touch with taking time to regroup, to prioritize, to leave the tyranny of the urgent for emphasis on what is truly important.  

So how are things going now that you are back in the routine?  Has the maelstrom begun again?  Take a moment to reflect on a familiar story from Mark 4... Jesus is sleeping in the stern of the boat, while the disciples battle a great windstorm which is causing the boat to fill with water and the disciples to fear for their lives.  They wake Him, crying, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?”  His response is to first calm the storm with three simple words, “Peace, be still.”  Then He turns to them and asks why they were afraid, questioning whether they still have no faith… and their interesting response is to say to one another, “Who then is this, that even the wind and the sea obey Him?”

Before we get too critical in response to the oblivious reaction of the disciples, how often does God do something amazing in our midst, yet we cluelessly miss it, wondering how it happened, or labeling it as coincidence rather than the hand of God?  If you are in need of knowing God’s intervention in your life, it starts with taking time to be still and recognize who He is.  Psalm 46:10 states it so eloquently: “Be still, and know that I am God.  I will be exalted among the nations;  I will be exalted in the earth!”  Whether today has been rather peaceful or chaotic, whether the seas seem calm or stormy, the mandate to “Be still and know that I am God” is still applicable.  Instead of feeling that we are only in need of God when our world is out of control, let’s recognize that becoming too self-reliant because things are going well can be just as dangerous.  Spending time with the Almighty is the best way to start your day, to live out your day, to end your day… moment by moment, day by day.  Let’s commit not only to recognizing His Presence, but to living in His Presence.

Minds: 
Read Mark 4:35-41.  What storms are you facing right now?  Are the situations out of your control, or are there things you can do to improve the situations?  Before jumping ahead of yourself, commit to spending time with God, hearing His voice, committing to following His lead.

Hearts: 
Remember that being still may not fit naturally into your schedule… or if you are a parent, into your child’s schedule.  But recognizing God’s Presence is vital!  Take time each day to talk together about what God is doing.  Teach the importance of recognizing God’s power over the storms of our lives.  Spend time thanking God for what He is doing to reveal Himself to your family.