| February 2, 2020 -- Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted over the earth. (Psalm 46:10)
Many of us lead such hectic lives that we have lost touch with God. As the poet Wordsworth puts it: “The world is too much with us; late and soon, Getting and spending, we lay waste our powers;” The answer to getting back in touch with God is both simple and difficult. We must find the time and the place to “be still”, put- ting aside for the moment all the worldly distractions that separate us from God. For any one of us the way to do this may be different than for somebody else. If one is retired, it becomes easier to find both a time and a place. If one is independently wealthy it is also easier. But what of those who are on a work schedule of 40 or more hours a week, interspersed with various family obligations, such as housework or yardwork and/or caring for kids. Then a little more ingenuity may be necessary to “find” the time. For some it may be only after we have crawled into be with God in silence.
In whatever way you find time, you will find great reward there- in. The prophet Isaiah says: “For thus says the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel: In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” And in Psalm 40 we read:
I waited patiently for the LORD;
he turned to me and heard my cry.
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
The need for a time set aside so that we could rest and be quiet was recognized since the days of ancient Israel, when a “Shabbat” was ordained, a day set aside as a rest from labor, and a time to reconnect with God. Despite the dictates of some religious authorities, I am of firm belief that the day set aside does not have to be Sunday [or Saturday if you hap- pen to be Jewish or Seventh Day Adventist]. The monks of one monastery I am familiar with set Monday aside as their Sabbath. The other six days of the week [including Sunday] they are busy serving as hosts to people on re- treat. Monday is their day of silent rest.
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