Be Still & Know That I Am God

"Busyness is the enemy of spirituality”
Eugene H. Peterson

McKinley enjoying a break on a busy shopping day

Yesterday, our daughter, McKinley asked Libby, “Why are we always in a rush?” At first we figured it was such a cute thing to say … and then we thought about our poor little girl who felt the hurriedness of our new lives here in Chicago. And then this morning, I wondered if God was speaking through my 3 year-old about something even bigger.

Richard Foster says, "In contemporary society, our adversary majors in 3 things: noise, hurry and crowds. The world screams at us - faster, louder, more. God calls to us - slower, softer, less." Psalm 46 is filled with all sorts of action. The earth is shaking, mountains crumbling, waters crashing … and in verse 10 God tells us to “be still, and know that I am God.” How do we do this? Where do we find time for stillness? How can we slow things down in order to find more time to spend with our loving, gentle Creator and Father?

It seems that in the hurriedness I have missed out on real time with my daughter (obviously, she sensed it, too) and the same thing can be said about my relationship with my Heavenly Father. So, as I look at changing things in my life to have more ‘real time’ with McKinley I also want to begin to see how we all can do the same in our relationship with God.

Firstly, some things have to be cut out of our schedules. Are we just plain too busy to have any sort of deep relationship with God? What about lives filled with good things like ministry? It's so easy for us to assume that just because we're busy with so called Godly things that it's o.k. when the reality is that just because we’re busy with church or religion doesn't make it right or healthy. And it doesn't necessarily mean that you're getting to know God more. The greatest worship takes place when we find ourselves with no agenda other than to be with God … to be in His presence, to love Him, to listen to His voice, to meditate on His Word, to fully enjoy Him.

But we don’t have the luxury of a monastic life of being able to fully cease all activity. How do we live a life of ‘stillness’ and un-hurry … we all have things we need to accomplish in our schedules. It is then that we need to intentionally seek God in the midst of life. We can look to actively worship God in the depth of our soul by praising Him, speaking with Him, listening to Him, looking for Him all throughout the day. It is something that I have been trying (and failing at) for the last while … an ongoing conversation with God.

Scripture tells us to “pray continually”, “whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus”, “take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ”, “give thanks to God the Father for everything”, “delight in the law of the LORD, and on it meditate day and night”, “rejoice in the Lord always”, etc. A man by the name of Brother Lawrence called it, “Practicing the Presence of God”. Although a humble cook, he learned the greatest secret of living a life of stillness and knowing God: communing with the Lord throughout our daily schedules. He mastered the art of living in the presence of God throughout the day.

God forgive us for being too busy to notice You. Help us be still, slow down, and take the scripture we read in the morning with us all day long. Let’s join with McKinley and ask ourselves, “Why are we always in a rush?”

“The stillness in which we find God is not superficial,
a mere absence of fidgeting or talking.
It is a deliberate and quiet attentiveness --
receptive, alert, and ready.
I think of what Jim wrote in his journal,
‘Wherever you are, be all there –
live to the hilt every situation
you believe to be the will of God’”
Elisabeth Elliot

Elgin Grand Opening

Matt Stowell Leads Worship with the Harvest Choir

It has been great to see the smaller Harvest Church launches so as to get a good idea of what we can expect in Muskoka. With that being said ... when Elgin opened up the new worship center it was quite an experience! The Jack Bionda Arena and the Algonquin Theatre could fit in the new facility with room to spare. I could go on and on about how cool this building is and yet something much more dramatic happened on this past Sunday morning.

Pastor James is in the second Sunday of a new series (10 Choices to Change your Life Forever) and was preaching about forgiveness. It was incredibly moving to see so many go forward at the end of the service to make a public profession of faith. There were young people, couples, elderly, and whole families that made their way up to the front.
The new Elgin Worship Center
Once again (you may be noticing a theme here), my mind raced forward to the fall of 2008 in Muskoka. We are excited for a new Harvest Bible Chapel in our own community where people will be spiritually fed and challenged to walk with Christ daily ... it will also be an opportunity for us to see God work in the hearts of people He is calling. Jesus said,"Look, I tell you, lift up your eyes, and see that the fields are white for harvest." We can begin now by praying now for those in Muskoka who don't yet know of the amazing forgiveness that God offers.