Daily Devotions

Surely verse 10 of Psalm 46 is one of the most well-known lines in the entire Hebrew hymnbook:

“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”

And yet, for many of us, stillness feels elusive. We are, in truth, fidgeting Christians—always busy, always striving, rarely settled. Stillness is something we long for, something that sounds profoundly inviting, but it's often interrupted by the distractions, demands, and diversions of modern life.

Mark Buchanan, in his book The Rest of God: Restoring Your Soul by Restoring Sabbath, makes a striking observation. He writes that one of the greatest obstacles to true Sabbath rest is leisure. It seems counterintuitive, but he explains:

“One of the largest obstacles to true Sabbath-keeping is leisure… Leisure is what Sabbath becomes when we no longer know how to sanctify time. Leisure is Sabbath bereft of the sacred. It is a vacation—literally, a vacating, an evacuation... Leisure has become despotic in our age, enslaving us and exhausting us, demanding from us more than it gives.”

Buchanan’s point is that leisure, which should renew us, often ends up robbing us of the deep inner stillness our souls truly need. We confuse entertainment with restoration.

Those who watch the BBC’s Antiques Roadshow may be familiar with the segment “Basic, Better, Best.” Three similar objects are shown, and the challenge is to decide which holds the most value. It’s a fun game, but it also echoes a deeper truth: we don’t always recognise what is truly valuable. Stillness might seem basic—almost boring—but in God's kingdom, it’s the best.

So, amid the chaos, noise, and clamour of life, the Psalmist doesn’t simply suggest but pleads with us: Be still... and know. Not just to be quiet, but to cease striving. The Hebrew word rapa, translated as “be still,” carries the sense of relaxing, letting go, releasing our grip. It's not about passivity but trust—a surrender of our will to the will of God.

True stillness isn’t inactivity; it’s a posture of the soul that says: God is in control, and I don’t have to be.

Lord, may, I weave a silence on to my lips

I weave a silence onto my mind

I weave a silence within my heart

I close my ears to distractions

I close my eyes to attractions

I close my heart to temptations

Calm me, O Lord, as you stilled the storm

Still me, O Lord, keep me from harm

Let all tumult within me cease

Enfold me Lord in your peace. Amen