Be Still and Heed

Good morning! Can I tell you how grateful I am to know the Father has granted you and me this opportunity to reflect on His truths and to declare His greatness together? I pray you and I will continue to walk toward the Father, coming to Christ, and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit in all circumstances.

On this day and for the rest of this camp, you and I are invited to ponder the gift of spiritual stillness or divine peace. Not just the peace suggested by a cool breeze on a hot summer day, not the kind promised to us by a most beautiful beach, but lasting peace—the kind that comes from above, from heaven, from God Himself.

A cursory look at our world tells us why peace or spiritual stillness ought to be one of the treasures we seek continually:

Wars rage on in this world.

Political conflicts are on the rise.

Discriminatory practices are the norm.

School shootings are featured in the media.

Family feuds bud perennially at each gathering.

Angst and fear are regular guests in the inn of human hearts.

Yes, we need spiritual stillness. We need divine peace. But where is stillness? Where is peace? Could there really be no peace to be had when the Father says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God . . .”?

When the promised One sent by the Father was preparing to return to heaven, He said,

"Peace I leave with you;

my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your hearts be troubled,

neither let them be afraid."

Jn 14:27, ESV

So, since His Word is true, we can definitely say there is peace right here on earth. However, He did say divine peace is not as the world gives. The world may define peace as the absence of trouble but the Word teaches us that peace or spiritual stillness is found in God who "is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Ps 46:1). This peace is not elusive or illusory; it is different from the world's definition. It suggests that, when situations and circumstances seek to derail us, it is our hope in the Coming One that will cause us not to fear. 

The psalmist says it this way, "Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea . . . The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress" (Ps 46:2, 7).

Has the earth given way your corner of the world? Have your mountains of security and ease fallen into the heart of a sea of danger, uncertainty, and worry? Perhaps, there is a financial crisis so bad you simply cannot see your way out of it. Perhaps, there is a prodigal in your life who is causing your pillows to be drenched with tears every night. Perhaps, you are afraid for your very life as you enter the valley of the shadow of death.

And yet . . .

             . . . because His name is Immanuel ('God with us' or 'the Lord Almighty is with us'), He can say to us: “Be still . . .” (Ps 46:10) or, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going" (Jn 14:1-4, ESV).

Yes, divine peace!

Yes, spiritual stillness!

Yes, you and I can be still because peace is a present that is absolutely and graciously free for the taking. When this spiritual stillness rules in human hearts, genuine freedom is unwrapped and unleashed like earth’s fragrance after the rain. The invitation we receive from the Father to be still is a most benevolent gift to our oft-troubled hearts.

Have you and I received His stillness fully today? Is there cause for concern, worry, frustration, or even anger in our hearts this morning? I have good news. God sends us a beautiful reminder this morning: Be Still. And as you’ll remember from our first three days, Be Still invites us to pray when matters tempt us to despair and wrestle. Be Still invites us to read the Word where God speaks to us and tells us great and unsearchable things we do not yet know. Be Still invites us to remember our ears are not given us to prick up to the hiss of Satan’s white noise; rather, we have ears to hear that God is indeed our very refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 

That’s our theme from Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

We have covered three verbs thus far -- Pray, Read, and Hear. Today, you and I are introduced to a new verb: To Heed. We are called to be still and heed.

Firstly, what kind of a verb is “to heed”? In many languages, there are all kinds of verbs with different functions. “To heed” comes from a verb family that seeks to indicate action or state of being. Those types of verbs can be either transitive (meaning, it requires a direct object) or intransitive (no direct object is required).

Example 1: (Transitive) “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction . . .” (Prov. 13:1). ‘A wise son’ is the subject and ‘his father’s instruction’ is the object. The subject needs the object for the verb ‘heed’ to make sense. So, ‘heed’ in this case is a transitive verb.

Example 2: (Intransitive) “Take heed! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). Here, ‘take heed’ is sometimes translated as “Pay attention!” or “Watch out!” In this particular version, although ‘heed’ is left dangling and there is no object involved, still the verb ‘heed’ makes perfect sense. The subject still has to pay attention even though he/she doesn’t know what could be coming. So, ‘heed’ in this case is an intransitive verb.

I apologize to those of you who may not like grammar but the Word of God is a book that deals with grammar a great deal. Don’t you find it interesting that the verb “to heed” is both transitive and intransitive? To me, it means there is no excuse for anyone to say they didn’t get the memo. Not a soul can confidently utter to God, “I don’t think You meant for me to be still and know You are God. Did You?”

Friends, it matters not who we are and what we are—young, old, married, single, rich, poor, sick, healthy, male, female, Hebrew, Greek, Haitian, American, pianist, saxophone player, you and I and everyone who has ears to hear are ALL called to heed our heavenly Father’s instruction and to heed.

Period.

And what does it mean to heed? The Word defines it in the following verses:

-       Prov. 13:8, “He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.”

-       Prov. 15:5, “A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.”

-       Prov. 15:32, “He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.”

-       Prov. 19:20, “Heed advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise.”

-       Lk 21:8, “He replied: “Take heed that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.”

-       2 Jn 1:8, “Take heed that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.”

I am blown away!

To be still and heed brings honor.

To be still and heed shows prudence.

To be still and heed provides wisdom.

To be still and heed grants understanding.

To be still and heed protects against antichrists.

To be still and heed ensures the believer’s reward.

If you and I want to accept the invitation the Father sends us to receive spiritual stillness, then we need to learn to see ourselves as heeders. As sons and daughters of God, we are heeders—soldiers wearing the full armor of God in order to take our stand against the devil's schemes. And as such, we are called to develop mindfulness in imitating the mind of Christ; we are called to be attentive, to pay serious attention to what is happening all around us; we are called to notice, to observe what is going on and see earthly events through the eyes of heaven, to develop a high regard for the cause of Christ among the nations; we are called to care, to truly care about the Word and the teaching of the Holy Spirit, both of which confirm that Christ is Lord, Christ is the One sent from the Father, Christ is the Word, Christ is God.

As heeders, we are called to be still and know that YHWH is God.

Therefore, dear friends, when wars rage on in this world, when political conflicts keep climbing, when elections are fast approaching and confusion reigns, when school shootings are featured on TV, when family conflicts become more intense, when angst and fear are regular guests in the inn of our human hearts, let us heed His Word and remember He is God. He is on His throne. He is our sovereign King. He alone is our peace. And the peace, the spiritual stillness He offers us is not as the world gives. Let us not trouble our hearts for He has it all under control.