Be still and Breathe!

Posted March 1, 2023 by Maureen Metcalf

Categories: Featured, Maureen, Sister Post

To know is to have a level of certainty. “Be still and know that I am God,” not me, not you, but Him. To be still and know that He is and always has been God is not a message to linger or stay, but to be refreshed and renewed, then to boldly move forward in action in what you must do.

No matter what is happening in us or around us, you must rest. Rest in the assurance that you are not alone in the overwhelm or uncertainty, and in that reset, remember to breathe…in and out His name…Jesus. You can find rest and peace in knowing that God does know what you need before you know, and you must trust, once you have prayed, for the outcomes.

 We are in this together not because we all attend the same church, have raised the perfect family, or seek to find favor with man or God. It is in our very brokenness that we humbly reach out to one another, not in our perfection.

Sometimes, God asks you to wait. To quiet your heart. To simply be still. To let Him go to work. Sometimes this does not feel easy and feels as though God does not hear your prayers. We all have seasons of waiting, it remains up to you to perceive them as either a gift, or as a burden.

I had thought the brilliant ideas that came to me in the night was Jesus waking me and planting seeds in me, but after reflecting on the scripture, I realize that maybe 3 o’clock in the morning was the only time Jesus could speak to me, because I was literally still and silent. That or perimenopause. 

I think up to this point I had thought that verse was meant for other people, and maybe those that really needed literal rest in balancing their life. I interpreted it as a weakness, why do I need to rest and why would I want to be still when there’s so much to do, so much yet to be done. And then as time progressed, I realized it’s not about any of that. It’s not about doing less per se. It’s about doing better with what we’re called to do. It’s about knowing what we’re called to do, so in that stillness, where our voice is quieted and our thoughts softened and slowed, we can be envisioned for what is next. “Be still and know that I am God” is not telling me that I should sit back and do nothing. It’s that sometimes I must stop and be reminded that He is God, He is in charge, and my obedience is to remember to trust and let go of my own control and move where He leads.

I don’t share with you because I have it all together. I share because I don’t have it all together, but I can rest in knowing that I put my faith, hope and trust in the one that says no matter what I may go through, no matter what you may go through, that He will always be with you, that you are never alone, and you always have hope. This gives us the hope and the strength to persevere through tough storms and to stay in awe of all that has come before with a grateful heart.

Today, breathe out fear and breathe in hope. Breathe out what stifles you and holds you back. Breathe in hope, and breathe out boldness and bravery. May Jesus help you to see all that is holy in your ordinary day and when hope feels lost may you utter the words…Jesus, I still believe.

Be still and pray.

Be still and reflect.

Be still and trust.

Be still in the wait.

Be still and believe.

Be still and breathe.

Extraordinary impact is possible when you are obedient to God in your ordinary life. Remember that there are times you may be still, but not necessarily still in the presence Jesus is asking of you. The stillness may be hopelessness, a wandering, uncertainty and at times you stay stuck in that stillness in your own strength, forgetting that Jesus tells us to be still in Him and know that He is God. To know something is to believe it, therefore trust that even through the trials that He is with you and that brings the rest and peace you need. Every breath can be an invitation to pray and give thanks. Be still, and breathe in hope!