Looking for God’s Goodness in contemplation and prayer.

Be still and know. A guided meditation on Psalm 46:10 by Henri Nouwen from the book Spiritual Direction. 

Be still and know that I am God.

Be still: Be quiet….Be silent….Be tranquil. Be present….Be now….Be here….

The first task of the disciple is to be with the Lord….to sit at His feet, to listen and to be attentive to all He says, does, and asks.

Our Lord is all we need and want….Our stronghold, our refuge, our shepherd, our wisdom. God cares for us, feeds us….gives us life….

Be still….It is hard….It means to let God speak to us….breathe in us….act in us….pray in us….Let God enter into the most hidden parts of our being….let God touch us even there where it may hurt us and cause us pain….

To be still is to trust….to surrender….to let go….to have faith.

Be still….God is and God acts….not once in a while….not on special occasions….but all the time….Be still and listen to the one who speaks to you always, feel the actions of the one who acts always….and taste the presence of the one who is present always.

Know: Come to know….real knowledge….full intimate knowing.

A form of diagnosis….a knowing through and through. A knowing with the heart, a knowing by heart….Be still and know. Come to that still knowledge. There is a very restless knowledge, a confusing, distracting, dividing knowledge….but knowing God….is a knowing of the heart….of the whole person. It is a knowing that is also seeing, hearing, touching, smelling.

Be still and know that I am God.

That is not meant to be a fearful knowledge….but a peaceful knowledge. God is not a God of the dead, but a god of the living. God is not a revengeful God, but a God of Love. Know that I am God….your God. The God who is only love….the God who touches you with his limitless and unconditional love.

Be still and know that I love you….that I hold you in the palm of my hand….that I have counted the hairs of your head….that you are the apple of my eye….that your name is written in my heart….”Do not be afraid….it is I.”

There is nothing in us that needs to be hidden from God’s love. Our guilt…our shame…out fear…our sins…He wants to see it, touch it, heal it…and make himself known. There is no other God than the Lord of Love.

Be still and know that I am God. God is not in the storm, nor in the earthquake, nor in the fire, but in the still, small voice, the gentle breeze, and the sheer silence…

Be still and know that I am God. Take these words with you in the week to come…let them be like a little seed planted in the good soil of your heart and let it grow…

Be still and know that I am God.

Except from Spiritual Direction by Henri Nouwen.

Weekly Reflection Summary: My Portion.

Sunday. My Honor. Do I let God draw me towards the good? 

Monday. Son of God. Is the Lord the portion that fills my soul? 

Tuesday. Legacy of Hope. How do I pass on a legacy of hope? By choosing hope.

Wednesday. Good and Bad Times. Are you a fair weather Christian?

Thursday. The Way. Why do we chase the almighty dollar? 

Friday. Humility. The secret to success.