RJ- Friday Night - Be Still & Know

Thank you to Ps Mary - Honour Mary as the Regional leader

Honour Ps Renita

Thank you for having me here, I feel so blessed to be with all you ladies over the next few days

Our Story of the Fire

INTRO:

I love the thought we were asked to Ponder “What does Still Look like”?

Well…you tell me….I have 5 kids around my feet, the cat is whinging for food, my hubby is asking “when is dinner going to be ready” and don’t even get me started about the pile of wet washing in my machine that is screaming at me to go hang me out!

And judging by the nods I’m getting…you know what I’m talking about!

Add in work, ministry, social media overloads, study, …….add to the list…

and the question of what does STILL look like, becomes even harder to answer.

And yet God often calls us to a place of stillness

QUESTIONS:

Let me ask you something personal: When was the last time you were truly still?

Not just scrolling quietly on your phone. Not just laying in bed exhausted. I mean soul still—no noise, no striving, no performing—just… stillness?

We live in a world that worships speed, rewards busyness, and equates noise with importance. Stillness seems almost unnatural. We avoid it. We fill the silence.

We have the sign, painted in Calligraphy, You know the one you bought from Koorong (Be still and know that I am God)

God says

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Not “Do more,”not “Prove yourself,”but: Be still.

Psalm 46:1–11 NKJV

1 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. 2 Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; 3 Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah 4 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. 5 God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. 6 The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. 7 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah 8 Come, behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! 11 The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

1. THE CONTEXT OF STILLNESS Psalm 46 was written in a time of unrest—nations in uproar, kingdoms falling, the earth shaking.

And yet, right in the middle of the noise, God speaks:

“Be still, and know that I am God.”

In the Hebrew, “be still” is raphah – it means:

· Let go.

· Loosen your grip.

· Cease striving.

This is not a passive command. It’s active trust. It’s God saying: Stop trying to be the saviour. I already am.

2. Stillness Creates Space for God’s Presence

Psalm 46 begins with chaos—mountains falling, waters roaring, nations in uproar. Yet the psalmist declares: “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.”

Stillness doesn’t mean the chaos stops; it means we discover God’s presence in the chaos.

Illustration: A jar filled with water and dirt. Shake it, and it’s cloudy. Let it sit, and the dirt settles—the water becomes clear. Stillness allows God to clarify our vision.

When we quiet our souls, we create room to see and hear God clearly.

3. Stillness Leads to Knowing God

Notice the order: Be still → Know.

Knowing God is not just intellectual—it’s relational, experiential.

We cannot know Him in His fullness if we are constantly distracted.

Psalm 131: David says, “I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother.” That picture is trust, intimacy, contentment.

To know God deeply, you must sometimes do less, not more.

4. Stillness Strengthens Our Faith

When we cease striving, we surrender control. That’s faith.

Faith is only faith, when we use it

In stillness, we learn God is sovereign, not us.

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (Exodus 14:14) – spoken to Israel trapped between Pharaoh’s army and the Red Sea.

God’s power is revealed most clearly when we stop trying to be our own savior.

Stillness is not weakness; it’s strength rooted in God’s power.

Psalm 23:1–6 NKJV

1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. 3 He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. 5 You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; My cup runs over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the Lord Forever.