October 4 – Be Still and Know

Gregg’s Reflection

Stillness is not something that comes easily for me. I am used to working, planning, and moving things forward — the habits of a life in leadership and responsibility. Yet over time, I’ve learned that the most transformative moments in my spiritual journey have not come from my effort, but from surrender. Stillness is the practice of letting go and allowing God to be God.

Exodus tells us, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” That line has stopped me many times. I don’t have to fight every battle, fix every situation, or carry every burden. Stillness is an act of trust — saying with my whole being, “God, this is Yours.”

Stillness is not passivity. It is active resting, a posture of deep faith and deep listening. In stillness, our striving is set aside, and we learn to live not from control but from surrender. There, God’s presence does what our own efforts never could: heals, strengthens, and guides us into peace.

Scripture

Be still, and know that I am God.

Psalm 46:10 (I begin my contemplative sit repeating this phrase, and when my mind wanders, I come back to “Be Still.”

Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.

Psalm 37:7 

Ancient Quotes

Let us leave a little room for reflection in our lives, room too for silence. Let us hear the Word of God in stillness and perhaps we will then come to understand it.

St. Augustine

Modern Quotes

Only inner stillness enables us truly to listen to God, to hear His voice, and to commune with Him in the depths of our being.

John Breck, On Silence and Stillness

Journaling Prompts

• Where in your life is God asking you to stop striving and be still?
  
  
• What fears or worries make it hard for you to rest in God’s presence?
  
  
• How does surrender feel different from passivity?
  
  
• How might “being still” become a daily practice of trust for you?

Go deeper into this week’s theme:
Read the full Week 40 Reflection: Stillness & Silence