Stillness seems to hide from me the older I get. 

Maybe you can relate, friend. Grabbing hold of moments of quiet seems to be few and far between amidst the craziness of adult life. 

As the new year approached, it became apparent that my husband and I were entering into a transitional season. We hear the Lord calling us out of specific places to position us in new ones. Change and transformation are peering around the corner, and I have to admit, it’s not something I usually welcome with a glad and joyful heart. 

Change is hard for me because it reminds me that I am not in control, and having control makes me feel safe. That’s why transitional seasons make it even harder for me to behold Him, to see His presence lingering near. I get so distracted and anxiety-ridden over the things out of my control that I lose sight of Him with me and His plan for me. 

The past few weeks, as anxieties and uncertainty have risen within me, I’ve heard the Lord calling out gently,

Be still and receive all that I have for you in this season. 

Be still. 

Receive. 

What a curious requirement, I thought to myself. Be still, how? And receive, what? 

Usually, when God is preparing me for a specific season, He confirms what He’s given to me over and over again through written Scripture and the voices of those I trust. 

He is so good and faithful to give me exactly what I need when I need it, which is why, as I entered this transitional season, He has continued to confirm over and over again this command to be still and receive. I keep seeing and hearing those words everywhere.

So, when a friend’s weekly newsletter dropped into my inbox a week ago with a podcast recommendation on the topic of stillness, I knew it was from the Lord, and I jumped right in. 

The name of the podcast?

The Daily Still Podcast.

The Daily Still Podcast creates space to listen for the whispers of God each day by offering 5 minute daily devotions and meditations that encourage you to be still and connect with God. They offer an invitation to 40 days of stillness to teach you how to find stillness in your life and get quiet in the presence of God. 

I’ve decided to accept their invitation to 40 days of stillness, and friend, I’ve been reminded lately of just how loudly the Lord speaks when I choose to get quiet in His presence. 

I’m reminded of just how capable He is of quieting my anxious heart. 

The Scripture passage that I’ve been clinging to in this season is Psalm 46:10,

Surrender your anxiety!

Be silent and stop your striving, and you will see that I am God.

I am the God above all the nations,

and I will be exalted throughout the whole earth.

(TPT, emphasis added)

You may be more familiar with the Scripture translated as, “Be still and know that I am God.” 

I love The Passion Translation because it gives such a clear depiction of the benefit of stillness. 

Be silent and stop your striving, and you will see that I am God. 

Be still, and you will see the presence of God with you. 

As I’ve been practicing this daily rhythm of stillness through the Daily Still Podcast, I’m beginning to realize what God wants me to receive. 

He wants me to receive Him and accept that this season of life is out of my control but that He will give me everything I need to face each moment. 

He is giving me Himself, every moment of the day, if I would only stop to pause and listen for His voice. 

I’m learning that I cannot receive Him, His voice, or what He has for me today if I am not pausing to seek His presence. I am better equipped to receive when I am still, even if it’s just for five minutes in the middle of an ordinary or chaotic day. 

Practicing stillness and getting silent before Jesus helps me behold Him in the everyday mundane and in the chaos of changing seasons. 

Pausing for a single moment helps me center my mind, soul, and spirit back on Him and reminds me that He is the One who directs my steps. My anxiety is replaced by His peace and the truth about who He is and who I am in Him when I remember to seek out quiet moments of still surrender. 

Because that is ultimately what this new rhythm of daily stillness is teaching me, that He has so much to give if I would only make room to receive. 

Each day as I sit down to make room for stillness, I battle this fear that tells me He won’t have anything for me today. And each day, I am blessed beyond measure by the presence of Him. I am blown away that each day I enter into moments of surrender, I feel how delighted He is to just simply sit with me. 

To just simply be with me. 

His presence truly does provide everything I need for each moment, and when I choose to reach for Him throughout my day through stillness, I always find Him, and my perspective shifts from what I can’t control to Who is in control. 

I’m encouraged by James 4:8, and I hope you will be too, friend,

Draw near to God, and He will draw near to you. 

Draw near to God and invite the still, small moments of quiet surrender, and He will reveal Himself to you. 

Incorporating the daily rhythm of stillness is how we learn to behold the presence of God in the everyday mundane. It invites us into a moment-by-moment relationship with the God who loves us more than we could ever imagine. 

Taking a thirty-second pause to recenter your mind and heart on Jesus is powerful enough to change the course of your whole day. 

I know this because I’ve lived it. 

This is why I invite you to seek out His presence in the quiet throughout your day, my friend, and receive all He is and all He has for you at this moment. 

I know that the idea of stillness, the soul habit of pausing in His presence, can seem a little vague and intimidating. Perhaps you want to incorporate it, but you don’t know how or where to start. You’re not alone, friend! I’m someone who likes tangible guidance on how to incorporate stillness into my life. That’s why I’ve created a free downloadable resource in the Resource Library that will help you pause throughout your day and check in with how you’re feeling, what you’re needing from the Lord in that moment and what you feel like the Lord is saying to you. It’s available now in the Resource Library, so go grab it!

The Daily Still Podcast is also a great resource if you are wanting to learn the daily habit of incorporating stillness in His presence. In fact, I think using the resource I’m offering as a companion to the Daily Still podcast would be a major help. If you would like to enter into 40 days of stillness with me over on the Daily Still Podcast, I’ve linked it for you below on Spotify and iTunes.

If you decide to pick up the daily habit of pausing in His presence, reach out and let me know! I would love to hear what God is revealing to you in those moments of quiet surrender. 

Xoxo,

The Daily Still Podcast 

On Spotify 

On iTunes