Winning the Battle to Be Still in The Presence of God
Winning the constant battle to be still in the Presence of God takes tenacity and may also require some super glue or camomile tea.
Seriously, I can’t seem to slow down, sit in one spot, or enjoy the moment at hand. If you’re like me the battle to be still becomes more difficult the more anxious we are to see change in our circumstances. However, it’s in the being still where God does His most powerful work in our hearts. There’s a battle, but we can win it! We have everything we need living inside of us to combat the chaos, battle the barrage of activity, and be still in the Presence of God. Leaning in a little closer as we linger with our Daddy is the most effective battle strategy we have in the battle to be still. Intimacy with our Father is just behind the veil.
Without hesitation, we can peek through the windows of Heaven and even pierce the veil. Looking back behind the the once-thick curtain, our view changes as we look through the now shimmering veil. Jesus made the way; He went before us. Now, we can tiptoe like His daughters right into His Presence without fear.
Being still with Jesus, behind the veil
…we who come to God for refuge might be encouraged to seize that hope that is set before us.
That hope is real and true, an anchor to steady our restless souls, a hope that leads us back behind the curtain to where God is…
and back into the place where Jesus, who went ahead on our behalf,
has entered since He has become a High Priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.
The warrior princess says, ”Peace, be still. Hush, calm down.'Click To Tweet
Speak to it. Tell it to obey. Be the voice of authority in your own life. Let hope arise from deep within and encourage yourself in the Lord. Summertime is supposed to be relaxing, but I’m finding when I’m not in my normal routine, my “time off’ is filled with a sense of urgency as if I’m never going to accomplish all that’s before me. I’m in a season of tying up loose ends and wrapping things up only to begin again in a few short days. I don’t feel like there’s a place to be still in the middle of too-hot days and long, warm nights. I want to be winning the battle, but find myself losing instead.
If there’s one thing I know we’ve been given in Christ, it’s peace. The most powerful gift we’ve been given when we invite Jesus into our lives is the gift of constancy. It’s inherited; Jesus is our constant source of peace and in Him we have the ability to be faithful, dependable, enduring, and have consistency in our lives. We can be constant too.
CONSTANCY is the quality of being faithful and dependable. Because we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us, we have everything we need to be victorious in the battle to be still.
Rest is necessary for the soul.
It’s the best kind of soul-care we can give ourselves. What that looks like? Surprisingly, rest looks very different for each one of us. But, whatever it looks like to you, take a break. Cease all warlike activity and be still…take care of yourself. That’s exactly what I’m doing for the next week to ten days. I’m taking a vacation from the chaos I’ve created, a break from the battle I can’t seem to win. Like my sweet friend, Carey would do, I’m going into my hidey-hole with Jesus (and some animal crackers) and I’m winning the battle to be still.
Much like being still, constancy can be compared to: faithfulness, determination, perseverance, and staying power. Constancy is marked by the quality of being enduring and unchanging. Other ways to describe the constancy of Christ: consistency, permanence, persistence, durability, and overall endurance.
See, we have everything we need to stay calm, be still, and remain peaceful. Our part is to continually invite Him into our days. As we walk out our everyday lives, we can do so with constancy. Because we have the Holy Spirit living inside of us we have everything we need to be victorious in the battle to BE STILL. Yet, this time of year often finds me losing ground while battling it out, fighting for some peace, and trying to stay afloat in summer’s storm of activity. The disciples learned a lot about staying at peace in a wild, crazy storm and we can too.
In Matthew, we see the disciples wrought with anxiety while the waves crashed overboard. Oddly, Jesus remained asleep. He wasn’t moved by what was going on all around them; Jesus stayed at peace. Perhaps, there’s a lesson there, huh? When the disciples finally woke Him up with their anxious cries, in a moment, the atmosphere dramatically changed.
Suddenly Still
With all the authority given Him, Jesus spoke directly to the raging storm. The waves tossed and the thunder roared, but at the sound of His voice, immediately, the storm ceased and everything became perfectly calm. Jesus was the anchor that steadied their restless souls and in that moment they pierced the veil. The disciples got a glimpse into the constant peace that comes from being still in the Presence of God.
(Jesus) rebuked the storm and said, “Be still!” And instantly it became perfectly calm. Matthew 8:26(TPT)
At the sound of Jesus’ voice, the storm stopped. Time stood still and the disciples’ anxiety gave way to wonder. They were astonished and amazed. They were filled with the wonder of Who Jesus really was…awed by the audacity, the authority of Heaven.
BE STILL IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD
The disciples were astonished by this miracle and said to one another, “Who is this Man? Even the wind and waves obey his Word.” Matthew 8:27 (TPT)
Again, you know I‘m always talking about the suddenlies we experience with God and here’s one of the best ones in the Bible.
Jesus’ voice, His Presence, brought the suddenly needed in their situation. And, that same Voice still speaks to our storms today. He sings a song of deliverance over us in our most dire moments bringing us a sense of peace that passes all understanding. God’s Presence is the very weapon we need to keep winning the battle to be still. The Prince of Peace is our constant.
In Zephaniah, we see God singing over His people, calming us with His love.
The Lord your God is with you;
his power gives you victory.
The Lord will take delight in you,
and in his love he will give you new life.
He will sing and be joyful over you… Zephaniah 3:17 (GNT)
God’s Timing is Perfect
Zephaniah continues telling us that at the right time, God will act. He will deal with injustice, steady the lame, gather the outcasts and oppressed, even redeem those who feel ashamed. Ultimately, He will fill His people with praise, bring home the prodigal and scattered ones, promote, position, and restore the fortunes of His people. In fact, He says,
Right before your eyes, I will restore to you all that you have lost, and your lives will be full again. Zephaniah 3:20 (VOICE)
In essence, we, God’s people, will be fully at peace one day. One day, there won’t be this battle to be still. Until then, we can pierce the veil and get a glimpse of heaven by holding fast to the peace of His presence. He is our constant, never leaving us, nor forsaking us. Anchoring ourselves in Jesus keeps our peace even in the mightiest of storms. Because, honestly, there will be more storms.
Listen for His voice and be still; hear the sound of singing over your situation today. Begin to feel hope. Hope will turn to peace, even a constant peace. The songs of deliverance He sings overflow with promise and breakthrough in our circumstances. Peace is there for the taking, if we will just be still and stay calm…remain, abide, listen, and lean in a little closer.
When we pierce the veil, we’ll find peace is in the Presence. Victory is ours. When we surrender our way to His, we get some real victory in the battle to be still in the Presence of God. It’s like God is saying, “Cease all war-like activity and stay calm; stand in your victory, knowing you’ve won the battle to be still.” In fact, God’s Word does say that very thing!
Cease all war-like activity and be still
Surrender your anxiety. Be silent and stop your striving and you will see that I am God. Psalm 46:10 (TPT)
I’m taking a week…perhaps more, off. I’m going to linger long in the Presence of God and get the rest I need. Think about it, you may need some soul-care to in the heat of the battle. I promise you, while the world may not understand, they’ll probably like a less-stressed version of who we think we have to be. Instead, be still, surrender your anxiety, and look for the suddenlies of God to rest upon you. Trade in your worry for the wonder and the people-pleasing for the peace.
Remember, because of Jesus, we have everything we need to be victorious in the battle to be still. Shout out your battle cry, Victory Girl!
walking in wholeness, living in victory ~
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This post motivates me to press on in having my times with God, because lately I’ve felt like it has been more difficult to concentrate. I love that you pointed out how Jesus calms our storms and brings peace to our minds. I think for me, the biggest battle is actually sitting down to just be still. So refreshing to be reminded that he will calm our storms and allow us to hear from Him!
Thanks Tessa- I struggle with this too! But, I know when I settle down and get into His Presence things flow so much better. Thanks for sharing your thoughts!