02-25-26

ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
February 25, 2026
This coming Sunday, from our Grab Bag of Verses, we will be focusing on a passage that speaks of being still before the Lord. The Hebrew word we translate as ‘still’ is daw-man' (דָּמַם) which could be translated as silent or waiting; however, this is brought on because the person is astonished or left sort of dumbfounded by something. In this case, it is God. Interesting, in Psalm 83, we read:

  O God, do not keep silent;
  do not hold your peace or be still, O God!

The one praying does not wish for God to be silent (or be still) as the person feels as if the world is crushing him/her. I tend to believe that God is never silent or is still, and it makes me wonder if our lack of stillness leaves us unable to appreciate what God is doing. Or to say it another way—if we believe God has turned silent on us (ghosted us), it might be our unwillingness to be still and pay attention. It is often difficult to quiet ourselves when we are afraid or overwhelmed. We’d like to, but the anxiousness often leaves us feeling distracted and chaotic. The very time we need God, our temperament is going against us. Practice being still before God when life is dull and your anxious meter is registered near zero. Practicing when it’s easy helps us when life is more challenging, yet that’s the time we really need to know that God has not gone silent on us.

As I pause and try to wrap my head around the immeasurable and incomprehensible nature of your love, O Lord of All Life, I pray for awe that drives me to a place of stillness where I am able to encounter you on a level yet to be experienced. Amen.