Be still and know that I am God

Psalm 46:1-3,10

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,
though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble with its tumult. 

“Be still, and know that I am God!
I am exalted among the nations,
I am exalted in the earth.”

Lord,
this is hard for me.
"Be still, and know that I am God!"
Being still is hard.
The culture I live in
suggests that "being still"
is the same as "being lazy"
or "being nonproductive".

I hear myself and my friends saying
(almost bragging to each other)
"Rest?! What's that??!!"
"Why, 6 hours of sleep at night is a vacation?!"

And yet, one visit to the doctor,
one step on the scales,
one check of our blood pressure...
shows that we are stressed out and sleep deprived!

Oh, Rest, come and save us.
Save us from ourselves, our busy-ness,
our competitive need to produce and feel important.

Teach us to unbusy our lives.
Teach us about Sabbath --
one day set aside, a weekly reset of priorities,
a regular reminder that YOU
are the God who makes the planets spin...
I am NOT! (but I sure live like I do...)

Help me
"Be still and know that I am God!"
Amen.