He says, Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. Ps. 46:10

The beginning of this scripture has been my go-to for a large part of my life. It is simple, yet at the same time, so very deep. What I love is that when you meditate on these words, there are many layers of understanding and devotion. As I get older and look back at my life, I see that this scripture helped me refocus in so many life experiences when I needed to be grounded and reminded that I can’t do everything by myself, no matter how many times I try to prove otherwise.

The first time I really felt the impact of these words was a period when I was overly stressed. My husband and I own a business and at that time, our children were young. I was also working, so between the three responsibilities, I felt like I was hanging on by a thread. We had a specialized truck we used in the business that had to be serviced. Of course, the only garage capable of doing the work was over an hour away. My husband left early to drive it over, then I was to follow after getting the girls to school to pick him up.

I remember being wound tight, my mind racing with the tasks that awaited me later that day. Even that week. I started talking to God, whining about my busy life, how I needed a moment to slow down, but countering with, if I did, nothing would get done.

Does that refrain sound familiar?

As clear as a bell, I recall the Spirit saying. “Be still.”

Well, that caught my attention. What I translated was, “Stop talking and let your mind dwell on Me.” So I did. I abruptly halted my internal dialogue and waited. In the time that followed, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart, reminding me that no, I can’t do it all. Nor do I need to. Spending time with God is more important than anything on my to-do list. This was a moment in time I still call to mind when I get overwhelmed.

Years later, when my oldest daughter died, there was a long period when I spoke to God but didn’t really hear anything. Looking back, I think this was because I had a lot to get out of soul. A lot of grieving. Once I was ready to listen again, a peace came over me when I waited quietly enough to acknowledge that God’s presence had never left me during that terrible time. He was patient, always listening to me, and when it was my turn to listen, His wisdom and love helped me heal.

Flash forward to the present. Now that I have established a career as an author, I still allow the same types of struggles to overpower me. Deadlines that are too close together, along with the ancillary things that go with promoting a book. Worrying about getting that next contract. Balancing time between work and my quiet time with God. All the day-to-day worries, even if you work in a different profession, that we all go through. And when the dust settles and I step away from the noise, the words that comfort me are always the same. Be still and know that I am God.

I finished a project last week. In my devotion time , I realized I’d let myself get wound up again. Instead of focusing on God, I was planning for the next few months and making myself worn out before I started. I’ve since taken the past few days off to slow down and listen. To savor the special time I only experience when I am quiet and hear from the Spirit of the Lord.

As I was reading a book, I came across another scripture that caught and held my attention this week. Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; Psalm 37:7a.

See a theme here?

My point is, we all get busy. We all have too much on our plates from time to time. We still think we can do it all. And once we realize that God is bigger than any of our problems or stresses, that ultimately He is in control, these words from scripture are a beautiful reminder of how much God loves us.

Tara Randel is an award-winning, USA Today bestselling author. Family values, a bit of mystery and of course, love and romance, are her favorite themes, because she believes love is the greatest gift of all. Look for her next Harlequin Heartwarming romance, STEALING HER BEST FRIEND’S HEART, available  August 2021. For more information about her books, visit Tara at www.tararandel.com. Like her on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/TaraRandelBooks. Sign up for Tara’s Newsletter and receive a link to download a free digital book.