Hush Little Baby

“He leads me beside the still waters.  He restores my soul;” Psalm 23:2b-3

This morning when I was meditating on still waters I was blessed to read some of the antonyms of the word still.  My favorite word that conjured up powerful memories of my childhood was the word hushed.  I can remember that whenever I felt scared or anxious as a child I would look for my mother for no other reason than being close to her.  Her very presence hushed my inner fears and concerns as a child.  I knew that if I stood next to her I was safe because at that age I was convinced that she had everything I needed to be safe.  Just by being by her side my heart and mind were calmed and the noises of my soul were hushed.

Fifty-five years later I am still that little girl who looks for the One who leads me into calm.  I know when I have stayed away too long God will draw me to Him leading me back to His still waters.  The closer I stay by His side the fewer noises I hear that are unsettling.  Some of my noises involve the taunt that there is no future work…some of my noises involve an unanswered prayer I’ve been lifting for over a decade…some of my noises still try to win me back over in my pursuit of pleasing people.  But thankfully we have the same Father King David had a few thousand years ago. His beautiful Psalm states, ‘You who still the noise of the seas…The noise of their waves…’ Psalm 65:7.  He hushes the competing sounds so that we can hear His whispers.  When we quieten our souls and nestle up next to Him, we give Him the opportunity to show us that He is God.  When we stop ‘trying’ and start ‘being’ we activate His power of stillness…peacefulness…comfort.  It is through just being near Him that our soul is restored and it well with our soul, even if it is not well with our circumstances.

What noises do you have that need to be hushed?  Move closely to the Father and take comfort that He has everything you need for this season.  He knows the tough journey you are making, and He has equipped you for the deep valley.

‘For the LORD your God has blessed you in all the work of your hand.  He knows your trudging through this great wilderness…the LORD your God has been with you; you have lacked nothing.’ De 2:7.