Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling. (Zech. 2:13)
In ancient Greek mythology, the Muse spent a lot of time in solitude and thinking. It’s not a surprise then that muse as a verb means to think or meditate in silence, as on some subject. How interesting that the letter “a” used as a prefix renders a word into its negative form. Amuse means to hold the attention of someone; entertain or divert in an enjoyable manner.
Built on the principle of amusement, the entertainment industry’s goals are to let producers, directors, actors, and athletes think for us and distract us from seeking solitude. They provide an escape to a place where there’s no need to consider our lives and reflect. Our enemy, Satan, loves to use this business to keep us from thinking for ourselves or taking the time to contemplate God and meditate on His Word.
In our passage today, God instructs us to be still before Him. In another well-known verse, Psalm 46:10, God tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God.” To be still requires us to spend some time by ourselves pondering life and God. To know God is to know His Word. These commands leave us with a choice—muse or amuse? Will we live mindfully, or will we live mindlessly? God promises to live with those who muse.
Make a plan to spend regular time meditating on God and His Word.
Susan Browning Schulz is a wife and active mom of three grown children. She lives riverside in northwest Georgia and loves leading her small group.
