Be Still: Getting to Know the Lord by Removing Distractions

"Be still, and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10 (ESV)

I love this verse. It has brought me great comfort during my struggles. Usually, I see it as a calming influence in tough times — when life gets chaotic and I feel out of control, it helps steer my wandering heart back to Christ and His divine protection. But recently, something about this verse caught my attention and gave me a new perspective.

I was scrolling through social media when I realized how much time I spend on my phone. Not just posting — I rarely do that — but browsing, filling every gap in my day with a screen. So I decided to try something: I put the phone down. For the past few days, I've used it only when necessary. Otherwise, it stays in the bedroom. One day, I simply sat outside and enjoyed the weather. I've been more reflective and more present in my relationships, and I've started reading again. The peace has been wonderful.

But the greatest discovery has been this: as I set aside the technology, I've picked up the Lord. With more time to reflect, I find myself thinking of Him — thanking Him for blessings, meditating on Scripture, praying, and inviting Him to search my heart.

So what does this have to do with Psalm 46:10? We often read "be still" as a call to rest in a storm — and it is. But there's more here than comfort. In fact, the word translated "be still" — the Hebrew raphah — means to let go, to release, to cease striving. So "be still and know" isn't only "calm down"; it's "stop, put down whatever is filling your hands, and know Me." Read it that way: Be still, set aside your distractions, and focus on the Lord. The more time we spend with Him, the better we get to know Him and the closer we become — just like any relationship.

This isn't a digital detox or a mindfulness technique — in fact, it's the opposite of emptying your mind. It's the rhythm Jesus Himself kept: not clearing your head to find inner calm, but quieting the noise to be present to Someone. Again and again, the Gospels show Him slipping away from the crowds and the demands to a quiet place, alone, to be with His Father (Mark 1:35). If the Son of God — in perfect fellowship with the Father — still needed to withdraw from the noise to be with Him, how much more do we need to?

Here's why "be still" is harder than it sounds: silence exposes us. When the noise stops, we're left alone with our thoughts — the worry we've been trying to outrun, the ache we'd rather not feel, the question we don't want to sit with. A screen is an easy way to keep it all at arm's length. But here's the beautiful irony: the very things stillness surfaces are often exactly the things God wants to use to draw us to Himself. Stillness isn't just the absence of noise — it's where we stop running long enough to actually encounter the Lord honestly, with nothing left to hide behind.

Stop being so busy and distracted by technology — or whatever fills your time — so you can get to know God more deeply. Instead of reaching for your phone as a default time-filler, reach for Him.

BIG IDEA: Set aside your distractions and embrace the stillness. When you do, you will encounter the Lord. "Be still and know God" isn't just a comfort — it's an invitation to draw near.

Questions to Ponder: What do you reach for to fill the quiet — and what might you be avoiding by filling it? Be honest: when the noise finally stops, what tends to surface — a worry, a restlessness, an ache, a question you've been dodging? Maybe it’s a reality you’ve been trying to avoid. And what does the screen actually give you in those moments — does it resolve any of it, or just numb it for a while? Now imagine the other path: what might it feel like to bring that same thing to the Lord instead — to be heard, met, and drawn closer? What could time in His presence produce in you that a scroll never could? What effect could it have on your heart and mind?

Application: With your journal in hand, choose one major distraction to remove — leave your phone in another room, turn off notifications, or set aside a fixed block of no-screen time. Use that reclaimed quiet to be with the Lord: read Scripture, pray, or simply sit in His presence. And when something surfaces in the stillness — a worry, an ache, a question you've been outrunning — resist the urge to reach for the screen. Bring it to Him instead; that's often the very doorway He uses to draw you closer. Be willing to be uncomfortable. Be still. Listen. Pray. And note what comes to mind. Oftentimes what God reveals in the stillness leads to life-giving movement.