“Be still, and know that I am God…” 

These words spoke to me through the Holy Spirit just when I needed a course of action to follow during a difficult trial. With circumstances beyond my control, I was forced to seek a new job. This was a rare instance when I left a job without one. It was the end of a school year and a long summer. 

Being still didn’t mean I did nothing. Being still meant I chose not to complain; rather, I chose to trust, fast, and pray. I reviewed every online posting in my field possible. I completed online applications and went on a few interviews. 

Before long, I started noticing that candidates before or after me on scheduled interviews were about half my age, except one who was wearing orthopedic shoes. That boosted my self-esteem a bit. Were my lack of offers because my experience came at a cost? It was a humbling experience to say the least, and then at the eleventh hour, the day before school started, I was called in for an interview the very same day and offered the job at the end of the interview. 

In reflection, when I felt the Holy Spirit speaking these words of truth, I knew that the Lord was assuring me He would see me through, and He was in control. 

Be still doesn’t mean to remain stagnant. 

Merriam-Webster lists a synonym for stagnant as dormant. 

Being still requires a motion. For me, the motion was to actively trust, fervently pray, and wait. 

All these actions are quiet and can be perceived as being dormant, but being still enabled me to listen more closely to the Lord’s voice, put trust into action and know that He is my God.