Presently, we have a four-year-old grandson. He has more life and energy than grandpa, grandma, mommy and daddy combined. Actually, all our grandchildren do. However, our oldest in particular is constantly on the go and talking loudly. He finds it difficult to sit still for very long. Nonetheless, we’ve been working on the process of him attending church services with us. Recently I told him he needed to be very quiet while we were in the services. When this clearly wasn’t working, we told him firmly: “Will you please sit still and be quiet?”

In the Scriptures, the Lord repeatedly seeks to impress on our souls the need to be still and quiet. In Psalm 46:10, David records God’s message: “Be still and know that I am God.” When he was in times of “trouble” (46:1), David learned it was a good time to reflect quietly on God’s greatness and help. When an issue about how to properly worship the Lord arose, Moses told the questioners: “Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you” (Num. 9:8). Rather than clamor in an emotional state, their need was to wait quietly, listen and learn. When God instructed the prophet Samuel to announce to Saul that he was the choice of Jehovah to be king, Samuel wanted a private time with him away from all distraction. Then he told him: “…stand thou still awhile, that I may shew thee the Word of God” (I Sam. 9:27).

As it was then, so it is now. The best condition to fully comprehend a message from God’s very words is in a state of quiet attentiveness without distraction. So important is this latter principle that we see Samuel practicing it again in the waning days of his ministry to Israel. He told them: “Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and your fathers” (I Sam. 12:7).

We live in a time of too much busyness and distraction, especially with things that will not count in eternity. It is more important than ever for every child of God to recognize the necessity of being quiet and still before the Lord. This is true when we go to church to worship, and it is true every day. It is vital that we purpose to make time for a quiet time with the Lord and His Word each day.

To the Reader:

Some of our Two Minutes articles were written many years ago by Pastor C. R. Stam for publication in newspapers. When many of these articles were later compiled in book form, Pastor Stam wrote this word of explanation in the Preface:

"It should be borne in mind that the newspaper column, Two Minutes With the Bible, has now been published for many years, so that local, national and international events are discussed as if they occurred only recently. Rather than rewrite or date such articles, we have left them just as they were when first published. This, we felt, would add to the interest, especially since our readers understand that they first appeared as newspaper articles."

To this we would add that the same is true for the articles written by others that we continue to add, on a regular basis, to the Two Minutes library. We hope that you'll agree that while some of the references in these articles are dated, the spiritual truths taught therein are timeless.

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