September Scripture Writing Challenge - Be Still

With school starting, the election season heating up, and the holidays just around the corner, life can feel like it's spinning out of control. What if you could find true peace amidst the chaos?

This month’s scripture writing, we're focusing on our 'Be Still' Scripture Writing challenge. Let’s explore how God's Word invites us to pause, find rest, and experience His peace, no matter how busy life gets.

My daughter and I had the opportunity to attend a Christian summer camp with the theme of Be Still and Know that I am God. Even though it was a chaotic environment with 100s of children, I was able to be still and focus on the Lord throughout the week but how can we do that in our everyday lives with all of our responsibilities and activities? Let’s talk about it. . . .

I hope you enjoyed the August Scripture Writing challenge - Pearls of Proverbs.

Today we’re kicking off our September Scripture Writing Challenge. The theme for this month is inspired by Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” This is a familiar verse to most of us. However, in this busy world, it is easier said than done. We have so many distractions.

Social Media notifications and Constant scrolling through Instagram, Facebook, TikTok, and Twitter can keep our minds occupied for hours.

Then there is Streaming Services: Binge-watching shows on Netflix, Hulu, or YouTube, where new content is always just a click away.

News Updates: The 24/7 news cycle, breaking news alerts, and constant political commentary can overwhelm our minds.

Text Messages and Group Chats: Constant buzz from group chats, personal texts, and messaging apps like WhatsApp or Messenger.

Video Games: Both on phones and consoles, gaming can be a time-consuming and engaging distraction.

Podcasts and Audiobooks: With endless options and new episodes daily, it's easy to get lost in a world of listening.

But how do we curb these distractions and habits and get alone with the Lord? Let’s start with learning what God says in His Word. This month, we’ll be focusing on verses about waiting and being still, and I believe it will be a timely message for all of us, especially in the hustle and bustle of everyday life.

Before we dive into September’s challenge, let’s take a moment to reflect on our past Scripture writing themes and habits.

In August, we wrote verses from the book of Proverbs. I hope that you are developing a daily chapter of Proverbs habit by reading 1 chapter of Proverbs each day.

In July, we focused on encouragement. We wrote verses that reminded us of God's incredible love for us, His relentless pursuit, and His heart to redeem and restore. I hope you found comfort in knowing that no matter where you’ve been or what you’ve done, God's arms are always open wide, ready to welcome you home.

In June, we studied Christ our Redeemer. Redemption means to buy out, especially of purchasing a slave with a view to his freedom. We learned how Jesus seeks the lost and buys them back.

In the 4 months before that, we built a habit stack to build a strong devotional habit.

• In February, we started by writing a verse each day.
• In March, we added reading a chapter of the Bible daily.
• In April, we started writing down five things we’re thankful for each day.
• In May, we began writing five prayer requests and praying over them daily.

So here we are in September, and I’m excited to share this month’s Scripture writing theme: waiting and being still. It’s not something we talk about often because, let's be honest, waiting is hard! As moms, we’re used to multitasking and getting things done, so being still and waiting can feel counterproductive. But God's Word reminds us that there is power in stillness.

Learning from Mary and Martha

I have to be honest with you, when I read the story of Mary and Martha in Luke 10:38-42, I get a little frustrated because I relate much more to Martha, who is scurrying about doing all the work, while Mary sits at Jesus' feet and heard His word. I can relate how Martha was distracted with all her work and in her frustration asked Jesus in verse 40, Lord, dost thou not care that my sister hath left me to serve along? Bid her therefore that she help me. Martha knew that the meal wasn’t going to make itself. I think as moms we can all relate to Martha. Ain’t nobody going to come and do our work.

But how does Jesus respond. . . gently in verse 41-42, he says to her, Martha, Martha, thou art careful (or worried) and trouble about many things: But one thing is needful and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her. What is the one thing that Jesus is speaking of? It is spending time with Him, listening to Him, and learning from Him. That is the good part.

I still don’t completely understand how to not be cumbered about with care. God is still teaching me, and I am trying to learn. Going to camp this year and hearing many sermons on the theme be stilling. . . I am learning little by little. Jesus is whispering to me, I am the good part as He tells Martha in Luke 10:42.

I want to share it with you so you can also learn how to wait on the Lord. I encourage you to add to your habit stack this month, being still listening for the still small voice that is spoken of in I Kings 19:10-14. I encourage you to read the verses where Elijah is feeling depressed and has requested to die. He was fleeing for his life after Jezebel killed all the prophets. He is ready to just give up. God showed His power to Elijah in many ways. Wind, earthquake, and fire, but after the fire a still small voice. We need to learn how to listen for the still small voice of God.

How do we do that? Bible reading, prayer, and yes, being still.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” In this verse, the Hebrew word for "be still" is “rapha,” which means to cease striving, to let go. God is calling us to stop trying to fix everything on our own and to rest in the knowledge that He is God. He’s got everything under control, even when it feels like our lives are spinning out of control.

There’s another beautiful verse in Isaiah 40:31: “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint. Waiting on the Lord is not a passive activity. It’s a time of active trust, where we rest in His promises and rely on His strength. It’s in the waiting that God often does His best work in us, molding us, refining us, and drawing us closer to Him.

I used to be a worrier. I worried my children would get hurt, stolen or killed. Living on a farm, there are many ways to get hurt. It consumed me. I asked the Lord to take away this worry. I knew in my brain that worrying doesn’t do any good. It doesn’t change any situation. The worry wasn’t taken away immediately, but over time, I learned that whenever I started to worry to pray for my children. And I can honestly say, that now it is unusual for me to worry about them.

I still pray for them often. Especially since I have two teenage drivers now. I am now grateful to God that I don’t spend my time worrying about them. Then I asked God to show me if there was another area that I worried about. Because what is worry? It is our lack of trusting the Lord. He revealed another area to me. I worry about what people think about me. Now I am praying and asking Him to help me trust Him with that area of my life. He is teaching me to only care what He thinks about me. That is the most important. If I follow Him, people can think what they want.

God invites us to find our rest in Him. Psalm 62:1 says, “Truly my soul waiteth upon God; from him cometh my salvation” We can trust that God is watching over us, that He knows where we are, and that He is always near. When we feel lost or alone, He is the Good Shepherd who leaves the ninety-nine to find the one that is missing. He seeks us out and brings us back to safety.

This month, as we focus on waiting and being still, I encourage you to find moments in your day to pause and rest in God's presence. Maybe it’s during your morning devotion, waiting for a meal to finish cooking, waiting for the laundry to finish, or in the quiet of the evening after the children are in bed. Do not pick up your phone and scroll, instead use those moments to be still, pray, and to remind yourself that God is in control.

For this month’s Scripture writing challenge, we’ll write verses that encourage us to wait on the Lord, to be still, and to trust in His perfect timing. Some of the verses we’ll be focusing on include:

• Psalm 37:7: “Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.”
• Exodus 14:13: And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
• I am sure that Moses and the people of Israel thought it was crazy to stand still and wait when they were being pursued by the Egyptians. I know I would want to run, fight, do something. We all know the rest of the story. God parted the Red Sea and the Israelites walked on dry ground and then the Egyptians drown. God’s ways aren’t our ways. We would do well, to study His command to wait.
• Lamentations 3:25: “The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

I’m excited to see how God will use these verses to speak to our hearts and help us grow in our trust and patience. If you’ve been feeling weary, overwhelmed, or anxious, I pray these Scriptures will be a source of peace and strength for you.

If you would like to add the new habit of taking time to be still and listening for that still small voice. I invite you to do so.

Building Our Habit Stack

If you’ve been following our challenges, here’s the habit stack we’ve built so far:

1. Writing a verse a day.
2. Reading a chapter of the Bible each day.
3. Writing down five things we’re thankful for.
4. Writing down five prayer requests and praying over them.
5. Being still and listening for God’s voice.

If you’ve been participating in our challenges, you’ll receive the September Scripture writing plan in your email.

If you’re new and would like to join us, you can sign up. I’d love to have you join our community!

I hope it’s encouraged you to find rest in God and to trust in His perfect timing. Remember, you don’t have to do this alone. We’re here to support each other, so feel free to share your thoughts and experiences in our Facebook group.

Until next time, be still, know that He is God, and keep your faith strong. Have a blessed day, and God bless you!