[Darris McNeely] One of my favorite songs is called "Learn To Be Still". It's done by again, a favorite musical group of mine, The Eagles. "Learn To Be Still". And it has really good message to it. There are times in life we just need to be still and let God talk to us. And let the ability to kind of wash over us, to sort through a difficult time, challenges, different options in front of us. Withdraw, pray, think, meditate, ask God's guidance, but learn to be still.

There's an example in one of the stories in scripture from the book of Acts, where the disciples had to learn to be still. They were faced with a monumental spiritual question regarding the circumcision of the Gentiles. It's recorded in chapter 15 of Acts, where a group of ministers came together to discuss whether or not Gentiles had to continue on being circumcised. They were in Jerusalem and room full of ministers, strong-willed individuals who are convicted, passionate. And they began to discuss the issue. And there were different points of view on this. Acts 15 talks about how they all came together to consider this, beginning in verse 6 and each had something to say. And it came to a point after a few presentations were made in verse 12, "Then all the multitude kept silent." They learned to be still. "All the multitude kept silent and listened to Barnabas and Paul declaring how many miracles and wonders God had worked through them among the Gentiles." And Paul and Barnabas told what they had learned, and what they had seen, and how God indeed was opening the door of faith to the Gentiles. And that the need of physical circumcision then was not a requirement that needed to be made. In fact, it was really the meaning and the understanding that they came to was that physical circumcision now was all about being spiritually circumcised. But to come to that conclusion, which the council did, they had to be silent, which is a big challenge for a lot of us to do. We wanna be heard, we want our voice to prevail. To be blunt, a room full of ministers like this, again, strong-willed, passionate men, for them to have come to the point of being silent. Learning to be still was quite a challenge and quite a feat. It's rather humorous when you stop and think about it. Because ministers like to talk, ministers like to be heard, ministers want their opinions out there. But it was when they came to the point of being silent that they were able to consider and God's spirit was able to lead them to understanding on this point.

The lesson for you and I, learn to be still. Learn to be silent, learn to listen more. Learn to let God talk to us through His word and through circumstances and details of life that may be Him prompting us in certain ways. Learn to be still, and let God lead us, and let God guide us. It's a key to spiritual success. It is a very important lesson that a disciple of Jesus Christ must know.

That's BT Daily. Join us next time.