Be Still: Amazing Things Ahead

In this devotion, Dianna shares a meltdown that led to God’s gentle call: 'Be still.' As she prepares for the Activate Intercessors prayer service on March 26, 2025, she shares a divine lesson: stillness and consecration position us for God to do amazing things.

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Lately, my emotions have been a mixture of eagerness and anxiousness, joyfulness and heaviness. The wonder and weight of amazing things coming very soon have been on my shoulders and in my heart.

On March 26, 2025, I will stand before others to preach a sermon at my Activate Intercessors prayer service—a moment eight years in the making. It falls on the anniversary of when God healed me from two autoimmune diseases in 2017, a day when intercessors prayed in the sanctuary as I lay broken, unable to stand. He obliterated those diseases, and now, after years of restoration, including through the fog of a 2019 traumatic brain injury, He’s calling me to share a word from Him and lead others in prayer.

You can visit ActivateIntercessors.com for details of this free, open evening, a momentous occasion. I pray you can join me. If not, please lift me up in prayer, asking God to strengthen, equip, and anoint me for this weighty assignment.

As this sacred day approaches, God is teaching me something vital: I cannot pour out if I’m running on empty. Concentration and consecration are not just ideals, they’re necessities. And He’s using the ordinary, even the messy, to drive this lesson home.

***

Recently, on a winter day when snowflakes drifted lazily outside, as if time itself had slowed, my teenage son, Kaleb, looked at me with those big, earnest eyes and asked, "Mommy, can you run to Dollar Tree for some popsicles?"

Popsicles in winter—only my quirky, wonderful youngest would think of that. I smiled, picturing a quick errand. I’m wired to serve, to work hard, to say "yes"—it’s what lights me up inside. There’s a joy in pouring myself out for others, especially my family, that feels like a divine calling. But setting boundaries? That’s where I stumble. I’ll go, go, go when my soul—and my body—desperately need me to sit, sit, sit.

Since my 2019 traumatic brain injury, this tug-of-war has grown harder. Fatigue and brain fog creep in, muddling my focus; anxiety and depression gang up, leaving me on edge and downtrodden. Yet I push through, determined to keep giving. That day, I didn’t see the warning signs—and my brain had other plans.

Kaleb’s request seemed like an easy "yes." I drove off, music up, only to realize miles later I’d gone the wrong way. A simple trip stretched into a 30-minute detour, draining me completely. When I got home, popsicles in hand, I was weary but proud—until Kaleb’s face fell. He’d texted me to grab two flavors; only one message came through. His initial disappointment stung, though he quickly assured me he was grateful anyway. Still, I felt I’d let him down over something as small as a popsicle.

The tears came then—hot, heavy, unstoppable. I was frustrated, even a bit embarrassed, bawling over popsicles. But it wasn’t just that—it was a week of chaos, demands piling up, me unraveling, pushing past my limits.

I’d said "yes" when my heart whispered, "You need a break." In my bedroom, a soggy mess, God met me. His voice broke through, gentle yet firm: "Reserve your yes. Preserve your spirit." I scribbled those words down—a lifeline. Then He continued: "Dianna, if you give your time and energy to every little thing, you’ll have nothing left for what truly matters. Learn when to say yes and go, and when to say no and be still."

That popsicle meltdown became a mirror. I’d been ignoring my limits, playing Supermom when I should’ve been sitting at His feet.

***

Right then, God led me to Luke 10:38-42—Martha and Mary—a passage I’ve read, studied, and written about on my blog many times. I know it well: Martha busied herself serving Jesus, anxious and troubled, while Mary sat, listening, lingering in His presence. Frustrated, Martha turned to Jesus, asking Him to tell Mary to get up and help.

But that day, those familiar words “hit different,” so to speak—special, urgent, deeply personal. Jesus’ response pierced my heart: "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the better part, and it will not be taken from her." I felt Him saying, “Dianna, Dianna, you are anxious and troubled about many things. Choose the better part.”

That word—"better," from the Greek agathos—means noble, excellent, of true worth. Mary’s stillness wasn’t laziness; it was a deliberate choice to prioritize Jesus. Martha’s efforts weren’t wrong, but Mary’s focus held eternal value.

I heard Him reiterate, "Dianna, this is for you. Stop chasing every demand. Sit with Me. Choose the better part." It’s a lesson deepening as March 26 nears. Distractions tug—emails, obligations, meetings, errands, life’s noise—but Jesus keeps drawing me back. He knows I can’t pour from an empty cup.

In Matthew 11:28-29, He says, "Come to Me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." David knew this divine rest too: "He makes me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside still waters" (Psalm 23:2).

***

We all feel it—the whirlwind of to-dos, the pressure to keep pushing. But God uses the ordinary—a misguided popsicle run—or our deepest struggles to pull us back, to quiet us, to refocus us on what matters. As I prepare for this service, He’s clear: "Dianna, you need stillness. Consecration. Concentration."

I’m learning to set aside the clamor, to sit with Him, to be ready—not as Supermom, but as a still, focused, consecrated woman, anchored in His presence.

Friend, I believe He’s speaking to you too, which is why you’re reading this. God is calling you to concentration and consecration because He’s preparing you for great things. Remember Joshua 3:5 (NIV), the sweetener I’m stirring into your cup of inspiration: “Consecrate yourselves, for tomorrow the Lord will do amazing things among you.”

As you drink down the contents of your cup, keep this in mind: whenever God calls us to greater levels of consecration, that means He’s preparing us for greater manifestations of His glory and power. Like Joshua reminded Israel before they crossed the Jordan to finally enter the Promised Land, God is reminding us: something amazing is coming!

But to be positioned for Him to release us into our destiny and receive all the blessings He has in store, it takes time in His presence, focus on His Word, and stillness at His feet.

Join me in this season of preparation—not by doing more, but by being still, setting ourselves apart, listening so He can lead, strengthen, and position us for the amazing things ahead. Let’s commit to resisting the urge to push when we need to pause.

On March 26, I’ll stand to activate intercession, and I invite you to stand in your own calling, rooted in His rest, fully expecting to see great things unfold.

Now, let’s pray:

God, in life’s busyness, I sometimes get caught up in the whirlwind and lose sight of what matters most. Thank You for refocusing me and preparing me for the amazing things to come. Whenever I’m tempted to move at a frantic pace, help me still myself, sit at Your feet, and receive the wisdom and strength I need for my purpose. Thank You for showing me how to choose the better part—uninterrupted time with You. In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Did this message bless you? Sow a seed into Dianna Hobbs’ ministry to help her share God’s word. As you give, may God richly reward you.

If you desire prayer, please allow me, along with my intercessory prayer team, to stand in faith with you for breakthrough. We would be so honored. We have seen God work over and over again. There is power in agreement. Click here to request prayer now.

As always, thanks for reading and until next time... may today's cup of inspiration uplift, encourage, and empower you!