Be Still...I Mean It

“Be still and know that I am God.”

That verse from Psalm 46 is always so reassuring, but I think we often miss its true meaning. We tend to think of it as we would the words of a parent patting our head and saying, “It’s okay, I’ll handle this. I’m with you.” But this is much more than that.

Just now I was sitting in our living room, having completed a long phone call with my parents, discussing several family matters and other issues in our lives that we have been concerned about over the past few days and weeks. Then I spent some time checking out my Facebook comments and notifications to make sure I wasn’t missing any connections I needed to make with friends.

And then I was finished. I stopped. I sat alone in the middle of the house and listened. I could hear the clocks ticking in the living room and the nearby study. I could hear the construction equipment working on the nearby building lot. But other than that, every single thing was perfectly still.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Those words came into my head clear as day. And I suddenly heard them not as words of comfort, but as a directive. Words a commander might give to his troops. Words a boss might give to her employees. “Be still.” Stop puttering, moving, rushing, fidgeting, working, fighting...be still.

“Know.” Just know. No research. No work. No investigation or study or exploration or examination. Just know. Discern and understand from what I am revealing to you to be true. This will be enough. Plenty. Satisfying. Confirming. Affirming. 

“I am God.” The God. One and only. And if he is God, then it is understood that I (as in, little ol’ me) am not. So let it go. Stop trying to handle it. Stop attempting control. Not my job anyway.

“Be still and know that I am God.”

Let’s put those words in context with the words before and after that verse and realize just how great that promise is in that directive from our heavenly Father:

   Come and see what the Lord has done,

       the desolations he has brought on the earth.

   He makes wars cease

       to the ends of the earth.

   He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

       he burns the shields with fire.

   He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;

       I will be exalted among the nations,

       I will be exalted in the earth.”

   The Lord Almighty is with us;

       the God of Jacob is our fortress. (Ps. 46:8-11, emphasis added)

Be still. Know. He is God.

You are not. 

And the One who is? 

He's on your side. 

I'd call that good news. I think I'm going to sit here for a few more minutes and just know it.