Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
Growing up, I cannot tell you how many times my parents and teachers said to me, “Tommy, sit still!” I was always moving some part of my body whether at the dinner table or at my desk in the classroom. In today’s verse, we are commanded by God to “be still” not “sit still” and there is a world of difference between the two. Read on and be encouraged.
When my parents and teachers told me to “sit still” it was because I was either distracting or disruptive. But when God says, “be still” He is not saying we are distracting or disruptive. Within the context He is telling us to “cease striving” by submitting to His sovereign control and course correction in our lives willingly. You see, to “be still” is so much more than to “sit still.” Obviously, you can and “sit still” and not even be close to “being still.”
To be still and know that He is God is to surrender to His will even before you are in agreement with it. In fact, you may never be in agreement with God’s will, but to “be still” is to follow it anyway regardless of where it might lead. We can be totally still on the outside, and still be completely restless on the inside because we have not yet learned how to “be still.” So, we can only understand the first part of that verse when we understand the last part. To know God is to know the secret of being still.
In the beginning of Psalm 46, the writer tells us God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea . . . (Psalm 46:1-2). We are always busy being busy and that is true even when we are sitting still. There is always something we are working on at least in our minds. But to “be still” is to stop the frantic pace of working in our own strength because we are trusting in the strength of our Savior.
Remember, even if everything around you is coming apart at the seams (mountains falling into the heart of the sea), God is still in complete control of it all. God is orchestrating everything for His glory and your good, but you will never be able to live in that truth if all you do is “sit still.” You must “be still” by surrendering every aspect of your life to God’s design which will provide water to your thirsty soul and rest for your restless spirit.
This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!
Grace for the Race 