Be Still and Know
By Emma Danzey
Psalm 46:10 says, “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’”
How to Be Still
The Hebrew word, har·pū means be still and is found only in one place in Scripture, Psalm 46:10. Matthew Henry says in Blue Letter Bible that Psalm 46 “was penned upon occasion of David's victories over the neighbouring nations (2 Sa. 8), and the rest which God gave him from all his enemies round about.”
Maybe you feel as if you have been in a spiritual, physical, or emotional battle recently. Perhaps you are so worn out that you do not know what to do with your exhaustion. Just as God invited David into resting in Him by being still, He also invites us today. In order for us to be still, to har·pū, we need to stop. Just like a car can only be on an interstate for so long without needing to go get filled up with gas, we cannot run at a rapid pace forever without slowing down and getting nourished.
God stills us physically by giving us sleep (Psalm 127:2) and food (Luke 12:24). He stills us emotionally by being our Counselor (Isaiah 9:6) and catching our tears in a bottle (Psalm 56:8). The Lord stills us spiritually by renewing us with His Word (Romans 12:2), in silence (Psalm 62:5), and through song (Psalm 71:23).
How do you tend to struggle the most in being still? Our human nature tells us that productivity comes from busyness. However, this is counterproductive. When God created the world, He modeled for us the Sabbath, the day of rest on day 7. We have the joy of living our lives after HIs perfect model. The Lord did not need rest, He chose rest. Maybe you do not feel like being still, ask the Holy Spirit to help you to choose rest like God. Many times in Jesus’ ministry on earth He went away into solitude. He had an ebb and flow of rest and work. If we can regularly incorporate rest into our weekly rhythms, being still will become more of a lifestyle and a healthy habit rather than a “hail Mary” when we hit rock bottom.
Know that He is God
This might sound like a silly statement if you already know that God is God. However, when we think about the word know, it can also represent remembering and actively thinking on. We need to know that He is God. This means that we need to remind our souls that He is sovereign and in control. We need to tell our hearts that He is perfect love and He cares for us. We need to remember that even while we were still sinners, Christ died for us (Romans 5:8) and He has washed us whiter than snow. (Psalm 51:7)
So often our feelings get in the way of a correct view of God. Our faith is built on a firm foundation that is the Rock. We can be steady and confident in our Savior, but this does not mean that the enemy and our own fleshly thoughts will not come against us. It does however mean that we tell our feelings and emotions what we know, that He is God.
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth
In the time of writing this Psalm, David just had victories over other nations. This was a reminder to David and to us that our victories (even if they are spiritual) are not our own, but solely for the glory of God. He is the exalted One. His name is the one we should make known. Even if He gives us a high standing or a great position, we are not to bask in glory for our own selves, but redirect that to the Lord. When we are still and know, we remind our hearts and our minds that even in our stillness, our God never sleeps (Psalm 121:4) and He is always in control. We can cast our worries and burdens onto Him. We can trust that even if hard things are happening around this world, if evil leaders rise, if sickness runs rampant, and if culture turns to vulgar things, that He is still reigning on the throne and nothing cannot take that away from Him.
Intersecting Faith and Life:
How can you be still today? In what ways do you need to remind yourself that God is in charge and He is working out His plan among all nations around the world? Take some time to slow down, be with the Lord in stillness, and present your requests to Him.
Further Reading:
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