Be Still…
“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10)
How easy is it to be still when you are going through problems and trials? How easy is it to say “Lord, I surrender this situation to you”, then not put your hands back into it? How easy is it to say “I am not going to take that drink…eat that big piece of cake…spend more money on myself…worry about my situation…look at that porn site again”? The fact is, it’s quite easy to say but hard to do. It can be hard to be still in a troubling situation. It can be hard to be still when you’re worried about health problems, financial problems, work problems, family problems and more. Our first thought is “how am I going to fix this?”. Then we do everything we can to figure out ways to “help” our situation. The problem is, we sometimes will listen to everyone else and seek out their assistance instead of going to the Lord with our concerns, surrendering it to Him and “be still”. What we don’t realize is that something happens in that stillness. In that quite stillness, there is not only peace, but there is learning, growth and an increase of faith. That, however, is not the only thing the scripture says. There is an “and” in there that tells us there is something else that needs to be done…”know that I am God”.
What exactly does “be still” mean? According to the Hebrew Interlinear, it can mean to let drop, relax, withdraw, abandon, refrain, to let go and to be quiet. Does this mean we are never to do anything when we are faced with a problem? No, but we should always go before the Lord with any problem and seek His guidance and then do what He leads us to do. But there are times we must also “be still” and allow God to work, knowing that He is God. Knowing who our God is and what He is capable of doing can alleviate a lot of worry and fear IF we allow it too. Who is God? Well, according to Psalm 46 verse 1, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble”. Then we have the first line of of verse 2 that gives us encouragement, “Therefore, we will not fear”.
In times of trials and problems when it seems like things are not getting better, but in fact may even be getting worse, we must sit silently and quietly and wait upon the Lord. Sometimes the battle is the Lord’s and not ours and we must let Him do His work (Exodus 14:14; 2 Chronicles 20:15; 1 Samuel 17:47). This is also a good time to remember the mile markers…all of the times in the past where you were faced with a problem or trial and you brought it before the Lord and He took care of it and got you through it.
Whatever you are facing at this time, just be still and know that He is God. Relax and allow Him to work in the situation. Waiting brings patience, which is a fruit of the Spirit. It will also increase your faith once you see how God works.
“Be Still And Know That I Am God”