Be Still and Know

For years, the thought of being still sounded easy to me. I found that if I sat long enough in my closet, closed the door, and waited (sometimes praying, sometimes just listening), I was the living definition of “stillness”. While spending time alone with God in silence can be good, I have recently learned what the author meant by “be still” in Psalm 46:10.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” It sounds easy and much like what I had done throughout most of my walk with the Lord. However, to “be still” doesn’t just mean sitting in silence. Among many other things, it can mean stop talking, cease striving, and — an important one for me — stop questioning. “To know” means to stop doubting and have faith. “That I am God” urges us to remember who God is: loving, faithful, consistent, a Fortress, and among many other beautiful things, a Shepherd who will lead us.

It can be easy for us to do the opposite of all these things. Many of us spend much of our time questioning, complaining, and running in circles trying to make our lives what we think they should be. We doubt. We forget that the Lord is in control and that he does, after all, see what is going on in our lives!

Today, take some time to spend time with the Lord, thanking him and remembering who he is and what he has promised.

Be silent. Stop questioning. Have faith.

Lord, being still can be a struggle for me. Help me remember who you really are — that you are faithful and that you really are leading me! Forgive me for the times when I try to figure everything out on my own. Lord, I give you control.

Throughout This Day: Read Psalm 46. When you are tempted to complain or question God’s goodness, remember what Scripture tells you about who God is.