“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10a
Sometimes we hear a verse so often we stop paying attention. This was true for me for Psalm 46:10. I have this verse on my bulletin board and I see it every day, yet way too often I am not still. In fact, I am anything but that.
At a church women’s conference, a friend shared with me a more meaningful way to read any way-too-familiar verse. She encouraged me to dissect it. Breaking down the verse renewed its meaning for me.
Be still and know that I AM . . . Even though I know He is God, do I let Him be God over my life? Do I put Him on the back burner until I need His presence? When Moses asked Him what His name was, God replied, “I AM.” Jesus told the Pharisees that before there was Abraham, I AM. He is forever present, be it two thousand years ago or two thousand years from now.
Be still and know . . . know not just with my brain but with every fiber of my being. To know is to be certain, without a shadow of a doubt or an ounce of hesitancy. We say, “I know for a fact . . .” when we are adamant about something. Do I know God? How can I know Him better? The answer is simple—by spending time with Him. That requires that sometimes I don’t do all the talking in my prayer life, but I stop and listen. And to listen, I must…
Be still. . . How very easy, and yet very difficult. To be still is also for me to be peacefully silent. Silence is hard to achieve in today’s world. We are surrounded by noise. Being still requires effort, a conscious act of not being distracted. But, this is where you can find God.
Be – that is all God requires of us. We just need to be what we were created to be—to praise and serve the Lord our God with our hearts souls and minds. Our merciful God accepts us as we are, with all our short comings and all our faults. Through the eyes of His Son, sees us as pure, blameless and made worthy when we come into His presence and ask for forgiveness. We don’t need to be perfect. We only need to be willing to “be”.
Heavenly Lord, breathe in us the desire to know You more and more. Help us to realize You are always I AM, and are present in our lives. Instill in our hurried state the yearning to be still and to be content to just be, knowing that in You we are made complete. Amen.
Take Action:
If a Bible verse starts to lose its impact, take it apart. Read each word and find new meaning, with God’s help. Scripture is alive and breathing with His Spirit. We are not to just read it, but to digest it, make it a part of us, and live it.