“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 ESV

Wow, what a week. Actually, what a month. It’s probably good I didn’t know what my May and June calendars would look like when I started my new job, because I would have hid myself in a hole and cried. Don’t get me wrong, I’m still glad I changed jobs, but I inherited a concert schedule that’s too full (thankfully my colleagues agree, and we’ve already changed the schedule for next spring!). I knew going into this week that I needed to prioritize some things (like sleep) and let some things slide (like going to the car wash – so my car has streaks through the pollen on the hood where the windshield wiper fluid didn’t quite make it all the way to the windshield, but Matthew 6:34 keeps coming to mind, so I’m not worried about it).

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Be Still

One thing I tried to prioritize during the craziness was taking moments to be still. To pause and breathe. The words “Be Still” are printed on the front cover of my journal, so I see them every morning (and yes, they often irk me if I read them at the end of a long day when I haven’t taken time to pause). But I think the Biblical words “be still” are often taken out of context. We’re not told to just stop. If we look at surrounding text, we see that we are to be still in order to see God’s power.

• Psalm 37:7 ESV “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!”
• Psalm 46:10 ESV “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”

We also read how God’s power stills our circumstances.

• Psalm 89:9 ESV “You rule the raging of the sea; when its waves rise, you still them.”
• Psalm 107:29 ESV “He made the storm be still, and the waves of the sea were hushed.”

The direction to “be still” doesn’t necessarily mean to be physically still. It also means to still your mind, those swirling thoughts we ruminate on, and focus your thoughts and attention on the awesomeness and goodness of God, remembering that He is with you and can calm your storm.

So when you have feelings of “I can’t do this!!” you’re exactly right. You can’t. But God can. So pause, be still, and then take a step forward in His power.

What do your “be still” moments look like? How might you prioritize stillness this week?

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10 ESV