Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world. The Lord of Heaven’s Armies is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress.” – Psalm 46:10-11 (NLT)
The challenge comes with the first two words of the verse – “be still”. Lately I feel as though there is no time to be still. Life has become full of busyness and noise. I think it is something we, as a society, have become accustomed to and accept as the norm. Our bodies have become programmed to be on the go and find it hard to be still when there is an open window of time in the day to do so. Even if the body is momentarily resting, the mind is still running on overdrive.
Perhaps I am putting too much emphasis on stillness as a physical response. Maybe to “be still” is better described as an attitude of the heart. Maybe it is simply allowing his voice to quiet our soul when there is chaos and confusion. Maybe it is having a spirit of gratitude for his blessings and goodness. Maybe it is holding on to the truth of who He says he is regardless of what our circumstances are.
So, who does He say that he is?
In Exodus 3, God called on Moses to lead his people, the Israelites, out of slavery in Egypt. Moses voiced his feelings of inadequacies for the job to God who in turn replied, “I will be with you.” Because the Israelites had been exposed to the polytheistic practices of the Egyptians for such a long time, Moses then argued that they would not believe him if he told them ‘the God of your ancestors has sent me’ and asked God what his response should be, to which God replied: “I AM THE ONE WHO ALWAYS IS. Just tell them ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ” In the next verse God goes on to say: “Tell them, ‘The LORD, the God of your ancestors-the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob- has sent me to you.’ This will be my name forever; it has always been my name, and it will be used throughout all generations.” (vs14-15)
I AM.
The LORD.
His name reflects his nature which is unchanging. He is the same living, breathing, moving God today as he was in the days of Moses and as he will be through all eternity. Part of “being still” and being able to rest in God – in His peace, in His presence, in His provision – is acknowledging who He is and embracing His sovereignty.
If we don’t have moments of stillness – whether it be a physical response or a heart response- we are missing out on time to experience God: to feel his heartbeat, to see his hand of grace, to hear his whispers, to marvel at his creativity, to recognize him for who he is…God.
