You know the psalm. "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psa 46:10). Simple, straightforward. Very significant, especially in our world today. "Be still." The word is probably best translated "cease." That's fine. Same thing. Cease striving. Stop wrestling with your problems, your life. Be still. Frankly we all like to think that's possible.
The difficulty for us is the "how." "Yes, thanks, I'd like to be still ... to cease striving. But ... how?" The answer is right there. "Know that I am God." It's simple ... yet incredibly profound ... and not very easy for humans. He says that if we know God -- who He is, what He's like, His capabilities and character -- we can ... stop striving. Be still. God "works all things according to the counsel of His will" (Eph 1:11). All things. Every time. Never fails. That's a comfort. He gives good gifts (James 1:17), supplies every need (Php 4:19), always works all things for good (Rom 8:28), withholds nothing good (Rom 8:32), and on and on and on. Tell me again why I'm struggling?
I suppose part of the problem is the "why," too. Why should we trust Him? Why does He do it? Well ... good news! It's not because we're so good. He does it so that "I will be exalted among the nations." He does it for His glory. And if there's anything He cares most about, it's His glory (Isa 42:8). Count on it. We can rest ... cease ... be still. How? By knowing God. Why? Because He always does what's best ... for His glory. And that should be great for us. Know God and be still. We think we know Him, but ... do we? Or is it that we just don't trust?
1 comment:
It is also an example of the old man still hanging on, since we still sin and suffer from the original curse. We do it to ourselves, making life harder than it needs to be because we do not rely on Him perfectly.
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