A Pause to Ponder God's Word
Be Still!

When I was a child I had this nervous habit of jiggling my foot and leg. My mother told me more times than one would care to count, "Be still! You act like you have ants in your pants." Ironically my children do the same thing, and, as you probably guessed, I have told them time and again, "Be still!" All of us have at one time or another have been told to be still. Children fidget and fiddle all the time. As do many of us who are older. Therefore, when God through the Psalmist tells us to "Be still, and know that I am God," we tend to think of it in these terms. (Psalm 46:10) What we hear is "settle down, stop fidgeting, and be quiet."

Maybe that is why this passage is most often recited just before prayer, as an invitation for God's people to "be quiet and tip toe into God's presence." Or maybe we're saying, "Let's be reverently quiet before God." We should come before the Heavenly Father with awe, wonder, and deep reverence. But this isn't really what God is saying here. To understand what He is saying we need see it in the context of the whole Psalm. It speaks about God's mighty wonders, about His absolute greatness. It joyously proclaims "the Lord Almighty!" It ends with the glorious fact that "The Lord Almighty is with us," He is present with His people.

God is not calling us to be quiet, bow our heads, and fold our hands. He is telling us to, "STOP!" We are so busy doing; busy being in control; busy fixing all the problems; busy fighting God's battles; busy keeping up with everything; busy correcting all the wrongs; busy dealing with all the hurting people; busy building His church. We are so busy that our lives contradict our words. We say He is Lord. We say He is Almighty. We say He is God. But we live as if we are! God is forthrightly calling out for us to stop our frantic, feeble, feverish, frenzied effort at making it all work and being in control!"

The second part of the command is, "and know that I am God." Let me paraphrase. "Let me be God." This second part is dependent upon the first and the two together bring a specific result. Until we stop our self-effort attempts to do it all, we do not really know God as God. We must relinquish control and let Him be God.

This is no light suggestion. It is not a simple request. Nor is it a friendly proposal. It is a direct command from God. That is why this passage leaves us with the piercing question; if God is God why are we living our lives at this break neck, heart wrenching, mind blowing, unhealthy fashion? Or, why are we living as if God doesn't exist?

Beloved, listen with me again: "Stop and let me be God!"

When we do stop and let God be God in all things there is a specific result - "I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." God is not glorified through lives that are lived as if He doesn't exist. God is exalted, revealed, and glorified through the lives of people who are still and letting Him be God. Lives that are the channels through which He accomplishes His work. Lives that have found their refuge and strength in Him alone. Yes beloved, we need to "Be still and know He is God."

Keep Close To Jesus
Pastor Gerry


A Pause To Ponder God's Word is written and distributed by Gerald Whetstone, Ordained Elder and teacher in the Church of the Nazarene. These devotionals may be transmitted, duplicated, used in part or in entirety without permission for nonprofit purposes only. Responses welcome. To Subscribe Click Here.
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