Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10
During a trip to the zoo, I stopped to rest near the sloth exhibit. The creature hung upside down. He seemed content being completely still. I sighed. Because of my health issues, I struggled with stillness and desperately wanted to move forward, to do something—anything. Resenting my limitations, I longed to stop feeling so weak. But while staring at the sloth, I observed how he stretched one arm, gripped a nearby branch, and stopped again. Being still required strength. If I wanted to be content with moving slowly or being as still as the sloth, I needed more than incredible muscle power. To trust God with every dragging moment of my life, I needed supernatural power.
In Psalm 46, the writer proclaims that God doesn’t just give us strength, He is our strength (v. 1). No matter what’s going on around us, the “Lord Almighty is with us” (v. 7). The psalmist repeats this truth with conviction (v. 11).
Like the sloth, our day-to-day adventures often require slow steps and extended periods of seemingly impossible stillness. When we rely on God’s unchanging character, we can depend on His strength no matter what plan and pace He determines is right for us.
Though we may continue to battle afflictions or struggle with waiting, God remains faithfully present. Even when we don’t feel strong, He’ll help us flex our faith muscles.
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth.b A song.
1 God is our refugem and strength,n
an ever-presento helpp in trouble.q
2 Therefore we will not fear,r though the earth give ways
and the mountains fallt into the heart of the sea,u
3 though its waters roarv and foamw
and the mountains quakex with their surging.c
4 There is a rivery whose streamsz make glad the city of God,a
the holy place where the Most Highb dwells.c
5 God is within her,d she will not fall;e
God will helpf her at break of day.
6 Nationsg are in uproar,h kingdomsi fall;
he lifts his voice,j the earth melts.k
7 The Lord Almightyl is with us;m
the God of Jacobn is our fortress.o
8 Come and see what the Lord has done,p
the desolationsq he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes warsr cease
to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bows and shatters the spear;
he burns the shieldsd with fire.t
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;u
I will be exaltedv among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacobw is our fortress.x
INSIGHT
- How have you experienced God’s strength empowering you through a season of stillness?
- How can reflecting on His unchanging character help you persevere?
The final verse of Psalm 46 says, “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress” (v. 11), providing an echo to verse 7. Perhaps it’s those references to our security in God’s protection that prompted Martin Luther to pen one of the church’s most enduring hymns, “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.” But the protective imagery isn’t limited to those statements. In verse 1, we see God as a “refuge,” “strength,” and “ever-present help.” The sons of Korah, who authored Psalm 46, described the only reasonable response to understanding; namely, that our safety is found in our Creator: “Therefore we will not fear” (v. 2). God Himself gives us this encouragement in verse 10: “Be still, and know that I am God.” In a world where there’s plenty to be afraid of, our God offers us His presence (v. 11), for He Himself is our safety.
PRAYER
God Almighty, thank You for giving me opportunities to flex my faith muscles by trusting You to be my strength. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!!
Read: Psalm 46 (NIV) | Bible in a Year: Psalm 10-12 ; Acts 19:1-20
