Be Still and Know

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8  Come, behold the works of the Lord,

how he has brought desolations on the earth.

  9     He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

10     “Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

11     The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

 

Devotion:

            Today’s scripture is most famous for the first line of verse ten, “Be still and know that I am God.” When put in context of the entire psalm this line takes on even greater meaning. What was the psalmist trying to convey with these words?

            The entire psalm encourages us to look and see what God has done in the world and invites us to look forward to what God will do in the future. The psalm stresses the sovereignty of God in all the earth. It states that God will do what he wishes with the world. It calls upon us to simply be still and know God. It is interesting that both the verbs in the first line of verse ten are imperatives in the Hebrew. God is not just asking nicely that we stand back and behold what He is going to do in the world. It commands us to watch what the Lord is up to and learn that He is the supreme power in the universe.

            Most of our world today is constantly in motion. We have people to meet, places to go, things to do, and we feel we cannot slow down and take time with/for God or even other hurting people God may place in our paths today for us to minister to. In the process, we have become more like human doings than human beings. We were made for communion with God. Yet we give him scarcely a thought all day long. Perhaps we pick up a Bible or devotional and spend ten minutes with him, but then we are off. Checking things off our list to do as if we do not even know God exists.

            Surveys tell us that fewer and fewer of us even take an hour on Sunday to worship him. We live like atheists. Yet we wonder why society seems to be getting less and less moral by the day. How could it not be this way? Christians are neglecting God, are we not encouraging our unbelieving world to ignore Him also. We Christians need to heed the words of the psalmist here. Stand back, stop doing so many different things and look with awe and wonder at what God has done and is doing in our world today.

Prayer:

            Father in Heaven, we pray that you would show us how to stand back, be still, and know that You are the ruler of the universe. You take care of all the starry host in heaven above, you can take care of our petty problems and concerns. Lord, we ask that You show us the way to lead culture in these uncertain times. May we wait upon you to show us the way in which we are supposed to walk. Amen.

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