Psalm 46 opens with mountains shaking and waters roaring. It is a psalm written for chaotic times. In the middle of that noise comes a quiet command: "Be still." The phrase can be translated "cease striving" or "let go."
We tend to think of stillness as something we achieve once life calms down. The psalm suggests the opposite. Stillness is something we practise while the waters are still roaring, because God is our refuge in the storm, not only after it.
Being still does not mean we stop caring or stop working. It means we stop acting as if everything depends on us. It is the deep breath of a soul that remembers God is God, and we are not.
Try this today: set a timer for three minutes. Sit quietly. Each time your mind races ahead, gently return to the words, "Be still, and know that I am God." Let the truth settle deeper than the noise.
Prayer
Lord, my mind is often loud and restless. Teach me to cease striving and to rest in the knowledge that You are God. Be my refuge today. Amen.
Reflect
- 1What makes it hardest for you to be still?
- 2What would change if you truly believed God is in control of today?
