Psalm 46:10

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Stillness can be surprisingly difficult.

We live in a world that encourages immediate response. A message appears and we feel that we should answer it. Something unexpected happens and we begin rearranging our plans. A problem emerges and our instinct is to solve it before we have even understood it. Activity can feel reassuring because doing something gives us the sense that we are taking control.

Into all that movement comes one of Scripture’s simplest instructions: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

The words are not an invitation to indifference. They are an invitation to remember who God is before deciding what we must do.

The Urgency We Create

Not everything that feels urgent actually is.

An uncomfortable email may sit unanswered for an hour. A decision may benefit from a night’s sleep. A difficult conversation may go better if we pray before entering it. The commentary for today observes that a hurried response can sometimes reveal more about our anxiety than about what the situation itself requires. October Scripture Commentaries

That is worth considering.

Sometimes we act quickly because action is necessary. At other times, we act quickly because waiting exposes the uncomfortable truth that we are not in control.

Stillness asks us to resist that first impulse.

It gives us enough space to ask different questions. What is actually happening here? What do I know, rather than merely fear? What response would reflect patience, wisdom and love?

Those few moments can change everything that follows.

“Know That I Am God”

The second part of the command explains the first.

We are not told simply to be quiet. We are told to be still and know.

Christian stillness therefore has a centre. It is not emptying the mind or pretending that our problems are insignificant. It is deliberately turning our attention from the size of the problem to the character of God.

The world does not depend upon our constant management.

That can be difficult to accept because responsibility is good. We should care about our families, our work, our commitments and the people who depend upon us. We should plan carefully and act faithfully.

But responsibility can quietly become something else. We can begin carrying burdens that were never ours to carry, believing that unless we hold every thread together the whole fabric will unravel.

Psalm 46 reminds us that God remains God whether or not we have worked everything out.

That truth does not diminish our importance. It places our importance within the larger reality of His sovereignty.

The Sacred Pause

There can be great spiritual value in introducing small pauses into an ordinary day.

Before replying when we are irritated, we can pause.

Before making an important decision, we can pray.

Before assuming that we understand another person’s motives, we can listen.

The commentary suggests precisely these kinds of practical pauses, not as a withdrawal from responsibility but as a way of changing the spirit in which we undertake it. October Scripture Commentaries

A pause of thirty seconds may prevent an argument that would last thirty days. A quiet prayer may reveal that the decision we were rushing towards can wait. Listening for another minute may show us that we misunderstood what someone was trying to say.

Stillness is not wasted time.

Sometimes it is where wisdom begins.

Beyond the World We Can See

The closing words of the verse lift our eyes even further: “I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Our attention naturally narrows around our immediate circumstances. The problem on our desk, the conversation in our home or the uncertainty hanging over tomorrow can begin to feel like the entire world.

God sees more.

His authority extends far beyond the small area we can influence. The commentary reminds us that we may still need to work hard, seek help or speak clearly, but stillness prevents us from treating our own sense of urgency as the final truth. October Scripture Commentaries

That perspective can bring enormous relief.

Quiet Before God

An ordered soul is not one that never faces pressure. It is one that is learning not to let pressure dictate every response.

Today there may be something demanding an answer. Perhaps the answer genuinely must come soon. But even then, there may be room for one quiet moment before God.

Be still.

Remember who He is.

Then do what needs to be done.

For sometimes faith is not demonstrated by moving faster.

Sometimes it is demonstrated by becoming quiet enough to remember that God is already there.

Explore More

If you have found this helpful, there is more to explore across Saints of the Restoration. You can continue with our Daily Bread devotionals, go deeper through The Deeper Walk, consider some of Life’s Questions, reflect through Bible Poetry, or browse our growing library of free Christian books and study resources.

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