Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord Almighty is with us.
Psalm 46:10
These words follow a declaration of the omnipotence of God. “God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” Psalm 46:1-3 We should have no fear because the power of Almighty God is on our side. We are assured of the constancy of His presence and the authority of His actions. It is our responsibility, then, to “be still” - to acknowledge this blessing and to rest in the confidence that, “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is for us.” Psalm 46:11
And yet, we still fear. We take on the possibilities of what the world projects and our confidence fails. The world calls us to worry. The threats to our safety are often concealed in the guise of common sense and reality. But to “be still” is more than an assurance that all will be taken care of. It is our declaration of faith that fear is second to the power of Almighty God.
“Being still” is not about the absence of noise but a state of mind. Our attention is deliberate. And we witness the greatest of all truths - God is. When we reach that pinnacle of faith, we understand. We know. And we worship.
The scripture gives us names to enrich our understanding of God - Creator, Defender, Rock, King, Victor, Refuge, Light. The phrase “I am” is used repeatedly throughout the Old and New Testament. It was the explanation God gave to Moses when the Children of Israel asked who had sent him. He was to say “I Am” has sent me. (Exodus 3:14) It was from this that the name Yahweh evolved. But an understanding of the Hebrew gives a more complete explanation of the words of God - I am and I will be. This was not God of the past or God of the present but eternally God. To understand “I AM GOD” gives us a confidence that nothing else can give.
As they shared the Passover in the upper room, Jesus prepared His disciples for what was to come. As He counseled them concerning the hardships that the world would bring, He spoke to their fears and apprehensions. “Take heart,” He told them. “ I have overcome the world.”
We stand on this promise. In it we find courage and peace. And so, be still. Put the words on the doorframe of your house. Teach it to your children, reflect it in your work, live it every day. The Great I Am is God - now and forever.