Be Still!

~Psalms 46:10-11 Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.

How many times have you read these verses? I have been a believer for over 30 years and have read these verses countless times! Yet, they have never meant to me what they do now. The Lord impressed upon my heart to pick apart these verses and I was not disappointed!!

The first two words “be still,” – we would normally think that this means to sit still – don’t move.  The Hebrew word for still is:

H7503
רפה
râphâh
raw-faw’
A primitive root; to slacken (in many applications, literally or figuratively): – abate, cease, consume, draw [toward evening], fail, (be) faint, be (wax) feeble, forsake, idle, leave, let alone (go, down), (be) slack, stay, be still, be slothful, (be) weak (-en).

It’s as if God is telling us to be weak, to let go, to let alone, to surrender. Be weak, let go, let alone and surrender to what? When we recognize that we are weak and have no power, we are able to see God at work!  We tend to dive into our problems with our own solutions.  God encourages us to leave it alone and let Him work it out.  So we surrender in order to know that God is in control. We give up trusting in our own flesh and abilities and trusting in God’s power in our lives. He will be lifted up and glorified as the world observes the trials in our lives and they see His Hand at work! God promises that He will be exalted in all the earth!

As if that verse isn’t enough of a blessing, I absolutely love the next verse – the Lord wants to encourage us to remember that He is with us. The God who was a refuge to Jacob is the same God who will be our refuge in time of need.   We can run to Him to find refuge when the storms of life are all around us!  Our trials can blow circumstances around but we know that we are safe in God’s care!   So now when I am going through a trial, I will be quick to surrender myself in order for God to have control in the situation!  HE is God – He is able.  I am not!