Be Still and Know

Psalm 46:10-11 states, "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."

The word "still" in the original Hebrew has many meanings. The definitions include "to slacken, cease, (be) faint, be feeble, forsake, idle, leave, let alone, (be) slack, stay, be slothful, (be) weak." So, is this verse telling us to cease, forsake, be slack, weak, and slothful?? No!!!! We must read the rest of the sentence. "Be still AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD..."

In our busy lives God knew that He would need to remind us to "stop and look at the roses." Cease long enough to "know" that He is God. Some definitions of "know" in the original Hebrew are "observation, recognition, be aware, comprehend, consider, discover, and understand." Have you stopped long enough to OBSERVE that God is God by looking at the clouds, flowers, and trees this past month? Have you been idle long enough to RECOGNIZE that God is God by recalling how He has worked in your life this past week? Have you stayed still long enough to BE AWARE that God is God by seeing His fingerprints in your life even this day? If not, may we all be encouraged to be still and know that our God is the God of all. For this same God is with each of us and is our refuge each and every moment.