Be Still and Know

The picture you see to the left is a picture I took of the Sea of Galilee earlier this month.  It was early in the morning, and it is evident that the Sea was as calm as can be.

As I look at this picture, my mind is flooded with verses that speak of the peace of Jesus.  It was this body of water that Jesus both calmed and walked on to manifest His glory.  I believe that both of those events speak of the peace that Jesus offers us--especially in stormy or eccentric situations.

I received a chain email the other day that quoted "Psalm 46:19," saying, "Be still and know that I am God."  I then drove past a church who quoted the same verse on their sign, except they quoted, "Psalm 46:11."  I thought that this was a little humorous.  The Psalm is actually 46:10, and there are only 11 verses in the Psalm. 

I am not relaying this story to illustrate other's miniscule mistakes.  I could write volumes on my own.  Everyone makes them and in the end it really doesn't matter if they accidentally misquoted the chapter and verse because the message is correct.  I relay it because it prompted me to consider something.  In the crazy days in which we live, people are looking for some kind of serenity.  Everyone wants some kind of peace, and they want it to have meaning.  The initiator of the email and the one who decided to put that particular verse on the church sign both were inspired in some way by what the sons of Korah had to say in this Psalm.

It also prompted me to consider what the Psalm is actually saying.  I was surprised to read how the NASB translated the verse.  It reads, "Cease striving and know that I am God."  It seems to present a deeper layer to what the verse means.  On the one hand, you have the idea of "being still" (quiet, calm, silent) and on the other, you have the idea of "ceasing to strive," (i.e., stop trying).  It portrays the idea of removing yourself from a busy situation.

The prophet Habakkuk wrote something similar to this in his small, but vigorous book.  In chapter 2:18-20, Habakkuk dialogues the vanity involved in worshipping idols made by men.  In verse 18, he says, "For its maker trusts in his own handiwork."  Habakkuk says, "What profit is this?  Woe to him!"  He immediately follows up in saying, "But the Lord is in His holy temple.  Let all the earth be silent before Him."

This is a powerful verse.  It relates to Psalm 46:10 and the message is really a question: "Why are you trying so hard, trusting in yourself?"  I can almost hear Habakkuk asking us this and then saying, "God is on His throne.  Be still, stop trusting in yourself, and trust in God."

I once heard Amanda's grandfather say one of the most sobering phrases I have ever heard.  He said, "I learned a long time ago to not take life so seriously."  Obviously, we are supposed to take aspects of life seriously, such as salvation, discipleship, missions, etc.  This is a different thing.  I think he was saying the same thing Habakkuk was; "Don't trust in your own handiwork."  Don't get frizzled when things don't work out the way you had planned.  Instead, trust, and actually have faith, that the Lord is in His holy temple, on His throne, and that it is actually beneficial to be silent before Him.  If things don't work out the way you planned, then know that they worked out the way God planned, and that is always better. 

Every second of every day doesn't need to be filled with "moving and shaking."  Sometimes, it is in the "gentle blowing" that God is heard the most (1 Kings 19:12).  This is a tough concept to swallow, but the ancients knew it well.