Psalm 46: 1-11
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. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire. "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; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
I have read this passage many times. I have said to myself just as often that I need to learn to be still...to be quiet...to stop and listen to God. It wasn't until today as I read it in the NASB and then began a word study that I realized it doesn't mean to stop. The NASB says "cease striving". That says something entirely different to me. And when you read the verse in context- in essence it says to me that I should "cease striving and let God be God".
God is in control of all things. He is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble, I do not need to fear. What often happens in my life is that I try to work it out on my own. I try to fix things (and people) around me. I strive to do God's work-but He said to me this morning "Stop striving to do it, let me be God!"
Father, help me to release all of my life to you. I want to rest in your presence knowing you are God and I am not!
I love that. I have always liked that verse, but that puts a new spin on it. Especially with all that is going on in our world, it's a blessing to let God be God!
ReplyDeleteA good post, God spoke to me through that same verse earlier this year, but what spoke to me was the verse after it... that God would be exalted in the nations and in the earth, IF I would be still and know that He is God. God just wants us to cease striving as you said, and let Him do His work, so He can be exalted. What a powerful verse, and what power we would see unleashed in our lives if we would cease striving and let Him be God...
ReplyDeletegood thoughts to ponder, I strive much too often...
Blessings!
Being still...what a difficult thing to do. I am still learning this myself.
ReplyDeleteGreat post!