Be Still and Know That I Am God

Be Still, Stop, Surrender, Let Go

Various translations of the bible present the famous saying of the title of this article as either Psalm 45 or Psalm  46, verse 10 or verse 11. The New American Bible, St. Joseph Edition, 1970, from Catholic Book Publishing Company, translates Psalm 46:11 as:

Desist! And confess that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted upon the earth.

The Hebrew word being translated here as “Desist” or as “Be still” is rapha. It literally means be weak, release, die to yourself, drop down, or let go. This word has also been translated as “surrender.” A human being is the one who “drops down” or prostrates himself or herself in the presence of God, God who is exalted.

Still Is Difficult In Today’s World

Being still means to stop doing what you are doing. Forget your plans and schedule, forget what you have to do right now, and forget what you want to do. Be quiet, immobile, silent, and stop focusing on all these things in your life that are in and of the world.

If one has never done this, it may not be easy. For most of us, doing this, intentionally being quiet and doing nothing in today’s world, includes no talking, no texting, no emailing, no phone calls, no keyboarding, no gaming,  no working, no social media-ing, no chats, and no staring at a screen.  It is the difference between waves crashing constantly on rocks along a shore and the flat, tranquil, glassy mirror surface of an undisturbed pond. You have to make the conscious choice to relax, settle down, and chill out – with God.

You Are Free To Say “No”

God’s words to “Be still,” or “Surrender,” are stated in the psalm as an imperative, an order; but, despite God’s using this command language, He has loved each of us so much and made each of us like Him, that we are free, truly free, to not follow His urging. We can hear Him and then ignore Him. If we choose, we can keep on keepin’ on in the world, pursuing worldly things, desires, pleasures, and goals.

Alternatively, conclusions each of us can reach when doing what He asks us to do, to be still, are:

I am not a god, the things and people of this world are not gods, You are God, and You are my God [and this, of course, entails speaking with Him]; and perfectly, with all Your power and might, You love me.

So, this really is so much more than an order-this is beyond a divine suggestion-this is a “please” from the God who wants us with Him forever. He is saying, “Please, please, please puts aside all thoughts and things of this world and focus on what really matters, what is really real, Me  – and you with Me, forever.

Stillness With God is Not Nirvana, Not Nothingness, Not Non-Self

Many pagan religions have a concept of seeking a state whose end is a realization of non-self and emptiness, a loneliness in which all afflictions, pains, and actions cease. In this pagan stillness, nothing has any fundamental nature or essence. Everything is empty, and the person who achieves this is alone.

This is not the stillness of Psalm 46. Read in context, the “Be still” verse is the comforting stillness of being with God – and to put it in terms of an understatement – He is the God of strength, power, and love. The Bible presents this not as a lament or as lonely “woe is me” mourning but as a triumphant song.

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 what the Lord has done,
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.
He says, “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.

And we do know His will-it is in plain sight all around us – order, goodness, truth, and beauty – in His creatures, in His creation, and in His people. He is particularly present to us in the acts of love His people do that are lovingly directed to us.

Go With the Divine Flow

This being still, consciously alert yet receptive to God’s voice, can be restful, enlightening, and even invigorating. Your author, having recently come to one of those rare choice-points in life, was advised by a trusted and true friend to let go, be still, surrender and let God speak. I had never done this before. I did not find this easy. The first time I decided to try I did not know what to do or how to do it. Then a few minutes into wondering about the stillness, the idea for this article popped into my head, and I was off – not being still, but thinking of all that could be written. So much for surrender to the Almighty. But, with later attempts, not only is this getting easier, it is peaceful.