Drawing Closer to God (Part One) by Liz Melville

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

This is a beautiful command from Scripture that should cultivate a soul-deep sense of serenity. When we see God for who He is and are appropriately humbled, a hopeful stillness blossoms—the product of a living faith.

In actuality, though, this verse mostly triggers a sense of anxiety in me, like stillness will cause me to drop the balls I’m juggling at any given moment with cataclysmic results. I don’t have time to be still, God. If I’m honest, this is certainly one of the most challenging verses in scripture for me.

This verse also calls to mind the speech Moses gave the Israelites when they were cornered by the pursuing Egyptians at the edge of a sea. God’s people were crying out in terror and Moses instructed them: “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (1)

Did you catch that? Moses addressed them like a mom would an upset child by telling them not to be afraid and to hush. What other choice did the Israelites have? They were pressed against an ocean with no sure course of action. The only thing they could do was surrender to God’s will and witness Him in action.

God often addresses us this way in Scripture, too. We are His children and we do get bent out of shape when we should, in faith, trust God is making a way forward through impossible circumstances.

That’s why life’s great difficulties can be great gifts to us—we see that, without a doubt, our help comes from the Lord.(2) The Lord has walked me through suffering in my own life, as I’m sure He has you, and the good that often lingers stands as an ebenezer to God’s faithfulness. We are touched by the hand of God and changed; we are carried on wings of eagles to the Father as His treasure.(3)

When I’m nurturing a living faith, I can re-read Psalm 46:10 as a beautiful invitation into fellowship with an all-powerful, loving Father. He acts on my behalf. Everything, even our own souls, are safe with Him. Jesus invites us to cast our cares on Him, to unburden ourselves of things great and small. God wants us to pause our striving and look up at the one who truly holds all things together.

If you don’t know your God in the way this Psalm invites, I’d encourage you to enrich your praise and prayers by encountering the God of Scripture.