Being still takes a deliberate effort and it demonstrates faith. It allows God to strengthen us and it glorifies God as His power is displayed instead of ours. Waiting on God is a magnificent expression and revelation of our faith. It is not doing nothing; it is an intentional seeking of God’s face, His will, and His voice. Let’s look at what being still does and why sometimes in the midst of turmoil and chaos, we need to be still and luxuriate in His peace.
Psalm 46 reads,
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
8 Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
10 “Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
This Psalm not only tells us that being still exalts the name of God, that it makes Him famous throughout the earth, but it gives us reasons we can be still. Being still proclaims to God, to the nations, and to the whole earth that we know He is God. What does this short Psalm say about who God is and why we can trust Him enough to be still as the earth gives way, mountains fall, and oceans roar?
It says that God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Words can be just something we use and we can gloss over their meanings or forget the depth of them because we use them so often or read them. What is refuge? God is our haven, retreat, harbor, and protection. Refuge is the state of being safe and sheltered, it is the sanctuary and the shelter from danger. One of the definitions for the word is a place of hope and trust. God is our Refuge. He is our Strength. In Strong’s that word is defined in a way that hits me. Strength is applied force, applied security, applied majesty, applied praise; it is boldness, loud, might, power, strength, strong. I find it incredible that majesty and praise are considered synonyms for strength in this verse. When we praise the Lord, we are exercising His strength. He is our strength, He is our force, our security, our majesty, and our praise.
Furthermore, He is present, He is very present. He is with us! He is in us and He flows out of us. His indwelling and current and surge through us has substantial and quantifiable effects on you and those around you. Verses 4 and 5 of the Psalm tell us,
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
That river in the City of God is described in Revelation 22:1-4
Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of the city; also, on either side of the river, the tree of life with its twelve kinds of fruit, yielding its fruit each month. The leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3 No longer will there be anything accursed, but the throne of God and of the Lamb will be in it, and his servants will worship him. 4 They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.
Revelation 21:6 says,
And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment.
But get this! You, Believer, you have the river of life in you and He flows out of you, giving life, healing, bringing people to Him, and revealing the face of God to the nations. The River of Life is the Holy Spirit (John 7:40). In John 7:38-39 Jesus said, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”
Verse 7 reminds us He is the Lord of hosts, that is He has all the angels, those mighty celestial warriors at His beck and call, ready to move at a moment’s notice, fighting for you. It also says He is the God of Jacob. That brings us to recall the promises He made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It reminds us that we have been promised New Jerusalem and we have a Savior in Jesus Christ. Verse 7 also reminds us He is our fortress. These names of God tell us to remember His great works, to consider all He has done. Verse 8 reiterates that. Sometimes while we are being still we can go over all the awesome works God has done for us to bring us through before and that will remind us that He will bring us through this time too. We can be still because He is God, He is who He says He is, I Am.
When we are still, we give God permission to fight for us. Picture you, I don’t know how tall, big, or strong you are but let’s pretend you are Shaquille O’Neal. He is 7’1” and in his debut season He weighed 230 pounds. Wow! You’re big and strong! Now let’s pretend you only have to fight one man, Goliath. Modest estimates of his height are 9’6” and since the Israelite army was afraid of him (1 Samuel 17:11) I would guess he was not a skinny man but massively strong. Now, would you even at 7’1” have a real chance at beating him in a fight? Would you want to try hitting him, swinging a sword at him, or trying to wrestle him down? Or perhaps, you could be still and let God fight for you. Exodus 14:14 says,
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent
If you are fighting the battle, God will let you. If you step aside and let Him, He will fight for you and He will win because 9 feet tall or 90 feet tall is nothing compared to Almighty God, the Lord of hosts. Being still shows us who God is and how great He is as it gives Him the opportunity to be God for you. 1 Samuel 12:16 reads,
Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes.
Being still also allows you to enjoy God, to be in communion with Him and savor Him. He renews your strength. Isaiah 40:28-31 says it this way,
Have you not known? Have you not heard?
The Lord is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He does not faint or grow weary;
his understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the faint,
and to him who has no might he increases strength.
30 Even youths shall faint and be weary,
and young men shall fall exhausted;
31 but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.
Follower of Jesus, I know there is turmoil all around you. I know the storm is terrible and terrifying. Have faith, even the storm obeys God! (Mark 4:39-41).