What Does it Mean to Be Still?
In Psalm 46:10 it says, “Be still, and know that I am God!” I have been meditating on this verse for months on end and it wasn’t until yesterday that I feel like God had given me greater revelation of a scripture that so many people quote and live by. First, let me begin by sharing that a person very dear to me has been trying to conceive a child for over 5 years, in fact we were pregnant at the same time and she miscarried during my pregnancy with my daughter. She has been through so much and having experienced the loss of children through two miscarriages myself, I have understood that deep desire to have a child of your own. Needless to say, she has not been able to get pregnant naturally, so she and her husband decided to start IVF treatments. She recently underwent the first stages of IVF; however, unfortunately yesterday I got a call from her sharing that the embryos did not develop, and she will not be able to go into the next phase that would have enabled her to have the implantation. My heart aches for her and her husband. To be faced with, “What’s next?”, after having gone through such a painful physical, emotional and mental process, must be incredibly daunting. It brought me back to the feelings of helplessness and grief that I had to process with my own miscarriages and, despite the current pain I was experiencing at that time, I recalled the one word that caused me to propel into hope for my future. The word was “BELIEVE”, it was a simple little wooden decoration that sat in front of my television screen. I stared at it with tears in my eyes wondering what the next steps would be and I felt the nudge of the Lord tell me to BELIEVE in Him. So this brings me to this moment and what the Lord has been revealing regarding Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God!” I began to see the word “still” no longer as an adjective but as an adverb. As an adjective the word “still” is defined as “motionless, stationary” but as an adverb the word “still” means “referring to something that will or may happen in the future.” By definition, as an adverb it requires momentum, because it is looking towards the future. It was a total perspective change for me, from being immobile, with my faith intact, to being persistent, with my faith in motion. Now when I see the words “be still” in that verse I no longer view it as the lack of physical motion, but the words take on a new meaning of continuing to believe or rather to STILL BELIEVE.
Now the question arises of what to believe in? Well, in the second part of the verse it states, “and know that I am God”. God wants me to believe and KNOW that He is God even in the unknown circumstances that I may face. He wants me to believe in the fullness of Him and His plans. That His plans are greater than our plans and His ways are greater than our ways (Jeremiah 29:11, Isaiah 55:8). He wants us to trust and STILL BELIEVE that He will work all things together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28). That no matter how dire things may look or feel we must STILL BELIEVE in His divinity, sovereignty, omniscience, omnipotence, grace and mercy. That the things we have been praying for are truly at His feet, that He hears each of our desires and will answer us in the way that He knows is best for us. So, for those of us waiting for an answer and trying to be physically still in our process, I challenge you to shift your perspective and allow your faith to propel you into knowing Him more during this season of your life. Spend time with the One who loves you without asking for anything in return and His everlasting peace will take you into the next part of your journey. Make the choice to no longer focus on what you feel you need and instead behold His beauty, inquire in His temple, seek His face and not His hand, worship Him despite the circumstance and watch the Lord be more to you than you will ever know (Psalm 27). Continue to pray that what you are believing for is in alignment with His will. Delight in Him and allow Him to give you His desires for your life (Psalm 37:4).
And for my dear sister in Christ longing for that child, God used this day to birth a word that I believe someone will be blessed by. Your story isn’t over.
When the answer isn’t what you wanted....STILL BELIEVE.
When the answer isn’t what you expected....STILL BELIEVE. When the answer is no....STILL BELIEVE. When the answer is not right now....STILL BELIEVE. When the answer isn’t apparent....STILL BELIEVE. When the answer is wait....STILL BELIEVE. When the answer hurts....STILL BELIEVE.
STILL BELIEVE that He loves you above all things.
STILL BELIEVE that He is in control.
STILL BELIEVE that He wants to wipe away every tear.
STILL BELIEVE that He sacrificed His life for you.
STILL BELIEVE that He values all that you are.
STILL BELIEVE that there is hope.
Make a choice to STILL BELIEVE.
#Believe #Faith #Love #God #Loss #Waiting #Truth #Trust #BeStill #Psalm46 #Know
