That phrase, which God said in Psalms 46:10, is the mainstay of my Christian faith. He has spoken those seven words to me more times than I can count. When life gets too chaotic, God will frequently tell me to be still, and to know that He is God. It is His way of letting me know that I am not in control. He created the earth in six days, and He can create miracles in my life and keep me on course. The catch is that I have to slow down and shut up long enough for Him to work. There are countless stories of God’s deliverance in the Bible, and in each story God requires the recipients of that deliverance to be quiet and be still. Daniel was not throwing a fit and climbing the walls in the lions den. Meshach, Shadrach, and Abednego were not screaming and crying in the fiery furnace. They knew how to be still and trust in the Lord to deliver them from their trials. These stories in the Bible are applicable to life today; they merely have to be applied to individual situations. In each situation, just be still and know that He is God. He knew you from the foundation of the world, and He knows and is in complete control of each and every roadblock in your life. When He delivers you, God and God alone will get the glory, honor, and praise.
In 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, Jehoshaphat came up against a vast army from Moab and Ammon, and the outcome was not promising for Jehoshaphat. But he was not focused on the armies against him, but was still and depended upon his Creator. “O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You”. 2 Chronicles 20:12. They should have been frantic, seeing only certain doom, but their eyes were upon God. They were still, receiving the peace that only comes from knowing that God knows and controls your outcome from the beginning. A few verses later, in verses 15 and 17, the Lord confirms their victory. “He said, ‘Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s (v.15). You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you (v.17).” There is true peace in knowing that God is fighting for you. But you have to come before Him, be still, and know that He is God. Listen for the still small voice that will tell you, “It is well”, and stand and watch in awe as God sweeps His mighty arm. Give Him praise before, during, and after the fight, as directed in Psalm 150:6.
Some have said or will say, God doesn’t speak to you, or you can not hear the voice of God. That is not what His Son says; rather you should not only hear, but know His voice. In John 10:3-4, Jesus says, “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice”. The watchman is the shepherd, and in verse 11, Jesus says, “I am the good Shepherd.” Therefore, if He is the Shepherd and we the sheep, we will hear, know, and follow His voice. So I admonish you to listen for that still small voice that says, “Be still, and know that I am God”. When you hear it, I encourage you to obey and be still; because it is there that you will find a peace that will not be surpassed.
In 2 Chronicles, chapter 20, Jehoshaphat came up against a vast army from Moab and Ammon, and the outcome was not promising for Jehoshaphat. But he was not focused on the armies against him, but was still and depended upon his Creator. “O our God, will you not judge them? For we have no power to face this vast army that is attacking us. We do not know what to do, but our eyes are upon You”. 2 Chronicles 20:12. They should have been frantic, seeing only certain doom, but their eyes were upon God. They were still, receiving the peace that only comes from knowing that God knows and controls your outcome from the beginning. A few verses later, in verses 15 and 17, the Lord confirms their victory. “He said, ‘Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the Lord says to you: Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s (v.15). You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you, O Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged. Go out and face them tomorrow, and the Lord will be with you (v.17).” There is true peace in knowing that God is fighting for you. But you have to come before Him, be still, and know that He is God. Listen for the still small voice that will tell you, “It is well”, and stand and watch in awe as God sweeps His mighty arm. Give Him praise before, during, and after the fight, as directed in Psalm 150:6.
Some have said or will say, God doesn’t speak to you, or you can not hear the voice of God. That is not what His Son says; rather you should not only hear, but know His voice. In John 10:3-4, Jesus says, “The watchman opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice”. The watchman is the shepherd, and in verse 11, Jesus says, “I am the good Shepherd.” Therefore, if He is the Shepherd and we the sheep, we will hear, know, and follow His voice. So I admonish you to listen for that still small voice that says, “Be still, and know that I am God”. When you hear it, I encourage you to obey and be still; because it is there that you will find a peace that will not be surpassed.
That peace and joy that comes from intimately knowing the Lord, along with the numerous blessings that He showers His sheep with, are but a few of the many reasons that we give thanks to our God on this eve of Thanksgiving. Until next time, may God bless and keep you, and may His face shine upon you.
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