One of my favorite verses, Psalm 46:10, is often misunderstood.
Psalm 46:10 is often used to encourage people to sit still. To listen for the still small voice of God. To listen for a whisper, to watch for what many call a sign. Sometimes it is even used as an excuse for laziness. It is sometimes seen as a contradiction to the commands in scripture that require us to do. To serve. To act.
In context, however, this verse is really a display of God's peace in the midst of war. In Hebrew, the word for "be still" is better translated as "to be weak" or "to surrender".
It is our soul that should be still. Our soul that should know.
Not necessarily feel, but know.
Know that God is who He says He is.
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
(Psalm 46 ESV)
All to Jesus I surrender;
- All to Him I freely give;
I will ever love and trust Him,
In His presence daily live.- Refrain:
I surrender all,
I surrender all;
All to Thee, my blessed Savior,
I surrender all.
- Refrain:
- All to Jesus I surrender;
Humbly at His feet I bow,
Worldly pleasures all forsaken;
Take me, Jesus, take me now. - All to Jesus I surrender;
Make me, Savior, wholly Thine;
Let me feel the Holy Spirit,
Truly know that Thou art mine. - All to Jesus I surrender;
Lord, I give myself to Thee;
Fill me with Thy love and power;
Let Thy blessing fall on me. - All to Jesus I surrender;
Now I feel the sacred flame.
Oh, the joy of full salvation!
Glory, glory, to His Name!
*This post was written yesterday, Sunday. All it lacked was the title, or so I thought. I was just about to publish it when the screams came from outside the window.
- A little boy laying on the ground. Another, the younger, running in crying. Shaking. Yelling, "Mama! Squirty's hurt! Call 911! Quick! He needs you!"
- I got up from the computer and ran outside to find the little guy, pant leg rolled up, thick blood dripping from his knee. My mind, darting from thought to thought like a pinball in a machine. Has he hit his head? Is his leg broken? How deep is this wound? Stitches? Dan is at work, and has the mini-van. His car in the shop from having broken down last week. Where is the baby? What has happened here? How did this happen?
- I breathe deep. Look at the little faces waiting for my reaction. My assessment. They respond before I'm able. "We're so sorry Mama! Do you forgive us? We were playing where you'd told us not to! We were playing too close to the fire pit!"
Sweet repentant hearts. Scared boys, cold and hungry. Dinner time nearing, cool damp autumn evening air creeping in.
"Pa always says to keep my eyes on the ball", Isaiah continued.
"Yes! You are forgiven! Everything will be OK! Let's work together and do the next right thing". I share with them the post I had just written. "Be still and know that HE IS God! Who is He?" I ask them to tell me, to begin to list all that God is.
"Our comfort" says one boy. "Peace" says another. "Strength. He calms the storm and moves the mountains" they add. "Good, keep going." I tell them.
"Elijah- stay with your brother". They had begun to calm and I ran in the house to call Dan. He came home. I stayed with Isaiah, pressure on the wound. The bleeding began to slow. Elijah gathered all that we'd need from the house, and we all got in the van to bring Dan back to the church. Youth group would begin soon.
We put gas in the van and headed to the ER. We sat for an hour, still hadn't been triaged. The people across from us had been there four hours already. There was no space to move, nowhere to sit. The baby was fussy and tired. I prayed continually. Decided it was not wise to wait.
We went home, bathed the younger boys, fed them all. Called the pediatrician who would facilitate us onto the fast track at the ER. She felt it was necessary that he return.
Back to the van, back to the church we went to pick up Dan. Waited for Dan to finish at youth group then drove him and the little ones home and we put the little ones to bed.
Isaiah and I returned to the ER. Fast track still took two hours. He was seen at 10:30pm by the ER doctor. When the doctor removed the gauze I had taped to his knee, I was shocked. It didn't even look like the same injury. It had already begun to heal. The wound that had been still bleeding, that was still separated and was a gaping hole at 10pm, had a thin layer of skin over it. No stitches needed. The wound was cleaned and bandaged and we were sent home.
The prayers of Elijah, a six year old, had been answered. The healing had begun quickly, just as he'd prayed.
Oh, how quickly the test came, having just written the post above.
The circumstances that are anything but pleasant, convenient, or easy. There was no time for "being still" in the physical sense, yet we were at peace.
We knew that God was in control.
Though I know not why those were the circumstances of last evening, it was an opportunity to practice stillness in chaos, calm in crisis.
It was a teaching opportunity for two boys, and an opportunity to see them practice that which they'd previously been taught.
To see Eli leaning over Isaiah, praying for his healing when I returned outside from having called Dan, to see him act quickly, knowing how to respond in an emergency.
To see Eli serve his family by gathering all that was needed, gauze and tape, snacks for all boys, bottles of water, my purse, everyone's coats, the baby's special blanket.
To see Noah obey immediately, the first time and without question, lavishing kisses on Isaiah, showing empathy.
To see Isaiah respond with bravery and courage. A beautiful display of understanding, selflessness and patience as the night wore on, his willingness to see the greater good. The ability to have his own needs set aside to have those of his baby brothers met first as we left that ER the first time.
Me, fighting the temptation to feel guilty for choosing the younger sons needs over the older, yet knowing I had done what was right in not sitting all night in that filthy waiting room with all three hungry and tired children.
Trying all the while to see.
To look beyond the surreal moments to see why we were there.
What didn't I know? What was I supposed to know?
This. It's this I know. This, I strive to know...
God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the LORD,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The LORD of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
(Psalm 46 ESV)
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