Being still is not something I’m really good at, since I’m what you’d call a type ‘A’ personality. At first glance, it’s easy to assume that Psalm 46:10-11 is about not being busy. If it were, I’d be in big trouble, since there are always things I need to do or want to do. I don’t think that’s what the Psalmist meant by “being still.” He was referring an attitude or where we place our confidence; in self or in God, especially, when all hell is breaking lose.
We are living in unprecedented times, scary andf uncertain times, but God calls us to “be still and know that He is God. “ Here’s the verse in context beginning with v. 1 “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Cease striving 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 stronghold.” (Psalm 46:1, 10-11) If I were to write this in my own vernacular, it would read something like this: Just chill, because God’s got it. Relax, there’s nothing to fear!
When the Psalmist says, “know that I am God,” he is making the point that there is a fundmental difference between man and God (beyond the obvious) that we must remember in times of trouble and that’s this—God knows. He knows what’s happening, He knows what’s needed, He knows how vulnerable we are in these moments of great challenge like a global pandemic and He knows how it’s going to end and when.
It’s as though the Psalmist is reminding us that when we stop freaking out, get a grip on reality and remember who God is there’s no need to fear. Fear is driven by anxiety and the belief that we are out of control, but the truth is we don’t need to be in control, because that’s something that only God can be. The Psalmist brings our attention back to the fact that when trouble is present, so is God. Be still and know that He is. He is whatever we need in these times. Being still is a conscious decision and attitude to rest in a God who is Soverign and All-Powerful.