Be Still, and Know That I Am God

 

As is true for most doctors, I’ve had to deal with my share of emergencies over the years. I’m usually pretty calm and clearheaded in the midst of these situations. I consider that a gift from God and a sign that He called me to be a doctor because I don’t have that same level of calm when I’m dealing with nonmedical problems. I tend to be fidgety when I’m anxious about something. I have to keep reminding myself to settle down and bring whatever is troubling me to God and trust in Him.

 

God has told us, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). There are two parts to this. First, we are to “Be still”. We tend to think of this as being quiet so that we can hear God speak to us, and that is true. We are also called to let go of our anxiety, our frenetic activity, and our need to control things, and just stop and be in the awesome presence of God, open to whatever He has to say and whatever He wants to do.

 

Psalm 46 begins, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble” (Psalm 46:1). We can seek refuge in Him from whatever burdens us. When we are “still”, we can “know that He is God” as we experience His majesty, power, and loving concern for us.  We can trust Him with our problems, saying as Job did, “I know that you can do all things; no plan of yours can be thwarted” (Job 42:2). God is in control of the universe. He is big enough to handle your problems and He loves you enough to want only the best for you. He will lead you in His way.

 

How do we get to this place? We need to remove all the distractions that keep us from being in God’s presence. We can use Mary and Martha as an example. Mary “sat at the Lord’s feet” (Luke 10:39) while her sister Martha “was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made” (Luke 10:40). Jesus gently chided Martha, “You are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her” (Luke 10:41). Find a quiet place, try to put aside all the events of the day, and just sit at Jesus’ feet and listen to what He has to say.

 

Let’s practice being still in God’s presence that we might see His works and grow in our trust of Him.

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The individual posts in this blog have been collected into a book, Reflections From the Basic Truths Blog.  It is available for free as an ebook through Barnes and Noble, https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/reflections-from-the-basic-truths-blog-james-yarmchuk/1147055811?ean=2940181202702, Apple Books, and multiple other book websites. It is available for a minimal charge on Amazon and can also be purchased as a paperback through them.