Psalm 46

This psalm contains one of my favorite texts in the Bible: “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (vs 10) This, after a vivid picture of utter chaos: “Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.” (vs 2-3)

In the midst of life’s storms, God is a calm and peaceful place. As David said, He is a refuge and a strength to those who love Him (vs 1). He is immediately near and helpful when we need Him. And the more we know Him, the more confident we can be.

God can be trusted to handle any chaos we encounter in this life. Even when it looks like everything is falling apart, we can count on Him to be unmoved, unshaken. And the more we trust Him, the more we can experience peace in the storm.

“Being still” and “knowing” go hand in hand. Together, they create a cycle of deepening dependence on God when life is hard. “Being still” means stopping our obsession with trying to control the crises that come to us. It means surrendering our will to God’s will. And when we are “still,” it gives us the opportunity to experience God’s work in the storm and helps us learn more about Him. This, of course, increases our “knowing,” which, in turn, leads us to more of a willingness to “be still.”

God is the eye of the storm. Even if the mountains fall into the sea, we can have the confidence that God is ultimately in charge, and He knows what is best for us and those around us. When we are still, and when we know in our hearts that He is God, we can have the peace that passes all human understanding.