Be Still And Know That I Am God By Philip North

The words contained in the title of this article should be an attention getter for you and I. Quoted often by those of all religions, this phrase is meant to serve as a comfort to those who follow God while facing troubling times in their lives. We find this phrase in Psalm 46:10, where the verse reads, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” “Be still” means not to be troubled. The Psalmist, in speaking for God, says that those who believe in doing right are not to be just that—-troubled, but to place their complete confidence in our Creator, hence, looking to Him as one’s refuge. This point is stressed in the entire Psalm.

In this verse, God assured those who obey Him that He would overcome the mentioned heathen and be exalted in every last area of the earth. Verses 1-3 assure those obedient ones, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof. Selah.” (“Selah” means to pause). These analogies will assure and comfort the one who truly and fully to the best of one’s ability follows God’s commands, thus showing a true belief in Him. This will apply both to trying times, as well as the times when things go well in life. After all, no matter what occurs in this earthly existence or who does what in the way of wrong, God tells His followers in His Word, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

You see, any individual and cause we genuinely believe in, we will likewise place our faith and confidence in, to be sure. We will also act and move upon such a person and cause. You and I will wholly accept the fact that “Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone” (James 2:17). Verse 20 of that same chapter asks a question that answers itself, as expressed in a matter-of-fact way in verse 17: “But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?” All of us would do well to carefully note the words of the hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul.” Read them. The story behind the writing of that song is quite interesting, though sad too.

Human nature being what it is, many of us want some things done yesterday. This seems to come out in a lot of people in reference to the punishing of all sin; that being of cruel dictators, ungodly people who are in power in our own various governments in this U.S.A., bullies, heretics, rapists, pedophiles, murderers, thieves, spouse stealers, and so forth. There are things that happen to people which produce emotional rape, as well as physical rape. Actually, the two often overlap one another. While physical rape also produces emotional rape, (known delicately as being “violated”), one can experience emotional rape without encountering physical rape. Life produces its own figurative and metaphorical storms. Often, things of a negative nature happen close together. As just one example, there was a period of time in my life for more than a year straight where one or more people whom I personally knew died each month. Indeed, life contains its losses, catastrophes, tragedies, and problems. Satan will make sure of this, being the ultimate sadist that he is. However, remember: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Proverbs 3:5 teaches us, “Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” All of us have told each other that there are things in life “easier said than done.” This is certainly true! I can imagine someone who has been a victim of a crime, minor or major, that it might be most hard at that bad moment in time to “trust in the lord with all thine heart.” Especially would this be the case if a person is laid up in the hospital through a cause that is not his fault—-suffering badly, has tragically lost a loved one, something really bad has happened to that one’s spouse, one or more of their children, a loss of employment, or something else that has really been hard-hitting for that individual. How about the failing of one’s own health? Then, one problem is solved, and three more appear. In all of this, the hardcore fact is that Satan never, ever thinks you and I suffer enough. If he could inflict every disease possible, every calamity possible, and every problem possible upon every last human being on earth, it would not matter one bit of frost on a bucket to him! Still, through all of the bad things that beset you and I, we must still try and say what the Psalmist said: “Be still, and know that I am God.” Through it all, Jehovah God is still on His throne in Heaven (Revelation 4:2), and nothing but nothing ever escapes His eye that has happened on earth, both past and present.

King David, through all his troubles and trials of life, expresses in many of the Psalms he wrote his complete trust in God, come what may. In the popular 23rd Psalm, he declared in verse 4, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.” This man of God is one of many examples listed in the entire chapter on faith in Hebrews 11 (specifically verse 32). All of the names listed in this chapter were nothing more than people, just like you and I. They made their mistakes and committed their sins like all of us have and do, but they served God, come what may! Read what happened to them in the Old Testament, but look at where they are now! What is more, many instances of their being unjustly treated record God’s punishing their enemies.

Of course, this writer cannot omit the sufferings of good old Job, cited in the book that bears his name. It states near the end of the book that God rebuked those who berated him, along with commanding them to make restitution to Job. Then, Job was materially blessed double by God when his sufferings ceased.

Above and beyond all, let us not overlook the sufferings of God’s only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, found in all four of the Gospel books, and repeated most often in the rest of the New Testament pages. Phrasing it bluntly, Christ mightily stomped a new, deep, painful, and permanent headache in the life and plans of Satan when defeating him! Thanks to the Saviour, the Devil’s powers are limited to what they once were. Once again, remember: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Nobody has to live very long on this earth to see that much of sin has a way of often being self-destructive. This has happened with tyrannical and/or unfair rulers, as well as those bent and set on living morally and doctrinally wrong. After all, both the moral and doctrinal violations fall under the category of disobedience, do they not? Some sins are punished in this life, some in the next and final life, and some in both lives. Hebrews 2:1-3 warns all Christians, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. For if the word spoken by angels was stedfast, and every transgression and disobedience received a just recompence of reward; How shall we escape, if we neglect so great salvation; which at the first began to be spoken by the Lord, and was confirmed unto us by them that heard him.” Think of the impact of this, gentle reader! Not one unrepentant sin was committed without punishment, nor will such ever be the case! All sin goes with some kind of consequences. One is territorial of the other. Foolish is any man, woman, boy, or girl to live or even so much as to think otherwise. Such an attitude shows that one is unwilling to learn from past mistakes.

Therefore, no matter what the sin(s) numerically done, irregardless of the one(s) committing any type of uncorrected wrongdoing, and in spite of the amount of time passing that such people and things are allowed to exist by God, just recall what Moses told two of Jacob’s sons, Reuben and Gad. In Numbers 32:23, he warned them against disobeying God by declaring, “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.” Therefore, no matter whom we know who or know of who perpetually lives in sin, remember yet again the words of the Psalmist about our omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent Maker: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

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