The Sound of Silence

Psalm 46

1 God is our refuge and strength,
    an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way
    and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam
    and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
    the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall;
    God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
    he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The LORD Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the LORD has done,
    the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease
    to the ends of the earth.
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
    he burns the shields with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The LORD Almighty is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress.

This is a powerful passage.  It is one that contains my life verse as the Lord must continually work in me by reminding me to “Be still, and know that I am God.”

In God’s infinite knowledge and wisdom regarding the human heart, mind, and soul, isn’t it interesting that He knows there will be times when we are anxious, times when we may question God, when we question our faith, and when we wonder if God truly loves us?  In this passage, God reminds us and teaches us that He is Lord; the ever-lasting God.

I love how God uses the metaphor of the mountains falling into the sea and the earth give way while earthquakes are shaking the remaining ground that is under our feet.  Have you ever been to that point in your life when you felt as if everything around you was falling apart?  And after everything around you seems to crumble to the ground, the ground beneath you that you thought was a firm foundation started to shake as well as people you trust disappoint you.  Or, maybe a leader that you greatly trusted fell toward sin, and your confidence is shaken.  You see, God knew exactly what we would go through in our lives.  He knew that everything would seem vulnerable; even the ground beneath our feet.  And, He knew this because it is true.  We live in a world that is cursed with sin.  All of it will pass away.  But, God knows there is one that is unshakable, unmovable, all-loving, and all-trusting. It is Him.

He reminds us that when everything falls apart and we find ourselves in a situation where it is impossible to trust anyone or anything, that we stop ourselves. We stop what we are doing. We stop what we are thinking.  We should simply sit, get on our knees, or find some way to literally be still and know that God is God.  These are the moments when our faith grows, when we become stronger as a Christian, when we rely solely on God rather than anything else.

Have you recently had a situation in your life that has caused you to struggle?  Maybe you were stressed out with everything seemingly going wrong, maybe a loved one unexpectedly passed away, perhaps your friends or family have let you down, you or a loved one has been diagnosed with an incurable disease, or it could be that life doesn’t seem to be going your way.  I don’t know why these things are happening to you or why they happen to me.  But, I do know that these are the times when God calls us to be still; to remember He is our God.  Whether you are suffering or not, take time out of your busy day and your stressful life to remember that our God is all-powerful, full of grace, and is full of more love than we can even fathom.  In the silence, in the stillness, you can hear God sweetly whispering in your ear, “Be still, my child. I am God. I love you. Be still.”

That, friends, is something that can calm even the biggest storm of trouble in your life.  May you all experience God’s peace today and every day.

6 thoughts on “The Sound of Silence

  1. Great message, and I really needed to hear this today! Thanks for sharing the powerful word from the Lord!

  2. Be still. Why is that such a difficult directive?

    In today’s world, it seems none of us does that very well. We are constantly being encouraged to move, to do, to keep busy. We re assaulted by the media w ideas and suggestions for busy-ness. If we are still and silent, we are thought to be lazy and therefore thought less of by society.

    Jeremy’s devotion reminds us that God tells us it’s OK, even encouraged, to BE STILL for in the stillness we will know/remember, that He is God. And that gives us hope, peace and the courage to go on in spite of the evil in the world.

    Thanks Jeremy for making a hellish week a bit better. I know that I must trust God.

    Being still…Cathy.

    1. Cathy, there is a song by Sidewalk Prophets called, “You Love Me Anyway.” There are many lyrics that I love in this song, but the one I am fond of when I read this verse is, “It took more than my strength to simply be still.” Have you ever been in the position where you knew God wanted you to be still, but you just couldn’t bring yourself to do it? i think it is something many of us struggle with these days.

  3. Today’s life in America often works against us being still which is my favorite part of that passage. I tend to send my petitions to God then “hang-up” and go about my day. It reminds me that I need to spend time listening as well. I just read about I guy who walked in the rain just because he felt it isolated him with God! Can’t wait for the next rain!

  4. Brad, you are so right. I think about the verses associated with storms and how God uses them to remind us that He is in charge. That gives the statement, “Can’t wait for the next rain,” a dual meaning. I love it! Can’t wait for the next rain!!!

Leave a Reply to Brad Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *