Be Still

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

In referencing Psalm 46, one author writes, "When we are still and surrendered to God, we find peace even when the earth gives way, the mountains fall (verse 2), or the nations go into an uproar and kingdoms fall (verse 6). When life gets overwhelming and busyness takes precedence, remember Psalm 46:1, “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” Run to Him, lay down your weapons and fall into His arms. Acknowledge that He is God and that He is exalted in the earth. Be still and know that He is God." Psalm 46 is written in what seems to be a time of war and unrest. The psalmist takes a moment to acknowledge God as his fortress. A fortress is defined as a heavily protected and impenetrable building, a military stronghold, especially a strongly fortified town fit for a large garrison or as a person or thing not susceptible to outside influence or disturbance. Each of these definitions describes aspects of God in one way or another; although to perfectly describe the Lord is nearly an impossible task. In the modern age, while wars still exist, most of us face numerous times of trouble which come in a variety of forms. Many times it seems like we don't even have any weapons of our own to fight with against those forces causing us trouble. In some cases, it can seem like we are like the Israelites of old. Just after Moses fought for and won the freedom of the Jews from Pharoah and slavery in Egypt, they found themselves stuck between Pharoah's advancing army and the Red Sea. After the people complained about Moses and God for bringing them out of Egypt so they could "die in the desert," Moses answered them and said, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still (Exodus 14:13-14).” In other words, Moses told the Jews, "Be quiet and watch God work!" How long did it take the Jews to forget all that God had done for them before they were grumbling and complaining to go back to Egypt and be slaves again? Not too long. Did they forget all the plagues God subjected the Egyptians to, but spared them from experiencing? Did they forget the Passover where God killed the firstborn child of the Egyptians but spared them? Yes, they had forgotten. Moses told them to "be still" and watch as God delivered them from the Egyptians once and for all. God fought for them while they only had to observe.

The main battle Christians face today is a spiritual battle; a battle between the truth of God and the lies of the devil. While Christians are not Jews fleeing slavery, we are similar in that we are constantly trying to avoid being put back into bondage. Only the bondage we seek to avoid is the spiritual bondage of a works-based life. God told the Jews to be still while He works. He tells Christians to rest while He works. When Paul was chastising the church in Galatia, what was he upset about? He asks them, "After beginning by means of the Spirit, are you now trying to finish by means of the flesh (Galatians 3:3)?" He could have easily asked them, "After being still and resting in the finished work of Jesus Christ, are you now trying to be slaves again to the works of the law?" What is taught today in many Christian churches is a form of "Egyptian" Christianity or Galatianism. People would rather be slaves and told what to do by their "masters" and rely on their flesh to obey instead of standing firm in the grace of God; being still and resting while God does His work in and through them. They may not complain about being led into the desert to die, but they will argue against the grace of God by claiming those who believe in it are teaching a "license to sin," labeling them as an "antinomian" (someone who's against God's law) or a "Lone Ranger Christian" (someone who doesn't need church or direction). To me, these are the slanderous words used by those who do not understand the role of the Holy Spirit in a person's life. While there may be some Christians who abuse the grace of God, it doesn't take away from the truth of God's word and what it means to those who are free to get to know Him and trust Him with their lives and eternity. You will struggle to see God as your refuge and strength in times of trouble when there is a work to be done or a law to obey in order to please Him. You cannot be still if you are working. You cannot stand firm when you are concerned with the activity of your flesh. You cannot rest and watch God work through you when you are busy working for Him. Peter asked his fellow brothers, who were teaching circumcision, "Now then, why do you try to test God by putting on the necks of Gentiles a yoke that neither we nor our ancestors have been able to bear (Acts 15:10)?" If this one fleshly act was considered a yoke (an act of service) that Peter's Jewish ancestors could not obey, why do we continue to put a similar yoke on Christians who were never given the law in the first place? It is time to be still, rest from your works and let God deal with those who desire to put you into bondage. My prayer is that this becomes a reality in the lives of every Christian so they will never have to see the "Egyptians" in their lives ever again.