In Psalms 46:10-11 it says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” I would like to take some time to talk about these two verses and see what I can discover and then pass this onto you as you are on your life journey. Let’s learn together and see what will happen.
To make a long story short, these verses are talking about the fact that when there are either natural disasters or war going on in the nation, we can find rest and hope and peace that God is still in control. We can have such a big smile on our face that we are actually still. We are not nervously trying to fix the problems that are going on around us. We are not trying to take matters into our own hands when the circumstances in our life are creating fear. We can simply be still and know that God is in control and has everything under control.
When I take a look at my own personal life over the last year, it has been a year of new challenges and some family crisis situations. I started a new job as pastor at my home church. I went back to school. Three of our kids moved back home and many more exciting challenges. Yet, for a while I don’t think I was handling it very well. Maybe at first I was, but I started to become more and more anxious and fearful. Although I am a pastor and Bible teacher, I was not really believing and practicing everything I taught. You might say this led to a crisis event of anxiety.
After taking three weeks off work I sat myself down and had a talk between myself and God and became still. I made a list of the three areas of my life that looked like this:
1. Things I need to keep doing or start doing
2. Things I need to stop doing
3. Things I need to postpone.
If any of you were to make this same list because you are becoming overwhelmed with life, your list and anyone else’s list would all look different. As a Christ-follower we use Scripture as our guide to life as we are on this journey, but each of us has to decide for ourselves what is best. This is easier said than done, but the best way to get through a list like this one is to become still and take a few weeks to work through it.
My list included some things such as: to stop drinking drinks with caffeine in them, because this was too hard on my nerves. My list included: start to ride a bike again, which meant I had to first go and buy one. My list included: postpone getting my ordination through my denomination and look at it again next year. All of these decisions took time and prayer and the willingness to be still, because my heart needed healing through being still.
When this passage of scripture and spiritual teaching was written it was talking about the fact that even if the earth was to shake and fall apart through an earthquake God would still be in control. This spiritual teaching said that even if the nations were to rage with war that God would still be in control. This is what it started to feel like in my life. Good things were happening, but life was also happening and it seemed harder and harder to keep up. My heart needed healing through being still. It felt like my world was about to enter into an earthquake. It felt like the nations of my soul were at war with each other.
I am wondering if there are any people feeling the same way? Does your heart need healing through being still? Do you need to hit the reset button in your life? If so, take some time this summer and do just that. Take some time and let God be God by being still and let Him rule this universe. He was the One who created the universe and so He knows what He is doing. I promise you He does! Let Him take over your anxieties and fears. Be still and know that God is God and let Him be your fortress. Let God be God, so that your heart can heal and you can be you and do the things that God created you to do.
Parry Stelter is originally from Alexander First Nation and is founder of Word of Hope Ministries and lives in Edmonton, Alberta. http://www.wordofhopeministries.ca
