Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10 NIV
This is one of the most familiar Bible verses. Generally, we assume it means to simply wait quietly in the stillness for God to show Himself to me. It is truth that when I am calm and quiet in the hush, I am likely to sense the presence of God. But this verse means more and something different than we might think.
The word translated “be still” comes from the Hebrew term raphah which means “that which is slack, to drop, to be weak.” God is telling us to do more than sit quietly. He is saying, “Let go of your plans, your control, your worries – be weak. I am strong. I have this, and if you let go, you will discover that I am God.”
When we are desperate, we really need to understand this message from God. We hold on tightly to our own plans, hopes, and dreams. We know what we want and need. We think constantly about what must happen and our prayers are groans or assignments for God. We think that holding on tight to our own thoughts and plans is holding on in faith, but it’s not. It’s more accurately holding on to the situations we desperately need to release to God.
Desperate times and situations come to us through health diagnoses, relational struggles, financial crises, children’s wanderings … more. Nothing is going according to plan. God is telling us to “be still, own your weakness, drop it, let go.” When we hold on tightly, we live in tension and anxiety. Desperation magnifies. But if we allow ourselves to become weak, as Paul says, “then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:10). As we let go, as we drop the situation and our own plans, we let go of our fears, our anxieties, and the things over which we have no control anyway, then we truly begin to discover who God really is.
God is such a big, amazing God. It’s illuminating to know that one of God’s names is Jehovah Rapha, a remarkably close word. This name means the God who heals. As we put ourselves into God’s hands and truly let go, we can discover Him as the God who heals, the God who does more in five seconds than we could do in five years, the God who never makes a mistake, the God who holds us best when we let go.
What’s the desperation you are holding on to tightly? What are the plans you tell God He must make happen? What plans do you need to release? What are you trying to manage in your own strength? Let go and get to know God.
- Be still. Let go. Give God room to show you who He truly is as you release your plans.