“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…Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.” Psalm 46: 1-3 & 10-11
In this Psalm, when the Lord commands us to “Be still and Know that He is God”, this is not a passive stillness. This is not simply being quiet in order to hear His voice. This is an active laboring to enter into His rest. He is calling us to stand still and trust His deliverance. He is telling us to trust that He is taking care of whatever situation we are facing in a powerful and miraculous way. This is a command that defies all logic. In this scripture, when God is saying to be still, it is in reference to events that seem completely overwhelming and impossible. Yet, The Lord is telling His people to be still in the situation and trust His supernatural deliverance. The Lord of Hosts refers to the fact that He is the Lord of the Angel Armies. They are being mobilized to fight on our behalf! He wants us to stop our own human effort and ways of trying to cause our own deliverance and trust Him to do something miraculous.
In Exodus 14, the concept of “Standing still, being at peace, trusting God” is used right before God supernaturally divides the Red Sea so that the Israelites can escape the Egyptian army. God Himself fights against the army of Pharoah, allowing them to follow the Israelites through the divided Sea, only to have it collapse on the army and swallow them entirely.
“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will shew to you to day; for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
Exodus 14:13-14
In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat cries out to the Lord because vast enemy armies have come to destroy his nation. The armies are so enormous that he has no way of defending his nation. It is an overwhelming force that has come against him. He needs a miracle. After he cries out to the Lord, he receives his answer through the prophet Jahziel:
“…Thus saith the LORD unto you, Be not afraid nor dismayed by reason of this great multitude; for the battle is not yours, but God’s. To morrow go ye down against them…Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the LORD with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the LORD will be with you.”
Jehoshaphat obeyed. They set the praise singers at the front of the army and as they followed God’s instructions, they enjoyed a great victory. They didn’t even need to fight in the battle, for when they arrived at the battle field, they found that the enemy army had already been completely decimated. The only work they needed to do was collect the spoil. The Lord had surely fought the battle for them in a miraculous way.
You may be facing situations that seem equally impossible. In the natural you may not know how you will be able to overcome. Yet, the Lord is telling you to “Be still and know that He is God.” He wants you to “FEAR NOT, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you this day.” Be determined to trust the Lord in whatever situation you face. Call on Him and then rest in His love for you. Trust that HE will surely deliver you, even if you can’t understand how it will happen.
“Trust in the LORD with all thine hear; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all they ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct your paths.” Proverbs 3:5-6
Further Reading: Exodus 14, 2 Chronicles 20:20
