"Be still and know that I am God..."1
If you have ever spent any amount of time driving on a
Southern Californian freeway, then, you are probably familiar with the terms
"Rush Hour" and "Road Rage". These terms usually go hand in hand because it is
during "Rush Hour", when everyone is quite literally rushing to get home
after a long day, that we encounter fellow motorists raging through the
lanes and cutting others off in the possible pursuit for some peace at home.
These moments don't usually bring out the best in us, and we find ourselves feeling
a bit of that rage begin to surface. It is quite easy to feel stressed and even
overwhelmed during these drive times because everyone around you seems to be in
a race against time; a battle for the road.
In its original context, Psalm 46:10 is an account of God
telling the warring nations to "be still", stop fighting, stop warring,
and acknowledge that I am God, exalted among the nations. These same words were
used later in Scripture by Jesus to calm the raging winds and sea. In a moment
when the apostles felt the rage of the storm coming upon them, Jesus spoke
these words to once again make His power and authority known (Mark
4:37-41)
Whether we find ourselves battling against time - where we
never seem to have enough of it and we are always running late or deadlines are
looming over us; whether it's a financial storm we're in and are feeling
overwhelmed by waves of bills or payments due and we just can't seem to stay
afloat, that freeway suddenly becomes a metaphor for our lives in which we are
constantly rushing or battling to be in a place where we can
catch our breath. It is precisely at this moment when we need to step on the
brake of our lives and slow down. It is now that we need to take a deep breath
and acknowledge our Lord saying, "Be still. Know that I am in control
and all of that rushing and raging and battling is for naught because I will be
exalted! Just Breathe".
Suggested
prayer:
Dear Most Powerful Lord, as life rushes and rages all around
me help me to remember that above all the noise there is you! And you have
already won the victory over the battles that, in my mind, seek to defeat me. I
come to you today to find rest. Please fill me with your peace. In Jesus' name,
Amen.
1. Psalm 46:10.