Daily Psalter Reading - Second Thursday

Today's reading: Psalms 40-45 (41-46)

"Be still, and know that I am God." (45/46:10)

This short sentence is one of the most important lessons regarding our relationship to God. Throughout the scriptures we see that God wants us to leave the heavy lifting to Him, to "allow" Him to be God. Only in doing so can we truly know God.

When the Israelites were in front of the Red Sea with the entire Egyptian army bearing down upon them, and were complaining against the very God Whose miraculous acts had just brought them out of slavery, God told them "The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent." (Exodus 14:14) However, as mentioned in yesterday's post, being silent may be simple, but it is certainly not easy. Centuries later, Jesus was to chide the Israelites for still not having learned to be still. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem... How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you were not willing!" (Matthew 23:37 and Luke 13:34)

For many of us, it is so much easier to be willing to do something rather than to admit that we can do nothing. To admit that God is God, with all that such a Truth entails, is to admit that we are helpless, that our existence is dependent on something (someone) outside of our control. To be still is to stop our frenetic and nearly incessant activity, and to recognize what it means that we are human and that God is God.

When we are still, we will know God.

---