Be Still And Know That I Am God

Key Elements

In Psalm 46:10, God commands His people to abandon their futile resistance and recognize His supreme authority over all nations and the earth.

Main Idea for the series: When life is filled with chaos, God invites us to be still, resting in His unchanging character, and discovering that true peace is not found in the absence of storms but in the presence of our sovereign Savior.

I want my audience to realize that when life feels out of control, God calls us to stop striving in our own strength and rest confidently in His sovereign power.

Sources: Commentaries on Logos

Intro

Open your copy of God’s Word with me to Psalm 46. And as you’re finding your place in God’s Word there’s something I want you to think about for a moment-Have you ever noticed how difficult it is these days to find a quiet moment? I mean when was the last time you actually could say that you had a moment of what you would consider stillness? I’m not talking about a part of the day where you just had nothing to do. I’m talking about stillness, quiet, that moment where you had nowhere to be, nothing to fix, no fires to put out, actual physical and mental stillness. If you’re struggling to remember, you’re not alone. I would say for most of us, it’s probably been a while. Because the truth is this-in this day and time, stillness is almost impossible to find. Our phones are constantly buzzing with notifications, people are constantly needing something from us, there are deadlines at work, and commitments with family. We are constantly looking at social media and it seems like there’s a 24 hour news cycle that keeps us informed of every tragedy that is happening in the world around us. We can even be physically still, but our minds can be constantly racing. With all the notifications, deadlines, decisions, and the needs of others that are constantly demanding our attention, stillness in our lives seems impossible these days. And when we do get a moment of stillness, the quiet almost seems uncomfortable. In fact, there’s usually a guilt that creeps up because we feel like we should be doing something in that still, quiet moment. Stillness is not something we are used to in our lives. Busyness is what we’re accustomed to. Controlling outcomes is what we are accustomed to. Working harder, planning better, and trying to get ahead of every situation is how we live our lives. And the harder we try, the more exhausted we become.

And when we look at Scripture, what we realize is that’s not how God has called us to live. In fact, that is the exact opposite of how God has called us to live. And today, as we begin a new sermon series entitled Be Still: Finding Stillness Amidst Life’s Chaos, we’re going to begin a journey through one of the more familiar Psalms in the OT, Psalm 46. Now this Psalm contains some of the most quoted verses in Scripture. In fact, we see Psalm 46:1 and Psalm 46:10 printed on coffee mugs, in paintings, embroidered on pillows, and shared in images on social media. And when we read these verses, particularly vs. 10, we think of things like a quiet lake at sunrise, a peaceful mountain scene, or a calm morning with a cup of coffee. And although those images are a little bit of what stillness is about, here in Psalm 46, the stillness that the Psalmist is speaking of isn’t found in a peaceful moment like that. Psalm 46 was not a Psalm that was born in tranquility, Psalm 46 was a Psalm that was born in the midst of chaos. It was born in the midst of uncertainty and at a time in Judah’s history when war was raging and the threat of instability and a world that was out of control was at the door. In other words, it was a time that sounds a lot the world we live in today. And it’s into that moment of chaos that God speaks. And what He says is remarkable and a little unusual. He doesn’t say “try harder” or “plan better.” He gives one simple but profound command, “Be Still!” (My translation says “Stop Fighting!”) And over the next few weeks, we are going to spend some time exploring just what that means according to Scripture, to Be Still. Each week, we’re going to take Psalm 46:10 and peel back one layer at a time in the context of the entirety of Psalm 46 and as we do what we are going to find is that Biblical stillness is not about escaping the storms of life or pretending that everything is fine or even finding a secluded place where nothing ever goes wrong. When we get down to the core of Biblical stillness, what we are going to find is that it is simply about God and His presence in our lives. And what we will come to learn is that Biblical stillness is us learning to rest in the unchanging character of God while everything around us is changing. And that true peace isn’t found in the absence of chaos, it’s found in the presence of God.

Message

And this morning, we begin with the foundation on which every other truth in the series is built-before we can experience God’s peace in our lives, before we can enjoy God’s presence in our lives, before we can learn what it means to Be Still, we have to come to realize one simple but profound truth, that God is still God. And because He is still God, we don’t have to live as though everything depends on you and me, which is what we usually do.

So, here’s the main idea that we are going to be focusing on for this entire series: When life is filled with chaos, God invites us to be still, resting in His unchanging character, and discovering that true peace is not found in the absence of storms but in the presence of our sovereign Savior.

And here’s what I want for us today, to realize that when life feels out of control, God calls us to stop striving in our own strength and rest confidently in His sovereign power.

So, I want us to read Psalm 46 in it’s entirety to get the full picture the Psalmist is painting for us and then we’ll spend the next few weeks focused on Psalm 46:10 as we look at what it means to truly Be Still. (read Psalm 46)

Here’s the formula we are going to be following each week as we peel back the layers of the first part of Psalm 46:10:

“Be still and know that I am God...”

“Be still and know that I am...”

“Be still and know...”

“Be still...”

This morning, to experience the stillness that comes from God’s sovereign power in our lives, there are three truths that we must embrace :

1. The world around us will always seem unstable.

Now that’s not an encouraging way to begin a sermon but it is a truth that we must come to terms with. In this life, on a broader world level scale down to the circumstances that we face in our individual lives daily, instability is something that will always characterize the world we live in. Things are always changing. Something always seems like it is about to pop off whether it is conflict in the Middle East, some kind of political unrest, or some kind of world financial situation. And when you bring that thought of instability closer to our own personal lives and scale that down to what we experience daily, it’s not hard to see that instability hits close to home. It could be a health diagnosis or the diagnosis of a loved one, it could be a situation in our marriage or a dating relationship, a situation involving one of our children, or simply life just not working out the way we planned. All of those things from a broader level down to our own personal experience speaks to the unstableness we all experience in life.

And this seemingly unstableness is what births Psalm 46. Psalm 46 is what we call a “Song of Zion” and to really understand what the psalmist is trying to communicate, we really have to understand the circumstances surrounding it. In 701 BC, the Assyrian army laid seige to the city of Jerusalem. Now leading up to this point, a massive war campaign had occurred that had led to the Assyrians capturing 46 cities in the kingdom of Judah and over 200,000 Jews being taken captive and exiled. And as the Assyrians made their way to the capital city of Judah and had now surrounded Jerusalem, the fall of the city seemed inevitable. It was a very unstable and chaotic situation to say the least. And the Assyrians were strategic in how they dismantled the cities and the people they conquered because one of their tactics was psychological warfare. They would completely surround a city, cutting off all supply lines in and out of the city, which physically drained the resources of their enemies, and then they would send messengers to the edge of the city walls to mock the people and their God in an effort to psychologically wear them down and persuade them to surrender. And then, whether the people surrendered or not, after they were conquered, the Assyrians would invade the city and do unspeakable things to the citizens eventually capturing those left and take them to exile. They were a brutal war machine. And these were the same tactics they employed as they laid seige to the city of Jerusalem. In Isaiah 36-37, we see the account as over and over again the Assyrian King sends messengers to taunt King Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem trying to persuade them to surrender. And in one final attempt, a letter is sent to King Hezekiah from the Assyrian King mocking God and claiming that no god had ever saved anyone from them and in addition to that letters flood the city of Jerusalem dispersing the same information to the Jewish people calling on them not to listen to their king because that would lead to capture and death. It is a seemingly hopeless, unstable situation. The enemies are at the gate, the people of Jerusalem have their backs against the wall. There’s not a more desperate picture that can be painted. But here’s where the story takes a turn. King Hezekiah, the king of the Jewish people at the time, does the only thing he knows to do. Instead of surrendering, instead of believing the lies of the enemy who is pressing in, he takes the letter from the Assyrian King to the Temple of God and he lays it on the altar of the Lord and he begs for God’s rescue. This is what he says in Isaiah 37:20 “Now, Lord our God, save us from his power so that all the kingdoms of the earth may know that you, Lord, are God—you alone.” It’s almost like he’s saying, “God do you see what this guy is saying about you? Help us.” And that night, the Bible says that the Angel of the Lord struck down 185,000 Assyrians (read it in Isaiah 37) and the next morning, the people of Jerusalem woke to a field littered with the bodies. And the Assyrian king retreated.

And out of what seemed like an unstable, chaotic, and hopeless situation for the people of Jerusalem comes this powerfully beautiful Psalm. With all that in mind, listen again to how the psalmist opens, he says in vs. 1-3...

Notice the language and the description of the situation, it’s almost apocalyptic-the earth trembling, the mountains falling into the sea, the waters roaring and turmoil everywhere he turns. It’s the most stable things in this life, the most foundationally solid things we can think of crumbling and coming undone. But I want you to notice what I said in this first truth- “The world around us will always SEEM unstable.” That’s the way this sin ridden world will always appear to be but let me say today that looks can be deceiving, because when you believe that God is sovereign over all things, you come to realize that what looks unstable is held in the hands of a sovereignly stable God.

And I want to point something else out this morning-did you notice what King Hezekiah did when the situation was at its worse? He got on his face before the Lord. Which confronts all of us with the question, when life seems unstable, when the enemy is at the gates of our lives, do we pray? Do we beg God to intervene and keep begging God until He moves for His glory and our good?

Which leads us to truth #2...

2. Stillness is found in standing down.

The earth is shaking, the mountains are crumbling, life seems unstable and chaotic, things aren’t going as planned, and in the midst of all of this Psalm 46:10 lands “Stop fighting and know that I am God...”

It’s almost absurd to think about. It defies logical thinking. The battle is raging, the enemy is at the gate, everything seems lost; the natural reaction is to fight, to come up with a plan, to exhaust every resource at our disposal, and God says “Be still! Stop fighting! Stand down!” It’s not a soft, crocheted pillow to cuddle up with, it’s a military term. When we hear the phrase “Be still,” we think “light a candle, take a breath, turn on some music or some rain sounds.” And there’s nothing wrong with those things, but that’s not primarily what God is commanding us to do here. This is a battle command given to battle tested, battle worn people. What God is saying here is not “relax, take it easy.” What God is saying here, and most of us need to hear this today, what God is saying is “drop your weapons because the battle is not yours to win, it’s already decided.” And that’s the realization that King Hezekiah had to come to. They had tried everything, they were losing bad and at the point of total annihilation and the turning point came not because of some great battle plan they came up with or some secret weapon they had developed. The turning point came when the King surrendered to the King of Kings.

And grasping this concept of stillness found in God is life changing for all of us. It reframes everything we face in life. God is not saying that things are immediately going to improve or change overnight, He can do that if that’s what He decides, but sometimes that’s not how He works. Being still, standing down is more about our surrender to His sovereignty in our lives. It’s first recognizing that our God is powerful and then relinquishing our illusion of control we think we have over the situations of our lives. You see, our illusion of control—the thing we’ve been fighting to maintain—is precisely what keeps us from experiencing the actual strength that’s available to us. We think of surrender, being still, standing down, as weakness and defeat because it goes against every natural response we have in the midst of crisis. But it’s actually where our ultimate strength is found.

So, as a Christ follower, think for a moment, what battle are you facing and God is telling you “Stop fighting, stand down?” You’ve tried everything and nothing is working. You’ve exhausted every resource and you’re at the end. And God is saying to all of us, “drop your weapons because the battle is not yours to win.” It’s time to surrender whatever you’re facing to God. And maybe that’s where you are already, keep praying and trusting that God is working and moving. Stillness is found in standing down.

Which leads us to truth #3...

3. Stillness is possible because God is still standing.

You see, the reason the Psalmist can go from “the earth shaking and the mountains falling and the seas roaring” to “God is our refuge and strength therefore we will not be afraid and come see the works of the Lord” is found in what he knows to be true in vs. 7, 11 “The Lord of Armies is with us; the God of Jacob is our stronghold.” Here’s the reason that stillness is possible-when our world seems to be crumbling, God is still standing. And that’s the reason we can “Be still, we can stand down.”

You know, when I was walking through this text preparing for today and I came to this point, I couldn’t help but think of the story of Stephen found in Acts 6-7. Jesus has ascended to heaven, the Holy Spirit comes on the day of Pentecost, and the disciples begin to take the Gospel and the early church explodes. They chose seven men to help serve and minister because the needs of the early church are beginning to become too much for the 12 disciples and one of the men chosen is Stephen. He’s filled with the Holy Spirit and God is using him mightily and he’s arrested by the Jewish High Council and tried before them and accused of blasphemy, mocking God, and sentenced to death by stoning. And before they drag him to the place where he’s to be stoned, it says in Acts 7:55 “Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven. He saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God.” In Stephen’s final moments, what is Jesus doing, He’s standing. Now, was he delivered from his circumstances? Not on earth, but his death for the Gospel of Jesus Christ helped fuel the growth of the early church into what it is today.

Psalm 46 points us to our ultimate source of strength-The Lord of Armies who is with us, always present in our lives. This is a military title that means the commander of heaven’s forces. It’s Jesus. And He is our source of power because He is all powerful. And for us to recognize that He is all powerful isn’t meant to terrify us into submission—it’s meant to redirect our trust in the only one who is worthy of it. And when we come to the point where we trust God no matter what we’re facing because we know He is standing for us and with us, then we can say with all confidence “the Lord of armies is with us, and the God of Jacob is our stronghold.”

You see, when we truly grasp God’s absolute power and sovereignty over all things, our entire approach to life shifts. God’s refuge is available only when we realize that there is no refuge in us or in the world, and that it is foolish to fight for it. So, rest in this that the almighty God who is always with His people provides refuge, strength, and help, calms our fears, even in the face of what seems like the most dire circumstances. Stillness, standing down, surrender is possible because God is still standing. It’s time for us to stop betting on your own power and acknowledge the One whose power is absolute.

So, I want to give us some practical steps for Biblical stillness:

a. Admit what you’re holding onto.

Here’s the thing, we cannot put down what we won’t admit we’re holding onto. What in your life is God asking you to stand down from? The first step to standing down and finding stillness is admitting what it is and letting it go. God, I’m battling emotions I can’t control. Stand down. God, I’m battling fear I can’t control-of the future, over my family, my job. Stand down. God, I’m facing a diagnosis. Stand down. God, I’m facing a financial crisis. Stand down.

The first step is admitting what you have a firm grasp on. Next,...

b. Pause before you panic.

And I would say, immediately after you pause, pray. Usually our first go to is panic. When God is calling us to pause and pray. Repeat Psalm 46:10 over and over again until the truth that God is sovereign overwhelms your heart and life. And then,...

c. Shift your focus.

From the size of your circumstances to the size of your God who is standing with you in the midst of those circumstances. This Psalm doesn’t minimize the crisis. The waters do roar and the mountains do crumble, the enemy is sometimes at the gates. But here’s what it teaches us to do-to zoom out from focusing on the circumstance to focusing on our God who is powerful in all circumstances.

Closing

So, here’s what I believe God wants us to do today. I want you to stand with me, get everything out of your hands, and with heads bowed and eyes closed this morning, I’m going to ask all of us to do something that might be a little uncomfortable but obedience sometimes is. With no one looking around, just you and the Lord in this moment, I want to first give you an opportunity to do what we’re about to do standing at your seat but you might want to come to the altar and kneel or stand before the Lord. And maybe you feel led to go to someone you know is struggling this morning and take them to the altar with you or just stand beside them with your arm around them and pray for them. So, I’m going to give you a moment to come. It may feel a little awkward but if God is nudging you to move, please do now.

So, Here’s what I want us to do: wherever you are at your seat or at the altar:

First, I want us to do what we just talked about-if you feel comfortable, just take your hands and place them in front of you, palms up in surrender to God right now and Admit what you’re holding onto to the Lord. Just quietly before Him. The fear, the depression, the anxiety, the stress, your children, your job, your family. And ask Him to give you the strength and the courage to stand down.

Next, now that you’ve named it, pray and give it to the Lord. Whatever it is, ask Him to remove the temptation to panic and to continue to work in that situation for His glory and for your good.

And then, Ask God to shift your focus from the size of that circumstance to the size of your God. And to constantly remind you of who He is and that He is standing with you in the midst of that circumstance.

In just a moment we are going to have a time of worship, and today if you made a decision to give your heart and life to Jesus as Savior and Lord or you want to take that step today, Come. If there are other decisions for baptism or covenant membership, Come. If you need prayer for something going on in your life, don’t be afraid, we would love to pray for you this morning.