"The Strength to Be Still"

Intro: The Lost Art of “Nothing”

Before we dive right into our text, I want to speak with you about something I call, “The Lost Art of Nothing.” Not very long ago, there was a time when people would stop doing “something” and would actually do nothing. We would stop engaging in a particular activity, and simply be inactive. Our minds and bodies experienced a moment of stillness; they was a break in the flow of stimuli… our pulses slowed and muscles cooled as our bodies relaxed.

And…now? Not only are we constanly stimulated, but we are overstimulated. “Rest” means seeking a different kind of stimulation from our smart phones, baited by algorithms that successfully keep you searching for more, leaving you more tired, but unable to rest. REcognizing the problem we try to fight fire with fire- we try to switch our content to somethnig edifying; a self-help book, a video commentary. But turning our devices off and just doing nothing never occurs to us…becuse now “nothing” really means, “do somethnig different”. The result is a generation that is, in a true sense of the word, addicted to “the noise”. When it stops, we become axious, without ever really knowing why.

Overview: The Text in Context

Psalms 46 is a song of worship. It’s hearers would have been listening to the melody & lyrics, trying to set their hearts & minds on giving worship to a Holy God. They woudn’t have been doing an exegetical study of the song- which is not to say that they were not encouraged to THINK about what they were signing. This Psalm includes the word “Selah” 3 times. Selah is one of the few words in the Bible that are not translated. It is a musical pause, giving the listener a moment to consider what was being said, before continuing. Not all Psalms include this pause, and the ones tat do typically had 1 pause, or perhaps 2. the 46th Psalm is one of the few that uses Selah 3 times- and it is shorter than any other Psalm that uses the pause as many times. It also ends with such a pause- an unusual feature.

Why is this significant? Because it seems clesr that we- modern day “listeners” to the text- are being called to stop and consider what is being said csrefully. In fact, I beleive that God is calling our attention to the solution to our axieties- pointing us to towards the strength to be still.

Overall, Psalm 46 calls us to trust God, and reminds why we can do so. It uses strong language; for example, in verse 1 God is not merely our refuse- meaning our shelter or covering, but He is our STRENGHTH! We cannot remain in our “shelters”- no matter how long we tske shelter in life’s destractions, eventually we have to leave the house- leave our comfort zones, and face the challenges set before us. But fear not- we are not alone- God is our strength! And that’s not all; He is will help us in times of trouble. But wait- the text states this forcefully as well! God is not just our help in trouble, but He is present. This word means “to find or encounter”. In other words, when trouble finds you, you can find God- He will meet you there! And He’s not just present, but very present- He’s exceedingly easy to find! This pretty much sums up the the entirety of the psalms, which begins- and ends- with the statement that God is our refuge, like book ends, ensuring us that He will protect us from the storms of life. In fact, the reference in verse 4 of a river running through the City of God- a reference to the Holy Spirit, the gift of God dwelling in us which we celebrate today. Just as a river was the source of life for earthly cites they run through, the Holy Spirit is the source of life running through the lives of believers. And God Himself is in our midst so we shall not be moved (verse 5).

Pt. 1: Seek Knowledge in Stillness

The phrase “Be still” is translated in some trasnlations as”Cease” or “Cease striving”. The Hebrew word is רפהr riphah (Pronouced “rah fah”) and it literally means to “grow slack, release, let go”. Psalms 46:10 literally translated would say, “Cease- and know that God!”

Just…STOP. Stop trying to fix it yourself; stop trying to do it in your strength. Stop trying doing it your way, because your way doesn’t work. The moment that you stop doing things your way, is the moment we can come to know God- how He moves, how He provides…we get to KNOW Him for who He is, going beyong a passing acquaintance.

Pt. 2: Find Peace in Stillness

In Mark 4:39, we find Jesus getting onto a boat with the disciples. He’s been preaching, and the text shows Him deliberately pulling away from a crowd. It is easy to picture Jesus phsically exhausted. He falls asleep, and the boat enters a storm. You know the rest; Jesus is awakened by the panicked disciples, and He speaks to the storm and causes it to end.

In stillness, we will come to know God intimately; and in this knowing, we will find peace. But I want you to know, right here and now, that such peace will not come without being challenged. Just as Jesus spoke to the storm, you will also have to make a declaration of peace over areas of your life thst seem chaotic.

Remind yourself, “I know God; he’s in control of my life and I have authority in Him. So in the Name of Jesus, BE QUIET- and GIVE ME MY PEACE!”

Jonathan Edwards, a theologian & American preacher in the 1700’s, made these 3 points in the earliest sermon we have of him: if you’re a Christian, 1) your bad thing will turn out for good (Romans 8:28), 2) your good things can never be taken away from you and 3) the best is yet to come. In this unshakable, unbreakable truth, we find the strength to be still.

Pt. 3: Stand firm in Stillness

The text in Exodus outlines the last step in obtaining the strength to be still. Moses is soeaking to Israel, who is being persued by the Egyptians after their departure- or exodus, after which the book is aptly named. As usual, they are complaining about their situation; the army is closing in from behind, and the Red Sea stretches out in front of them. They let what they see cause them to forget what God has already done and promised. It is possible for our hearts to know the truth, but our minds cannot accept it because what we see doesn’t line up with what God said. Ungodly fear sets in and paralyzes our faith.

I want to share a quote with you from a movie.

“Fear is not real. The only place that fear can exist is in our thoughts of the future. It is a product of our imagination, causing us to fear things that do not at present and may not ever exist. That is near insanity. Do not misunderstand me danger is very real but fear is a choice.” - Will Smith, After Earth

This echoes the sentiment of scripture which says “God has not given us the spirit of fear…but of power, love, and a sound mind” 2 Tim. 1:7

There comes a point after you have come to know and accept the Truth…and after you have declared your peace in that Truth, that there’s only one thnig left to do: just STAND. Moses told that to just be silent (v.14). The time for talking is over. Some of us have mastered the first 2 steps- know and declaring- but have talked and/or complained ourselves out of the victory God promised us. But if we can hold to His promises, even when things do lookie what He promised, “the [enemy] that you have seen today, you will NEVER see them again.” (v. 13).

Conclusion

Cease. Stop…let go. You couldn’t fix it anyway. But you know the God who can do anythnig. Seek Him in stillness.

Knowledge of who God is leads us to peace that surpasses knowledge; pesce in any circumstance. But you may have to shout and remind your circumstance that peace lives here, because God lives here!

Once you know…and after you have declared…stand still and watch God do EVERYTHING that He promised.