One Sunday morning after church, I saw voicemails waiting for me and panic began to set in. Knowing my son was on a mission trip 1500 miles away, I imagined the worst and the voicemails confirmed my fears - my son has had an accident while using a sharp object and was on his way to the emergency room.
Should I race to the airport and catch the next flight? Should I contact the hospital? How bad was it?
Question after question invaded my thoughts. I had no clue, no direction. What I needed most in that moment was to understand the true meaning of the words, “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
What Does It Mean to Be Still and Know?
When we can’t control a situation we’re facing, fear takes over. We need the peace of knowing God works on our behalf at all times. Deuteronomy 7:9 says, “...the Lord your God is indeed God.” So how do we learn to “be still and know” this when facing our biggest battles?
Mary, Lazarus’ sister, learned the meaning of these words through a difficult time in her life. From her story, we too can learn how to replace the panic in our hearts with trust in our Creator. We can fully grasp what God means as He tells us to, “Be still and know that I am God.”
Here are 3 ways to be still and know that He is God.
1. "Be still and know" means to be calm and believe God is indeed God.
“Then she [Martha] returned to Mary. She called Mary aside from the mourners and told her, ‘The Teacher is here and wants to see you.’ So Mary immediately went to him.” (John 11:28-29)
At some point in our lives, we will all experience the pain of loss. So we understand the deep suffering Mary and Martha felt that day.
The two sisters mourned over the tragic passing of their brother Lazarus, who happened to be one of Jesus’ dearest friends. When Jesus came to see them, Martha ran out to meet Him, but Mary stayed home.
Scripture doesn’t give a clear reason for Mary’s actions. Could it be that in her suffering, she couldn’t stop mourning? Did she think it was too late for Jesus to make a difference anyway? Or maybe she didn’t know, as Martha did, that Jesus approached.
Whatever the reason, we know this for certain: when Martha told Mary that Jesus wanted to see her, she went to Him immediately. In the midst of her mourning, she still held on to hope.
We won’t always know the outcome of the challenges we face. Our frazzled minds can chase unknowns, leaving us empty and without hope. It’s important in those times to remind ourselves what we do know: “And since we know He hears us, when we make requests, we also know that He will give us what we ask for” (1 John 5:15).
We know God is in control. We know He hears our prayers. And we know He answers, even when it’s not in the way we want or expect. Running straight to Christ, like Mary did, will help us hold onto the hope that can only be found through our relationship with Him.
2. ‘Be still and know’ means to be untroubled and trust God will do what He says.
“When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, ‘Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.’” (John 11:32)
I’m a master at playing the ‘if only’ game. “If only I’d chosen the other road, then I wouldn’t be in this mess. If only you’d told me that sooner, then we wouldn’t be having this problem. If only, if only, if only…” The problem with the ‘if only’ trap is this: even though we may believe who God is, it reveals that we don’t trust what He can do.
Mary fell into the ‘if only’ trap when she saw Jesus that day. Her sorrow hadn’t subsided, and all that emotion poured out: “If only you’d been here…”
Mary’s words indicate she knew Jesus was capable of healing Lazarus. She even believed it would’ve happened if Jesus had been with them. So why didn’t she trust enough to believe He could still answer her? Why is it so hard for us to trust God in our most difficult circumstances?
Exodus 14:14 reminds us of God’s desire to receive our burdens and fight our battles for us: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” But in those times when darkness seems to envelop us, we wrestle with giving control to the only one with the power to bring us through it.
Being still and knowing He is God means moving to a new level of trust—a level that will challenge our faith in remarkable ways. When we push aside the ‘if onlys’ and decide to trust, we will experience His unfailing love like never before.
3. To ‘Be Still and Know’ Isn’t Always Easy, But God is With You
God gave us a precious gift in these words, “Be still and know that I am God.” He knew we would have a tough time accepting this gift, so He patiently teaches us how to “be still and know” through the difficulties we face every day.
When my son needed help so far away from home, I knew I couldn’t be there. I needed these words, this promise, more than ever. We both survived his emergency room visit, stitches, 30-hour car ride home, and eventual surgery.
Looking back on that time helps me see the beauty of those living words. It’s hard to be still. It’s hard to trust. But fully comprehending this command from our heavenly Father is life changing. Psalm 37:7 reassures us, “Be still in the presence of the Lord.”
We can rest, be calm, be untroubled, and be at peace knowing that when troubles threaten to overtake us, God’s presence surrounds us.
This post is a portion of the article, “What It Really Means to Be Still and Know,” which first appeared on iBelieve.
For more on learning to live with unwavering trust in God, check out my latest book, Cinched: Living with Unwavering Trust in an Unfailing God. Click the image below to find out more about how to get your copy.
