“Be still, and know that I am God.” – Psalm 46:10

“For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. He alone is my Rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken.” – Psalm 62:1, 2

What does it mean to “be still” before the Lord? Keeping still is something most of us have struggled with since early childhood. “Just hold still” we were usually told when something unpleasant was about to happen to us. “Sit still” was another command we heard when we were squirming at an event that was boring and going too long. In other words, stop fidgeting!

This is not what the verse in Psalm 46 is saying. This is not a command to stop moving. It is not an order to be quiet. It is a call for us to “relax” and not be anxious. So, this verse might more accurately translated, “Be chill and do not worry, have faith in God”.

In the second reference above David expresses an exclusive dependence on God alone for his salvation and strength. It is a faith that trusts in the Lord and His sovereignty. This faith allows David to calm his troubled soul throughout the Psalms. He frequently challenges us to trust the Lord and “Fret not…”. Jesus gives us the same challenge in the sermon on the mount when He said,

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?” – Matthew 6:25-27

So, during these stress filled times let me challenge you to take a deep breath, relax and follow Peter’s advice to “cast your cares on the Lord because He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7).

Today, be “chill” and know that He is God!