Thank you to everyone for your generosity and willingness to serve, not just within our own community but also in blessing others in the city. This reflects the heart of God’s kingdom—a heart that looks beyond itself and seeks to be a blessing where there is nothing to gain. As we continue our “To Be” series, we focus today on Psalm 46:10: “Be still and know that I am God.” This verse, like many others, has two parts: a call to a certain posture (“be still”) and the reason or power behind it (“know that I am God”).
Life is full of moments that tempt us to panic, to “flap” like a trapped bird, or to spin out of control when things don’t go as planned. Whether it’s the chaos of daily routines, unexpected bills, or the pressures of life, our natural response is often to try harder, move faster, and expend more energy—yet we find ourselves getting nowhere. God’s invitation is to stillness, to quiet the noise, and to find strength not in frantic activity but in resting in Him.
Isaiah 30:15 reminds us that “in quietness and confidence is your strength,” but also warns that we often resist this way. The world is noisy, and so are our hearts. There are three main sources of this noise: fear for our welfare, the accusations of the enemy, and our own resistance to God. Jesus addresses our fears by reminding us of our value to God and His intimate knowledge of us. The enemy’s accusations are silenced by the truth that we are hidden in Christ, free from condemnation. But perhaps most profoundly, the greatest noise comes from our own unwillingness to surrender—our arguments, our resistance, our need for control.
Psalm 46 paints a picture of God as our refuge and fortress amid chaos. The call to “be still” is not just comfort for the weary, but a rebuke to the restless—a command to lay down our arms, to stop fighting God, and to surrender. Like a child resisting a doctor’s care or a swimmer fighting a rip current, we are invited to trust, to let go, and to allow God to be God. The story of Job reminds us that the answer to our deepest questions is not always “why,” but “who.” When we see God for who He is, we find peace even without all the answers. In surrender, the noise ceases, and we discover the stillness and strength that come from knowing Him.
Psalm 46:1–11 (ESV) — > 1 God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.
> 2 Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
> 3 though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
> 4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.
> 5 God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns.
> 6 The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts.
> 7 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
> 8 Come, behold the works of the LORD, how he has brought desolations on the earth.
> 9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with fire.
> 10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
> 11 The LORD of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Isaiah 30:15 (ESV) — > For thus said the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel, “In returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.” But you were unwilling.
Matthew 10:28–31 (ESV) — > 28 And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
> 29 Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.
> 30 But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.
> 31 Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.
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