Seeds for 08/19/2024 - Pause & Reflect - Psalm 46:10-11
In this series on prayer and scripture, we have been following the acronym P.R.A.Y. as a guide for prayer. The P and R often stand for “Praise” and “Repent” but an alternate could be “Pause” and Reflect.” Sometimes, this is exactly what we need to do. This week we are looking at passages that speak to this important dynamic in prayer.
Scripture:
10 He says, “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 Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Observation:
There may be no better known verse associated with the theme of pausing and reflection that Psalm 46:10. Here are a few observations on these verses and how the psalm informs the rhythm of pausing and reflecting that is represented in that simple phrase, “Be still, and know that I am God.”
First, the psalm’s instruction is to “be still.” This is obvious but vital. It is also flexible. No doubt we all need extended pause time to be unhurried by the usual demands on our time, attention, and energy. Yet we can capture moments even when we don’t have hours or days to spare. “Be still” is as available to us as a few long, slow, intentional breaths.
Second, remembering who is God also reminds us who is not. When we know that the Lord is God, that fact can re-center us. When we recall this truth, we are able to step back and renew our trust in Him. We may yet have questions and concerns, but we know they are in much greater hands than ours.
Third, the statement, “I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth,” further asserts that we are significant due to God’s design but unnecessary for God’s exaltation. God being exalted among His creation is something we may take part in, but it does not rise and fall with us. Therefore, we can pause and the world will not stop spinning.
Fourth, verse 11 declares the foundation for our ability to pause, to “be still.” “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” This line is repeated twice in the psalm—once in the middle in verse 7 and at the end, here in verse 11. We can be still and know that He is God not because of abstract knowledge (though that is true) but because of personal knowledge—He is “with us” and is “our fortress.”
Application:
What makes it hard to be still? How has being still or pausing in and for prayer impacted you?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, help me step back from the mental and emotional treadmill in order to pause and be still before you. Help me know that you are with me and that you are my fortress. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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