Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God. I will be lifted up among the nations. I will be lifted up throughout the earth.
There is something very interesting about the words “be still” in this verse. The Hebrew word is הַרְפּוּ, harpu, from רָפָה, rāphāh. It carries the idea of letting go, stopping, or being quiet. We have to stop striving and stop trying to make everything happen ourselves.
Then we are told to “know.” The Hebrew is וּדְעוּ, u-deʿu, from יָדַע, yādaʿ. This means to know, recognize, perceive, understand, or acknowledge. So God is not simply telling us to sit quietly. He is telling us to let go and know Him. Recognize Who He is. Understand that He is God.
When you put those two thoughts together, “be still and know” takes on a much deeper meaning. Let go. Stop striving. Stop trying to control everything. Know Him. Recognize that He is God. He is God whether we understand what He is doing or not.
Is there no one that completely trusts God anymore? Yet He is the ONLY ONE who keeps His promises!
We worry about bills coming that we have accumulated through credit cards, mail orders, doctors and more, because we don’t listen and spend time with The Holy One, The Only One who can and will help us and provide for us. We turn to things and to the people of this world to satisfy our needs and wants. But we are never satisfied. We still go hungry. We still want to have more, more, more! Greed. Because everyone else has what we want. This is one of the reasons there is so much unrest, poverty, and crime today.
We have to turn away from this sin and obey God’s commandments with everything we have, everything we are. Every cell of our mind, soul and body and heart. And there are only two!
Matthew 22:37-40Jesus said that we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, all our soul, and all our mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. The second is like it, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Everything God has commanded through the Law and the Prophets rests upon these two commandments.
When you think of it, these two commandments are not difficult to understand at all. When you truly love God, you cannot help but love your neighbor, especially as you allow Him to renew your mind and change the way you think.
Here we are brought right back to the same truth. We have to stop allowing the noise of the world to control us and remember Who is really in control. We have to be still long enough to remember that God is God, and we are not.
Isaiah 26:3 You will keep the person whose mind is fixed on You in complete peace, because that person trusts in You.
The Hebrew wording behind “perfect peace” is שָׁלוֹם שָׁלוֹם, shalom shalom, literally “peace, peace.” שָׁלוֹם, shalom carries the thought of peace, wholeness, completeness, and well-being for the person spoken to. God is peace! We only have to worship Him in love and in truth.
He tells us that He is able to do far beyond what we can ask or even imagine, according to His power working in us, Ephesians 3:20. But that does not mean He gives us everything we want simply because we ask for it. We must first love Him, obey Him, and trust His will. He wants us to stop what we are doing, be still, and realize He IS God. There is nothing He cannot do, and there is nothing He is unable to accomplish according to His will when we trust and rest in Him.
He gave us His perfect love. He gave us His only begotten Son. Yeshua HaMashiach, aka Jesus Christ showed us His Father, our Father, in His teachings, His life, His suffering, His death, His resurrection and His ascension. He did this because God loved us and wanted us to be reconciled to Him.
I ask you, would YOU be willing to give your only child up to your enemies, knowing that he or she would be persecuted, tortured and killed? A son or daughter whom you truly love more than anything? Well, God gave His Son, Jesus Christ, for all of us!!!
We can truly rest and be at peace with Him. He is ultimately in charge anyway!
Read all of Psalm 37.
1 Peter 5:6-11 Humble yourselves under God’s mighty hand, so that He may lift you up at the right time. Put all your worries and cares into His hands, because He cares about you. Stay clear-minded and watchful, because your enemy the devil is looking for someone to destroy. Stand against him firmly in faith, remembering that other believers throughout the world are facing suffering too. But the God who gives all grace, who has called you into His eternal glory through Christ Jesus, will Himself restore, establish, strengthen, and make you firm after you have suffered for a while. To Him belongs glory and power forever. Amen.
Notice what we are told to do with our cares. We are to cast them upon Him because He cares for us. The Greek word ἐπιρίψαντες, epiripsantes carries the thought of throwing or casting something upon another. We are not being told to hold our worries tightly and simply try harder not to worry. We are told to put them on Him.
God told His people to turn to Him and obey His commandments over and over and over again! When they obeyed Him, He blessed them and gave them victory according to His promises. But they repeatedly turned away, followed their own ways, and sinned. Then they suffered the consequences of their actions and cried out to God when things became more than they could handle. Again and again, God showed mercy and brought them back to Himself. He loved them that much!
Proverbs 3:5-6 Trust in the LORD with all your heart. Do not make your own understanding the thing you depend upon. Acknowledge Him in everything you do, and He will make your path straight.
The Hebrew word translated “trust” in Proverbs 3:5 is בְּטַח, batach. It means to trust, to have confidence, to rely upon, and to feel secure in. The command is to place that confidence in God with all our heart, rather than making our own understanding our foundation.
He loves you! He tells us to trust Him, rest in Him, and allow Him to direct our lives.
If we come to a “fork in the road” of life, where we don’t know which path to take, we have only to ask our Lord, who knows the direction and the outcome, which way to go. He will lead us by the hand, guiding our every step. When we trust Him, He will not let us fall completely. We may stumble, yes, but He is there to lift us back up. He has His hand holding onto our belt, so to speak, and He will not let go.
When you take a little child who is just learning to walk, but thinks he is ready to run off and play, you hold onto his waist strap. I used one that looped around the belt with about 4 feet of slack, so he would not go too far. God holds onto our “belt” the same way, warning us when we try to turn in the wrong direction and keeping us from going farther than we should.
Ephesians 6:12-19 Our struggle is not really against human beings. We are dealing with spiritual powers, authorities, and forces of darkness. So put on everything God has provided for you so you can stand when the evil day comes. Stand firmly with truth, righteousness, peace, faith, salvation, and the Word of God. Keep praying at all times in the Spirit, and keep watching and praying for God’s people. Pray also that I will be given the words and courage to speak openly about the good news of Christ.
People take sedatives to get to sleep at night, or lay there “counting sheep.” If they would just count on the Shepherd, Jesus Christ, they would not only have the peace that comes from trusting Him, but they might also save the money they spent on the sedatives! The answer is not found in counting sheep, but in trusting the Shepherd.
Here are more Scriptures to check out, some repeated in this message.
Proverbs 10 shows the difference between the way of the wicked and the way of the righteous, including the different results that come from each.
Psalm 37:23-24 shows us that the LORD directs the steps of those who walk with Him, and that even when they fall, He is able to uphold them.
Job 31:3-6 shows Job asking whether God does not see his ways and asking Him to examine him honestly.
Psalm 18:36 shows us that God makes the way beneath our feet secure so that we do not slip.
Proverbs 16:9 reminds us that we may make plans, but the LORD is the One who directs our steps.
The dictionary defines the following words in ways we can pretty much understand in today’s language.
1. Trust: Confidence, a reliance or resting of the mind on the integrity, justice, friendship or other sound principle of another person or thing.
God promises that when we trust in Him, we can find security in Him!
Proverbs 29:25 tells us that being afraid of people becomes a trap, but the person who trusts in the LORD is secure.
Make and take the time now to read Psalm 121, all of it. It’s only 8 verses.
2. Safe: Free from danger, damage or injury, secure, unharmed.
Psalm 119:117 shows us the connection between being upheld by God and continuing to keep our eyes on His statutes.
Proverbs 18:10 tells us that the name of the LORD is like a strong tower, and the righteous run into it and are safe.
3. Still: Sound, calm, quiet, at rest, motionless.
Psalm 4:4 tells us to tremble with awe and not sin, to examine what is in our hearts, and to be still.
The Hebrew word used for “be still” here is דֹּמּוּ, dommu, from דָּמַם, damam, meaning being silent, still, or quiet.
Know: To perceive with certainty, to understand clearly, to be absolutely sure of, well informed about.
One way we can know is by studying.
2 Timothy 2:15 tells us to make every effort to present ourselves to God as approved workers who handle the word of truth accurately.
The Greek word σπούδασον, spoudason means to be diligent, to make an effort, to be earnest, or to apply yourself. So this is not telling us to casually read God’s Word when we happen to have time. We are being told to put forth the effort to know it and handle it correctly.
Because:
2 Timothy 3:16 tells us that all Scripture comes from God and is useful for teaching, correcting, and training us in righteous living.
Luke 12:12 tells us that the Holy Spirit will teach us what we should say when the time comes.
John 14:26 tells us that the Holy Spirit, whom the Father sends in Jesus’ name, will teach us and bring back to our remembrance what Jesus has taught.
God wants us to study His written Word so we can grow in knowledge and understanding of His will. Then, by the Holy Spirit, what we have learned can be brought back to our remembrance when we need it, such as when we are talking to another person about Him.
Testimony: My husband was working very hard at a job he loathed. He was so desperate to change jobs that he put in an application at another business where a friend of his said there was an opening. He followed up on his application a few times, but never got the job.
A few months later, his friend came and told him that the boss of that business was doing unauthorized work when the place should have been closed for the night, and pocketing the money for himself. As this was a “union” shop, he was also breaking “union” rules. He eventually faced charges of theft and embezzlement.
God did not allow my husband to get that job because He knew what was going on and kept my husband from getting involved.
We may not see where God is leading us at the time, but when it is over, we can look back and see what He brought us through or what He kept us from getting involved in.
I also had a situation come up that God had prepared me for many years before it happened. He had told me to do something in 1987. I obeyed not knowing why. Then a few years later the reason was made clear though another event. God had protected me back in ‘87 for what would occur in the future. THAT is only one event that shows me how much He loves and protects those that love and obey Him! He has carried me through so many more!
When we are quiet in our spirit, we can better pay attention to what God is showing us. Can you hear yourself think if there is much noise surrounding you? I think not. I know I can’t. Some people, mainly students, can study and read with their radios or televisions on, but our spiritual lives also need times of quietness. We need to quiet the noise around us and within us so that we can listen, pray, and pay attention to God’s Word. We need to “let go and let God” take care of us.
Psalm 19:7-11 shows us the value of God’s law, testimony, instructions, commandments, and judgments. They restore the soul, make the inexperienced wise, bring joy to the heart, give light, warn us, and bring great reward when we keep them.
When we do that, and trust God, spending time with Him in worship, prayer and study, we learn to rest in Him rather than trying to carry everything ourselves.
“Trust Me. Be still. Study and know Me. I AM!”
He tells us this throughout His Word, through prophecy, and sometimes through the people He puts in our path.
Are there times when you feel there is so much noise in your life that it causes confusion and causes you to falter in your steps? You do have a Savior who can bring you out of that confusion. He is the One you can put your complete trust and confidence in. Even your earthly bestest friend cannot save you from the consequences of sin or from God’s judgment. Only Jesus the Christ can save us. Only He can give us the peace that comes from being reconciled to God. When you trust Him, you can know beyond any “shadow of a doubt” that He cares for you.
Proverbs 3:11-15 tells us not to despise the LORD’s correction or become discouraged when He corrects us. His correction is connected with His love, and wisdom is more valuable than silver, gold, or precious jewels.
Proverbs 13:24 shows us that loving a child includes correcting and disciplining that child when necessary.
1 Corinthians 11:31-32 teaches us to examine ourselves and understand that the Lord’s correction is meant to discipline us so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
Read Hebrews 12:1-15.
The Greek word used for “chasten” or “discipline” in Hebrews 12:6 is παιδεύει, paideuei, from παιδεύω, paideuō. It has the meaning of training, educating, disciplining, and correcting. God’s correction is not simply about punishment. It is all a part of training His children.
Revelation 3:19-22 reminds us that the Lord corrects and disciplines those He loves. He calls us to repent, and He stands at the door and knocks. He invites those who hear His voice to open the door and fellowship with Him. He also gives a promise to the one who overcomes.
And now we come back again to the title of this message, Be still and know that I am God.
To be still in Christ is not simply to sit quietly and wait for something to happen. It means letting go of our need to control everything and trusting God enough to follow Him. It means quieting the noise so we can listen, opening His Word so we can learn, and allowing Him to correct us when we are going the wrong way.
The words “be still and know” belong together. We let go so that we can turn our attention toward Him. We study so that we can know Him. e listen so that we can recognize His voice. We accept His correction so that we can grow. We trust Him even when we do not understand what He is doing. When Christ stands at the door and knocks, He is calling us into fellowship with Him. Being still means that we stop long enough to hear that knock. It means that we pay attention when He speaks and then open the door.
In our stillness, we also need to make sure that our spiritual “wicks are trimmed and our lanterns are filled with oil.” We need to be watchful and prepared for the coming of our King. Being still does not mean becoming lazy or doing nothing. Being still does not mean becoming lazy or doing nothing. We still have work to do. We pray, we study, we obey, we serve, and we continue to overcome, but we do these things while trusting God and allowing Him to lead us instead of trying to take His place.
Finally, the promise to the one who overcomes reminds us that our faith is not passive. We are called to stand, to remain faithful, to turn away from sin, and to continue following Christ. We can do those things because we know Who holds us.
As the days draw closer to His return, we need to remember what He has told us from the beginning of this message, be still and know that I am God. When everything around us seems uncertain, He is still God. When we do not understand what He is doing, He is still God. When we are afraid, He is still God. When He corrects us, He is still God. When we have to wait, He is still God.
We are not just waiting for the King. We are living for Him now. We are learning His Word, listening for His voice, accepting His correction, trusting His direction, and resting in His promises.
Let go. Be still. Know Him. Trust Him. He IS God!
I hope this message blessed you. If so, please leave a comment. I look forward to hearing from you.
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Prayer:
Holy Father, I praise You and worship You because You alone are God. You are holy, faithful, loving, merciful, and worthy of all my praise. There is no one like You, and there never will be. You are my Creator, my Provider, my Refuge, and my Strength. I thank You for loving me so deeply that You gave Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, so that I could be reconciled to You.
Father, teach me to be still. Help me let go of my fear, my worry, my need to control things, and my own understanding. Quiet the noise around me and within me so that I can hear You, recognize Your voice, and know You more deeply. Give me a heart that loves You, a mind that seeks Your Word, and a spirit that is willing to receive Your correction and follow where You lead.
When I do not understand what You are doing, help me trust You. When I am afraid, remind me that You are still God. When I stumble, lift me up. When You correct me, help me listen. When I have to wait, help me rest in You. Keep me faithful, watchful, and ready for the return of my King.
I give You my cares, my plans, my hopes, and my future. I surrender them to You, knowing that You see what I cannot see and know what I cannot know. Teach me to stop striving and simply know that You are God.
I love You, Holy Father. I worship You. I trust You. I thank You. I give You all the glory, now and forever. In the precious name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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Don’t take my word for it. Like the Bereans in Acts 17:11, search the Scriptures daily to see whether these things are so. Open your Bible, study God’s Word for yourself, and ask the Holy Spirit to guide you into all truth. Don’t simply accept my conclusions. If what I’ve written agrees with Scripture, hold fast to it. If it doesn’t, let God’s Word be your final authority.
If you liked this message, please leave a positive comment. I would love to hear from you!
© AMKCH 2026
image done by chatgpt at my direction.
If any of these people looks like you or someone you know, that is purely coincidental. They are not.
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