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  • Writer's pictureKaren O'Reilly

Devotional Bible Study: What It Means To Be Still And Know God | Psalm 46:10.

Welcome to Day 12. for one of our short powerful devotions from the 31 Bible Verses About Practicing The Presence Of God. This short devotional is based on Psalm 46:10.


Read Psalm 46:10.

"Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!"


Psalm 46:10 begins the portion of scriptures about resting in God from our Practicing The Presence Of God bible reading plan. In our short bible study, I will unpack for you the scripture treasure to be found in this verse. When you understand the meaning behind Psalm 46:10, it will make it all the more meaningful in your life and it will encourage you to totally trust God, to let go of all those burdens that weigh you down, and fill you with a strong desire to practice God's presence!


Psalm 46 consists of 11 verses and it was a song for Zion, God’s holy city where his people dwell with him—the city is holy because God dwells in it. This psalm is all about the security we have in God. It is mostly written in third-person, but in verse 10 it changes and God speaks directly.


Throughout the 11 verses, we learn all about the characteristics of God and His attributes. God is our refuge, He is strong, present, and a great help to those who are weak. God is higher than all else and able to rule above all. At his voice, the earth melts. Read the whole Psalm HERE.


This Psalm was written during a time when foreign armies had surrounded the holy city of Jerusalem. They had threatened the future of the people of God. But God dramatically intervened and His people were victorious.

After this triumph, God calls upon them to know—now more than ever—that He will be exalted over all the nations of the earth. Hold that thought as we discuss what other translations of the Bible say about Psalm 46:10.


"Stop striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.” NSAB.

“Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” CSB


Be Still And Know That I Am God in Hebrew

The command to be still comes from the Hebrew word, 'rapha' which means to be weak, to let go, to release which might be better translated as cause yourselves 'to let go' or 'let yourselves become weak'. It is a command from God to surrender all that concerns us in order to know that God is in control.


Join me below for a short devotional about doing what God commands us, to "cease striving and know that I am God". And join me for prayer at the end of this post.


Short Devotional: Be Still And Know That He Is God

What is going on in your life right now?


Are you content or do you have heavy burdens weighing you down?


I seem to have seasons of stress and seasons of calm in my life at various times but I have found God is my anchor through them. I love Psalm 46:10 and I love it all the more now that I understand that God was speaking to the Israelites just after they had won a mighty battle against an enemy that had them surrounded.


Did you notice in our short bible study, that God had commanded them to "cease striving", to stop "fighting" in their own strength, and to trust Him with their battles?


How To Be Still

How can you be still and rest in God when battles rage around you and you feel out of control?


You may have done all that you can to fix a troubling situation and still, it rages. You may have prayed, fasted, and tried to do all the things you know to do to change a situation, and yet you are still waiting for a good outcome. What can you do now?


Rest In God

You can only rest in God and that will strengthen your faith muscle. Seek God's presence and rest in the knowledge that He is God Almighty, the Sovereign God.


Cease Striving

Let go and relax. Trust that God is working behind the scenes and be expectant of change.


Worship God

Spend time worshipping God. Make sure to join a church on Sunday and enjoy corporate worship. It will encourage your heart and soul to worship God with other believers. Worship doesn't end in the church. Sing your heart out at home. I love when I have the house to myself, I sing very loudly to some favorite worship songs that I find on Youtube (and I may even dance!) You will be surprised how your burdens leave you when you fix your eyes on Jesus and worship Him. You will be reminded of your Sovereign King that has all authority over the earth and is working on your behalf!


Pray

Continue praising and worshipping God in prayer. Pray without ceasing and with great expectation that God hears your prayers and is working on your behalf. Did you know that God holds our prayers in high regard and that our prayers are stored in golden bowls in Heaven?


Remember

Remind yourself of what God says in the Bible about trials and tribulations and how He is faithful and intervenes on behalf of His people.

Also, recall times from the past when God has already intervened on your behalf. That is one awesome reason to keep a prayer journal (see the one below that I have designed to go along with our study on Practicing The Presence of God). You can record prayers that are weighing on your heart and when they are answered, come back to your </