Sabbath Rest in a Restless Worldናሙና

Be Still and Know

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. (v. 10)

There is so much in this world to make us afraid. Natural disasters and changing weather patterns. Escalating violence in neighborhoods and cities. Wars and rumors of wars. How does one practice the Sabbath amidst so many threats?

Psalm 46 commands us to rest our hearts in God’s sovereignty, even when the world totters and spins. The psalmist identifies two primary dangers the Israelites faced. First, the threats of nature (earthquakes, volcanoes, and floods). Second, is the threat of hostile nations. Rather than cower in fear, the psalmist calls the Israelites to rise above their fear and live with confident trust in God as their sovereign King. “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear” (vv. 1-2). The earth may tremble and shake, but God is unmovable. Hostile nations may threaten, but to quote the beloved hymn, “A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing.”

Because God is exalted above all the nations, even in tumultuous times we can “behold the works of the LORD” and “be still, and know that” he is the Sovereign King (vv. 8, 10). Resting in God’s sovereignty one day a week, on the Sabbath, trains us to practice God’s sovereignty the other six days—amidst all the dangers and toils we face. We become aware of God’s presence with us always and find our true security and safety in him.

As you pray, give God thanks for his mighty works and then simply be still in his presence.