Be Still

by Pastor JR Cuevas

Cease striving and know that I am God.
I will be exalted above the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.
-Psalm 46:10
It was quickly turning out to be a more difficult morning than I had planned. Troubled from circumstances throughout the week, tired from the night before, and having woken up an hour later than I had planned, I found my spirit succumbing to both fatigue and frustration as I galumphed out of the house to my car for another drive up to L.A. But right as I hurriedly shut the trunk door of my car, my eyes suddenly beheld the night sky. With the stars shining brightly, underlined by a wisp of a skyline against the black sky—the most beautiful scene I had ever seen from my house—I immediately remembered Psalm 46:10: “Cease striving and know that I am God.” Frustration turned into admiration as I repented of my sin of forgetting God amidst my busy schedule.
I wouldn’t be surprised if what happened to me that morning happens as a regular occurrence in the lives of many today—not to mention many in history. There’s nothing wrong with having busy schedules; there’s nothing wrong with getting tired. As Christians, we are indeed called to labor to the point of exhaustion. We’re called to fight the good fight like a brave soldier battles in war, to run the race of faith like a marathon runner runs his race. Against the backdrop of the current obsession with comfort and convenience in circumstances, a Christian must fight for Christ-likeness in character. The problem is not busyness. The problem is that, in the midst of busyness, we often forget God. From a mentality that believes that the more we do the better we are, we can allow the burdens of ministry, work, school, relationships, and family to worry us away from God. As we do, we begin to think that we’re in charge, we’re in control, and that—if we don’t accomplish what we perceive to be important—the world would come to an end. In effect, we begin to worship ourselves instead of God.
Psalm 46:10 is simple: God tells us to cease striving in our hearts as if the affairs of the world lie on our shoulders, and to simply know that He is God. While God calls us to fight, run, agonize, and labor to the point of exhaustion, He calls us to remember that He is God. He made the heavens and the earth; we did not. He holds all things together; we do not. He controls the affairs of the nations; we do not. In other words, He is God; we are not. And as God, He reminds us that He will be exalted in the nations and in the earth. In the end, even if we do fulfill our ministries and tasks to the best of our abilities, we will not be exalted amongst people. God alone will be exalted as King before all nations; He alone will be exalted as Mighty Creator in the earth. He is passionate about His name being glorified, and will do everything He needs to do so see that it comes to fruition. Our failures and successes will not prevent Him from doing so.
What good is ministry and service if not done with a heart that marvels at the Creator? God is not simply looking for workers; He is looking for worshippers. Thus, the next time you find yourself tempted to scurry around from task to task with the mentality that your successes and failures will determine the course of history, take some time to be still and meditate on the great Creator, who became the great Savior and calls Himself your Father.
Be still, and know that He is God. And when all else is done, rejoice in knowing that He alone will be exalted.

Cease striving and know that I am God.

I will be exalted above the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth.

-Psalm 46:10

It was quickly turning out to be a more difficult morning than I had planned. Troubled from circumstances throughout the week, tired from the night before, and having woken up an hour later than I had planned, I found my spirit succumbing to both fatigue and frustration as I galumphed out of the house to my car for another drive up to L.A. But right as I hurriedly shut the trunk door of my car, my eyes suddenly beheld the night sky. With the stars shining brightly, underlined by a wisp of a skyline against the black sky—the most beautiful scene I had ever seen from my house—I immediately remembered Psalm 46:10: “Cease striving and know that I am God.” Frustration turned into admiration as I repented of my sin of forgetting God amidst my busy schedule.

I wouldn’t be surprised if what happened to me that morning happens as a regular occurrence in the lives of many today—not to mention many in history. There’s nothing wrong with having busy schedules; there’s nothing wrong with getting tired. As Christians, we are indeed called to labor to the point of exhaustion. We’re called to fight the good fight like a brave soldier battles in war, to run the race of faith like a marathon runner runs his race. Against the backdrop of the current obsession with comfort and convenience in circumstances, a Christian must fight for Christ-likeness in character. The problem is not busyness. The problem is that, in the midst of busyness, we often forget God. From a mentality that believes that the more we do the better we are, we can allow the burdens of ministry, work, school, relationships, and family to worry us away from God. As we do, we begin to think that we’re in charge, we’re in control, and that—if we don’t accomplish what we perceive to be important—the world would come to an end. In effect, we begin to worship ourselves instead of God.

Psalm 46:10 is simple: God tells us to cease striving in our hearts as if the affairs of the world lie on our shoulders, and to simply know that He is God. While God calls us to fight, run, agonize, and labor to the point of exhaustion, He calls us to remember that He is God. He made the heavens and the earth; we did not. He holds all things together; we do not. He controls the affairs of the nations; we do not. In other words, He is God; we are not. And as God, He reminds us that He will be exalted in the nations and in the earth. In the end, even if we do fulfill our ministries and tasks to the best of our abilities, we will not be exalted amongst people. God alone will be exalted as King before all nations; He alone will be exalted as Mighty Creator in the earth. He is passionate about His name being glorified, and will do everything He needs to do so see that it comes to fruition. Our failures and successes will not prevent Him from doing so.

What good is ministry and service if not done with a heart that marvels at the Creator? God is not simply looking for workers; He is looking for worshippers. Thus, the next time you find yourself tempted to scurry around from task to task with the mentality that your successes and failures will determine the course of history, take some time to be still and meditate on the great Creator, who became the great Savior and calls Himself your Father.

Be still, and know that He is God. And when all else is done, rejoice in knowing that He alone will be exalted.