During 2025, Peachtree Church is focusing on the Book of Psalms with a series called Dwell, through which we seek to deepen our conversation with God and open ourselves to hearing his response. The practice of praying three times each day will unite the voices of our hearts and souls as we seek the day when we will see the full realization of the Kingdom of God, promised in Revelation 21:3: “…Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God.”
We will email devotionals twice weekly with Monday’s providing an overview of the Psalm as a whole, and Wednesday’s focused on that week’s Daily Dwell.
“He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still and know that I am God!”
Psalm 46:9-10
Devotional
Psalm 46:10 is one of the most quoted verses in Scripture, but, possibly, also one of the most misunderstood. “Be still, and know that I am God” is not a gentle invitation for a quiet time with God. In its original context, God is speaking into a world of warring nations, crumbling kingdoms, and human attempts to secure control through force. The command “Be still” is closer to “Stop striving. Drop your weapons. Stand down.” So, instead of parent speaking to a child with hushed tones in a calm room, it is more like a negotiator, standing between two bitterly divided groups, asking for a de-escalation process to begin.
At its core, it is a command to surrender control.
We often think stillness means sitting quietly and retreating to a place where we can be still. But biblical stillness is the posture of a heart that stops fighting to save itself. It is laying down the illusion that everything depends on us: our effort, our strategy, and our constant vigilance. It’s a call to trust God.
The second half of verse 10 is the anchor to the command to be still: “and know that I am God.” We cannot be still until we are convinced of who God is. Anxiety thrives in the gap between our circumstances and our view of God. When God becomes small, your worries grow. When God is known and is seen as sovereign, present, and faithful, worry loses its air supply.
This is why preaching, teaching, Sunday Schools, and Belong Groups are important for the Christian life. These environments remind us of who God continues to be while we go through the uncertainty of life.
Notice what God declares next: “I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth.” God’s purposes are not fragile. His kingdom is not endangered by turmoil. God will be exalted not despite the chaos but through it—which I find to be a comforting (and kind of wild) thought. Our personal chaos is not powerful enough to derail the plans of God.
To “be still” today may mean releasing the tight grip we keep on our children’s future, our reputation, or our finances. It may mean telling ourselves, “I am not God, and that is good news.” It may mean pausing long enough to remember that the one who governs the nations also watches over us with a steadfast love that cannot be shaken.
Stillness is not passivity, but a unique expression of confidence. It is the steady, quiet courage that flows from knowing we are held by the God who will be exalted in all the earth.
Let Psalm 46:10 invite you today into surrender, trust, and deep peace. The peace that comes when you remember who God is and let go of the need to be in charge.
For Reflection
- When was the last time you were strangely confident during a time, you’d expect you’d be anxious? What prepared you for that moment?
- What author, speaker, or resources have been the most helpful for you to continue to understand who God is and how God is active in the world?
- What is one thing in your life that you need God to help you with? What’s one thing you can do today to allow God to control that area or issue so you don’t have to carry it all on your own?
Prayer
Father, Son, and Spirit, we believe that we are in the shadow of your care and concern. We believe that nothing is too difficult for you. We believe that you are conforming our lives to your will. Help us to trust you even more, especially during anxious and troubling seasons. We ask in Jesus’ name, Amen.
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