"Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."
I can't count how many times people have told me that I need to value rest and then have included the verse above in their explanation.
Sometimes when my schedule has been jam packed people have told me,"Shelby, you need to practice psalm 46:10…because you just don't know how to be still."
Or other times people tell me to I need to take a day off and sleep in, just to rest.
I'll be honest, rest is something I've always struggled with. I'm not naturally good at it, and somehow jamming my schedule full is much easier than "resting."
I don't pretend to have all the answers, but I've learned that at least one of the reasons that I have struggled with this concept of rest is because I had a very distorted view of what it really is.
God's view of rest is very different from the way the world sees it and in order to truly get the rest Abba speaks about in Psalm 46 its important for me to understand what it isn't, and what it is.
For starters, rest does not equal laziness. God is not giving us this verse to quote in order to justify ourselves when were laying on the couch eating chips and ice cream for a week. Abba doesn't give his people the excuse of laziness, and in fact there are numerous verses that support the fact that God never calls us to be lazy people. From Genesis to Revelation, God is calling his people to "rise!" Whether its to rise up from our sleep, rise up from our sin, rise up from that which makes us crippled, rise up from the dead, or rise up and pray.
" …why are you sleeping? Rise and pray that you may not enter into temptation."
-Luke 22:46
Secondly, being still does not mean waiting for someone else to make things happen. Sure, many times we must wait on the move of God but there is always something we can be doing during that time of waiting; praying, praising, worshipping. It might not always be on the front line of battle but God always calls his people to be apart of what He is doing. Some he calls to go, some he calls to pray, some he calls to support, some he calls to lift his name up, but there's no question he has called us all. There is always action, so its clear that being still doesn't mean doing nothing and waiting on someone else to do it for you.
"Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, and after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it-he will be blessed in what he does." -James 1:23-25
So since rest isn't laziness, or waiting around for something to happen, then what is it?
In order to answer that question I think its important to look at the context of psalm 46:10." Let's see the bigger picture of what Abba was inspiring his people to write:
"God is our refuge and strength, an ever present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the most high dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at the break of day.
Nations will uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Come and see the works of The Lord, the desolation he has brought on the earth. He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the now and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.
Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.
The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. "
-Psalm 46
The essence of this Psalm isn't merely to be still for the sake of being still, its Abba screaming, "Look at what I'm doing! Look at what I'm capable of! I am here! I am moving! There is no problem that is too big for me! Give it to me and trust that I can handle ALL things!"
When I look at this Psalm as a whole the sweet thing that is spoken to my soul is this, "Rest isn't about my location. Rest isn't about my schedule. Rest is about keeping my eyes on him."
With that definition of rest in my mind I can find rest in the middle of any circumstance or any place. Rest isn't focused on anything other than where my eyes are, and for the record my eyes cant be focused on Him and something else. It's either all of him, or none of him. If my eyes are on Him I can find rest in the most desolate situations, because I know he is there and it's not too big for Him.
"Yes, my soul, find rest in God; my hope comes from him." -Psalm 62:5
So now that I know what rest my soul longs for I can start to practice it. There's no better time than now to be still and rest in his goodness, her mercy, his love, and his almighty power. He's the Great I am and it's with His rest that I am ready to face today and whatever is in store for tomorrow.
"Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning…" -Luke 12:35
His rest never runs out. His rest makes me ready. His rest is enough.
Wherever you're at right now, are you resting in Him? If not, join me as I challenge myself to keep my eyes on him!
