Articles
Exalting God
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (Psalms 46:10, NKJV)
The Psalmist was having a really bad day! Everything around him was out of control. His problems were so severe that it seemed the mountains were being thrown into the sea and an earthquake was shaking the earth! His political world was turned upside down, too: the nations raged, and he felt threatened on every side (see Psalm 46:1-3,6). We don’t know how much of this was actual and how much was metaphorical, but either way, he was in big trouble.
In the midst of all the turmoil, God spoke to him and said calmly, “Be still, and know that I am God.” The Lord didn’t run around trying to fix everything, and He didn’t direct the Psalmist to work like crazy to make everything right. Work might come later, but for now, he needed God’s perspective. The only way to get it was to stop, look, listen, and remember the greatness of Almighty God. When the time was right, God’s presence would be evident in nature and on the political scene. He would reign where chaos had existed.
“Be still, and know that I am God…” Is that hard for you? It is for me. I don’t want to be still. I want to fix the problem as soon as possible! But we cannot do that, and have God be exalted. Our world today produces tremendous stress. Expectations are sky-high. Some of our stresses come from outside, but we create many others. More, more, more! Whatever the source, God stands in the midst of our chaotic lives. When everything seems to be coming unhinged, He whispers, “Stop. Be still. Listen to Me and know that I can do all things.” Will we listen?
Have you ever had that bad day? That day where everything seems out of control? Did it seem like the demands of life were crushing you? Did it seem like life was coming unhinged? In every direction, there was another problem. Another bill. Another deadline. Did we stop? Were we still? Did we focus on God in the time of chaos? It is deliberate. It will not just happen. Be still and wait on God is a matter of trusting Him. It is more than a cliché. We literally put all of our trust along with our problems and chaotic lives in His hand. Only then will He be exalted! If we could solve things, it would be to our glory.
The problems of life fade when we stop and listen to God. Life that exalts God is considerably more peaceful. Problems will still exist, but when we give all our care to God, He offers the peace that passes understanding.
Rickie Jenkins
