Knowing Makes the Difference

“Be still and know that I am God…” 

• When things happen in ways that you don’t understand. 

• When sickness just doesn’t seem to let up.

• When long held hopes and expectations aren’t met. 

• When unknowns loom up like giants…

“Be still and know that I am God.” 

Those words were God’s comfort to me in a moment where I was feeling very low. They’ve upheld me as multiple situations in life have, from my perspective, “gotten worse”. 

I have found it interesting that as I’ve come to God in the downs of life lately, with all of my questions and emotions, He doesn’t often give me what I want. I have dumped load after load of questions on Him recently… and He doesn’t answer them. 

He gives me what I need. “Be still and know that I am God…” 

It turns out that I don’t actually need to know why some things haven’t panned out the way I’d like them to. I don’t actually need to know why health issues continue to plague our family, even though that would be nice. For that matter, God doesn’t owe me or anyone I love good health. He doesn’t owe me His five year, or five month plan for my life… and I don’t actually need it. 

What I need is to pause, and breathe, and refocus my mind on the One who knows what’s coming next and will give me the strength to face it when I need it. What I need is to meditate on and be in awe of who God really is. When I dwell on all that He is, mighty, holy, just, loving, a Father, faithful, unchanging, all powerful, sympathetic, all knowing… the list could go on… when I dwell on all of that, the issues and pain are still there, and yet there is also a peace that passes all understanding. 

Because God will never abandon me. “He will hold me fast, He will hold me fast. For my Savior loves me so… He will hold me fast.” The hurts and confusion may remain, but I am confident that I am not alone in it. That makes the difference.

“Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah”