The prayer book I use has been in Psalm 46 this past week--a psalm that's pretty familiar to me. (I've learned verses 1-2 for Memory Monday this week, but more on that on Monday!)
By Saturday morning, I've read the psalm for the week seven times, and it's easy to sort of skim it and not think too much about what I'm reading.
Something that has stood out to me from verse 10 ("Be still and know that I am God") are the verbs. BE STILL. KNOW. And though I have some notes in my Bible about them, but thought I'd look up the Hebrew this morning.
BE STILL and KNOW that I am God.
Be still (Hebrew: raphah)
- to sink, relax, sink down, let drop (especially the hands)
- to abate, withdraw
- to let go, let alone, refrain
- my NIV Study Bible note says the phrase probably means "Enough!"
Know (Hebrew: yada)
- to know
- to learn to know, perceive and see, find out and discern
- to know by experience
- to recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess
- to know, be acquainted with, to know face to face, to know by name
Here's what stood out to me. Sometimes being still looks like sinking. It looks like the opposite of what the world says: "Work harder, keep striving, keep treading water, don't go down without a fight!"
In the face of difficulty (which is what the context of the psalm describes--a city besieged in battle), sometimes we have to just let go. To stop trying to solve it or fix it or manage it on our own.
Reminds me of that line in a David Crowder song, "Letting go gives a better grip."
The verse doesn't say "Know that I am God and be still." It's after we let go, relax, begin to sink down that we come to know God face to face, to know him by name. When we let go, when we refrain, then we get to know God by our own experience rather than just knowing him by what he's done for others.
In letting go, we find out and discern that God is who he says he is and can do what he says he can do.
So is it so hard to let go? Why do we keep hanging on, keep trying to manage whatever it is, keep treading water, and juggling all the things we're trying so desperately not to drop?
I think fear is huge--which is why the psalmist begins as he does. (Oops, here comes my Memory Monday verse after all!)
God is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
Therefore, I will not fear, though ___________________________.
You fill in the blank.
What are you worrying? What can't you seem to let go? Maybe it's time to let go, even if it means sinking some. Letting go and giving up aren't the same thing. As you let go, God will hold you up.
The tricky thing is, we can't know by experience until we actually do it.
***
If you're not sure what to do during your quiet time, this is a great exercise. Pick a verse you know well--or don't know at all--and spend some time exploring the definitions of the words from the Hebrew (Old Testament) or Greek (New Testament). You don't have to speak Hebrew or Greek to do this! It may sound tricky, but it's not.
Verbs are a great place to start.
My favorite resource for this process is Blue Letter Bible, a super easy to use website that is a cinch to figure out. Go take a peek and play around with it some. You'll be able to look up word definitions, explore word roots, and see every other place a word is used in Scripture. Not to mention find maps, lexicons, illustrations, commentaries, even hymns that relate to a particular verse.
Ummm, did you write this post for me? lol
Seriously, I am battling "the hold on" every minute of everyday.
Long story, but I struggle knowing what to do about a situation whenever I don't feel God bursting through the clouds to rescue me.
When a decision needs to be made soon and I am clueless of what God wants, that is what is hard.
Thank you for sharing your scripture, I am going to study it this week for myself.
I hope you are getting settled in. I am excited to read how God works through your family this year for His kingdom.
Jeni
Posted by: Jeni | July 11, 2009 at 01:24 PM
I have followed you blog for quite a while now but never commented. Thank you so much for all of your postings... they are all so helpful in so many ways. THANKS!
Posted by: DesertCajun | July 11, 2009 at 02:56 PM
The researcher in me *loves* finding something like this site. The person who has been a Christian since she was 4 years old & has grown up in the church needs it. Thank you. ;)
Posted by: ginger | July 11, 2009 at 03:35 PM
We are home from church is am...fevers and stomach flu. Thanks for your post...
On another note...love the new picture...you are beautiful. Is this a picture from your sister's photo shoot?
Posted by: Kimberly S. | July 12, 2009 at 07:43 AM
Wow. I LOVE this post and will be sending my readers here. Thank you!
Posted by: Shane | July 12, 2009 at 04:27 PM
Love this...thank you, it was very comforting.
Posted by: Kathy Butryn | July 13, 2009 at 08:34 AM
Wonderful post, especially the elaboration of the meanings of the two Hebrew words. I've been teaching my daughter how to wait on the Lord, and we always meditate on that very verse while doing so.
Posted by: Peter Stone | July 14, 2009 at 01:22 AM
Came over from Shane's blog, and am so glad I did.
Think I need to spend some time sinking. Thanks!
Posted by: Karen@SurvivingMotherhood | July 14, 2009 at 01:32 PM
This is quite powerful! The part that spoke to me loudly was "letting go and giving up aren't the same thing...God will hold you up". Thank you for this post and thanks to Shane for linking it up.
Posted by: Nicole | July 17, 2009 at 10:33 AM