In today’s Daily Office from the Book of Common Prayer, the psalmist offers these words:

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. (Psalm 46:1-3)

This is one of those promises of God’s Word to which I return frequently, especially in times of transition and conflict like the ones in which we find ourselves. And yet, while I have no difficulty grasping and affirming this affirmation at an intellectual level – there are days when it’s hard to embrace this promise at an emotive and spiritual level. Is God truly my strength and my “ever-present help”? Or does the “roaring” of my to-do list and the “quaking” of cultural turmoil leave me yearning for refuge and seeking a strength that seems just beyond reach?

Of course, this difficulty is one of my own making; and thankfully, this same psalm suggests a remedy…

He (the LORD) says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:10)

Sometimes, I need to step back from life’s fast pace and the world’s upheaval in order to reconnect with the deeper reality that undergirds it all. In moments of stillness, I’m reminded of (and invited to experience the reality of) God’s presence and care, which renews my confidence in the ultimate triumph of the gracious and sacrificial way of Christ.

May God grant you some opportunities to “be still” and “know Him” today. And may the LORD be exalted in our hearts, in our lives, and in our world.