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Psalm 46:10
Stillness and God's Sovereignty
Psalm 46:10
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted on the earth.”
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Why it is worth knowing
- “Be still” carries the idea of letting go of striving and resistance
- Knowing God is the antidote to anxiety
- God’s exaltation among the nations is certain, not conditional
- The context is a world in turmoil: this is not a call to spiritual laziness
Where it sits: Psalm 46:8-11
Come, see Yahweh’s works, what desolations he has made on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth. He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear. He burns the chariots in the fire. “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted on the earth.” Yahweh of Armies is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah.
Hear the passage it sits in, sung word for word, on BibleDo's Psalms page.
Background
Psalm 46 is a fortress psalm: written in a time of national upheaval when enemies threatened Jerusalem. The psalm opens with “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” The call to stillness comes not as a retreat from the world’s chaos but as a declaration that God is in control of what we cannot control. Martin Luther drew from this psalm when writing “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God.”