I often quote this to myself, and as is often is the case, out of context.
“Be still and know that I am God!” (Psalm 46:10)
This is a partial quote from the verse. I will explain why it has been on my mind lately.
Praying for needs and concerns
On a personal level, I have a lot of dental problems and it is not covered by my health insurance. So what to do. I have been looking for opportunities to earn some money to pay for the dental work.
I know I don’t have to worry because Father will provide for my needs. So I don’t worry in that sense.
Knowing what lies ahead in the economy does not make it any easier, that’s for sure. I was concerned about Kiwanis and tried to warn management about it. They were not interested, of course. I asked Father about it and he said not concern myself, he let me find the research about how people learn, and it is so difficult to change.
He let me understand that I must use my skills to teach people about the true gospel. But be still and wait for him, he will send the opportunities that he has equipped me to deal with. That’s one meaning of being still.
There seems to be plenty huge opportunities that I want to push, but I know now to wait. The issues Father and Joshua are endlessly more complex.
Knowing that Father, the supreme being in the universe, is in control of everything makes it tempting to sit back and enjoy the ride. But at the same time they are training me for a position on their team, imagine me, part of the cabinet as it were, what an honor and responsibility!
Father had taught Joshua well, to understand the big picture and to do things as they had planned. That’s why he knew to tell his team that Father knew and had decided not to make it known then when the kingdom would be set up Acts 1:7. So when Joshua was talking to the Team after Father had brought him back to life, they were all excited because now that Satan had given a black eye so to speak, Joshua and they would now start kicking the Romans out!?
Joshua was Father’s right hand man. They are a team and constantly strategize together. I often wondered if he had anything to do with Father’s decision to select me, I am certainly not an example team member.
When I ask Father what must I do in a certain situation and he usually makes it clear. But he wants me to learn to think like he does. He allows me to try my best, even to make mistakes. He enjoys it when I discuss my concerns with him, describe my fears frustrations with him. He certainly does not want me to “be still”.
But he sometimes gives no guidance at all and I know it is time to put the training wheels on…
I try and think big picture and work out a solution for a problem. Sometimes I think this is surely the right thing to do and I push ahead, only to get my fingers burned – yes I have a lot to learn.
Meaning of Ps 46:10
So what does “Be still” actually mean? The full verse reads “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
It is a psalm by the ‘sons of Korah’. God had given the task of managing the tabernacle worship to the Levites. Special tasks were allocated to specific families, but Korah did not like this and led a rebellion and they started doing this they were not set apart for. God showed them in a spectacular way that he was serious about how things are to be done.
Moses explained that they had treated God with contempt. A soon as Moses finished saying all this, the ground under them split apart and the earth opened its mouth and swallowed them and their households, and all those associated with Korah, together with their possessions. They went down alive into the realm of the dead, with everything they owned; the earth closed over them, and they perished and were gone from the community.
And fire came out from the LORD and consumed the 250 men who were offering the incense” (Numbers 16:28–35).
The people got the message.
God had spared the sons of Korah and contined to work with them. Many generations later the descendants of that infamous Korah, now referred to as the sons of korah, had built up a good reputation. Some were valiant fighter for King David, one of the well known sons of Korah was the Prophet Samuel.
During the time of King David, they became the great leaders in choral and orchestral music in the tabernacle.
So we read in the beginning of this psalm attributed to them
“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.”
One can imagine the way God dealt with the original Korah was in the back of their minds. The go on to declare:
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her, she will not fall;
God will help her at break of day.
Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall;
he lifts his voice, the earth melts.“
May be they had been inspired by Samuel the prophet and had an understanding of what God had revealed to king David through Samuel. They point out that God makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
So they conclude in the final verse
“The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Conclusion
So when I discuss my terribly minor problems with Father, I remind myself to be still, not that I stop talking to him, but I remember that Father is dealing with much more complex issues, the solution takes generations to resolve. He desires us to be able to do that too in the Kindom.
He deals with the problems in a loving way – as he continued to work with the sons of Korah, even giving them important positions in the tabernacle that the original Korah wanted to take in rebellion.
While we wait for Joshua to come back and set up the Kingdom at the time Father indicates, we are learning how to deal with life’s issues as we will be called upon to do in the Kingdom.