Be Still and Know That I Am God

Much of what Jesus said about the End Times echoes the Old Testament and New Testament prophecies of what must take place. All are revelations about God. So let us go back to one such prophesy of the End Times which is a Psalm. 

The Psalms were written centuries before Jesus walked the earth as a man. They are humanity’s expression to God, filled with raw emotion. Yet sometimes within a Psalm there is a recorded word that God spoke. This is one such Psalm as God sates, ‘Be still and know I am God.’ As you listen be blessed, empowered and transformed in Jesus name.

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Also connect with us in discipleship, watch our videos, follow us on facebook or send us an email

Transcript

00:00 Intro music and voice over.

Welcome to jesus loves the world podcast. For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name! 

00:21 Speaker

The word for this season is Be Still and Know that I Am God. The past two weeks we have journeyed through some of the prophecies that Jesus spoke of when He walked the earth as a man. In amongst the darkness that was yet to take place, Jesus assures us to take heed that He is the Christ, the Son of God. To all who have received Him, He states ‘See that you are not troubled for all these things must come to pass.’ 

So no matter the storms of this life and the impending end times, Jesus speaks calming words of peace, hope and assurance. For the exposing of evil and the judgement and elimination of it  must take place for the fullness of our salvation to be received. 

Much of what Jesus said about the End Times echoes the Old Testament and New Testament prophecies of what must take place. All are revelations about God. 

So let us go back to one such prophesy of the End Times which is a Psalm. 

The Psalms were written centuries before Jesus walked the earth as a man. They are humanity’s expression to God, filled with raw emotion. Yet sometimes within a Psalm there is a recorded word that God spoke. This is one such Psalm as God sates, ‘Be still and know that I am God.’

As a Psalm has a rhythm and pattern, we need to read the whole Psalm to understand the depth of what God is revealing. Just like at the time of the writer, we live in this world damaged by evil. However, unlike the writer, we live in the timespan that is leading up to the climax of the End Times. 

The words, ‘Be still and know that I am God…’ are within Psalm 46.

This Psalm we are about to read is broken up into three movements. Each movement is separated by the word Selah, which means pause. So let us read the first movement. 

Psalm 46:1-3 God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its waters roar and be troubled, Though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah

The first aspect about God from the writer’s perspective is that God is our refuge. This word that has been translated as refuge means hope, refuge or shelter and trust. So God is our hope. That is He gives us a confidence in whom He is. God is our refuge or shelter, which is a safe place. That is a shelter within the emotional, mental and circumstantial storms of this life and the troubled times that we live in. As God is our refuge, our hope is in Him. Even within the storms of this life we can trust in Him, because of who He is. He is trustworthy. 

The second aspect we learn about God is that He is our strength. This word that has been translated as strength means majesty, praise, security, boldness and might. It is not just a strength or power. As the writer has linked it with the word refuge, the writer is revealing that God has the ability to fulfil all this. He has the power to be our strength, to be our safety, to be our security and therefore in Him we can trust. In the trust and security we have in God, we have the boldness and confidence that He is who He says He is and we are who He says we are. 

The third aspect that the writer reveals about God is that He is a very present help in trouble. God is not distant God, He never comes late. He is never emotionally disengaged with us, or looking at someone else. In every single moment of our life God is our refuge and our strength. God wants us to be aware of this truth about Him. Being aware of God enables us to be still. It doesn’t mean felling physical sensations that God is there. The truth is He is there. It is this truth that goes deep into our subconscious, into our very being that enables us to be still. 

We will go deeper into what it is to be still further on, but for now let us continue with the Psalmist’s revelation of God. He states in verse 2 that because of who God is, that is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble, therefore we will not fear. 

So out of the revelation of who God is, the outworking of that is that we will not fear. As Jesus says in the end times, see that you are not troubled.  

Even though the earth be removed and the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea, we are not to be troubled, for all this must come to pass. As the water roars and is troubled, it vomits out the rubbish onto the shore, revealing the rubbish that was in the ocean. As it is in the natural so it is in the spiritual as this is like the end times. God must expose the evil and it’s root. So God is saying during all, as evil is revealed, Be still and know I am God.

The storms, the tidal waves, the earthquakes, and all the disturbances in the cosmos are a result of the earth being out of balance. All of creation is stressed. It is relentlessly trying to bring equilibrium back to itself. Longing for it’s renewal, which will happen when Jesus returns. 

Let us continue. 

Psalm 46:4-7 There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

The writer is from one of the 12 tribes of Jacob, the Ancient Israelites. Here he is communicating with God on behalf of the Ancient Israelites and would have formed part of their worship. The writer testifies of the truth that there is a tabernacle, a holy place where God dwells. 

The tabernacle being a habitation or hut for dwelling in. 

In times past, during the Ancient Israelites wilderness journeys, there was a tabernacle of meeting. It was Moses’ own tent which God became the tabernacle of, that is the dwelling place for God to meet with Moses and the 12 tribes of Jacob. When God’s presence came down, in the form of a visible cloud, to the door of the tabernacle of meeting, the people of each tribe, in an act of reverence and honour, would stand at the entrance of their own tent and worship God. The tabernacle, is a holy place, as that is where God dwells. 

The Holy place where God dwells is revealed in the New Testament and becomes a reality after Jesus returns. But we are also living in an element of that reality now, as God has made His tabernacle for His presence, in our physical bodies. To all those who have received Him, the river of the living waters of God, His streams make us the place where He dwells. His presence dwells within us. So the city of God is made glad when God dwells together with His people.  

The city of God in the Psalm is the New Jerusalem which is the end times fulfilment of heaven and earth becoming one in Christ Jesus. So whilst the mountains be carried into the sea; the waters roar and be troubled, the mountains shake and all this destruction on the earth is going through, there is a river that comes down from heaven and flows into us and we are the tabernacle of the Most High. He makes us glad and enables us to be still in the midst of these life storms.  

The river whose streams that make glad the city of God, are God’s living waters. In the visions of heaven throughout the Bible, from the throne of God is a river. A river of living waters that  flows down from heaven, to earth, to us. That is His precious Holy Spirit.

The new Jerusalem, the holy city is all those who have received God throughout the ages. In chapter 21 of the book of the Revelation of Jesus, the Apostle John writes down a vision given to him by God, about the final climax. Just as the Psalmist of the Old Testament prophecies, John of the New Testament prophecies and reveals. 

Let us read Revelation 21:1-5 Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.”

God tabernacles with His people. All those who have received God and His right to rule and reign are God’s tabernacle and His tent of meeting. As He dwells within our physical bodies, as we live in this world damaged by evil. As the Psalmist states, even though the nations rage, the empires of humanity are moved and the earth melts, God is in the midst. As God is with us, we shall not be moved.

The Psalmist also states God will fulfil all this just at the break of dawn. That moment just before dawn is the darkest part of the night. The end times are going to be the darkest of times in human history. But Jesus says see that you are not troubled. Because we do not come under judgement because we have received Him. The judgement is going to affect the entire cosmos. Both the natural and spirit realm. So as these times get darker, the brighter His light will shine. 

Let us continue. 

Psalm 46:8-11 Come, behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. 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 refuge. Selah

As the works of the LORD make desolations of empires of evil and humanity. He makes wars cease and breaks the bow and spear. All the weapons of war are disarmed and have no power. That is the physical wars and the spiritual wars.

Therefore in amongst all of this darkness and evil, God is dwelling with us and He states, ‘Be still, and know that I am God.’

Still means to cease, to sink into a relaxed state, to be quiet, to refrain, to let go or surrender. It also means to forsake or abandon, that is don't feed something. So when the worry comes, when the evil is exposed, when the prideful or negative thoughts come, we don’t feed them. We surrender them, we let go of them, we abandon them, we give them to God and we stand in intimacy in Him. 

To know means to personally acknowledge Him and stand in God’s victory. When Jesus walked the earth as a man He encountered a physical storm. As recorded in the gospel according to Mark, Jesus states, ‘Peace, be still.’ The gospels are written to reveal Jesus’ identity as the Son of God, who became the Son of Man. So we can stand in the fact that Jesus is who he says He is.

Mark 4:37-39 And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. 

So as we live in this world damaged by evil, as the storms of this life rage, as the end times are approaching, we listen to the words of God. ‘Peace, be still! Be still and know that I am God.’

19:40 Outro music and voice over. 

For more information and free resources visit our website jesuslovestheworld.info Be blessed empowered and transformed in Jesus’ name!