Psalm 46:10:
“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” (NKJV)
“Stop striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.” (NASB)
“Stop your fighting – and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” (HCSB)
The command to BE STILL is from the term raphah, which means in the original language, “to release” or “let go.” God commands the forces of chaos, in reference to the previous verses 2-3, and the nations, in reference to verse 6, to stop their raging and recognize Him and Him alone as God, the ultimate Ruler and Sovereign over all the earth.
As you can see in the New American Standard Bible, and the Holman Christian Standard Bible, they render the term raphah into it’s more contextual sense. STILL yourself or REST yourself from striving or still, rest yourself from fighting, which gives more sense to the context when you consider the references that the Lord is making in relation to natural upheavals as well as national upheavals.
The command that He is telling ALL mankind is to KNOW, to acknowledge that He is God, ultimately the sovereign and reigning Lord over all!
We often times quote this Scripture from the older versions and especially the King James and we don’t always get the more powerful connotation of what God is telling us to consider. He doesn’t want His creation to just sit back complacently or apathetically in the superficial knowledge that, yes, He is the Creator of all, but rather, He wants us to deeply AND intimately have the depth of knowledge that He and He alone is in control of ALL circumstances no matter how trivial or how great they are!
Psalm 46 is a powerful statement as to God’s ability to take care of those who seek refuge in Him and at the same time should put fear into those who choose to reject His Lordship in the earth, both natural and humankind!
When we find ourselves going through personal turmoil, it should be a GREAT comfort and assurance to truly KNOW that God is still and always has been on His Throne! He cares and loves those who truly recognize Him as God over all. This is what the Bible refers to as “the fear (or awe) of the Lord!”
No matter where you find yourself in this world, and no matter the circumstances you find yourself in, always remember Psalm 46 and take comfort in the fact that the God that David describes as absolute and Sovereign, is also YOUR Heavenly Father!
So, in closing, remember, there is no reason to strive against all you see around you and there is absolutely no reason to fight the ways of the world, for your Heavenly Father IS God and He wants you to be still and rest in the KNOWLEDGE that He is God and the nations and the earth itself will bow down before Him! Amen and AMEN!
FOR THE LOVE OF GOD 