As a child I can still remember being told, “Be Still!” It may have been at church, or school, or sitting with my siblings in the back seat of our family’s car on a road trip. Even at that young age, I knew I was being told to “Be Still” because I was breaking someone’s concentration, or irritating them with an annoying noise or action that I was performing in an endless loop. I was told to “Be Still” because I was making a nuisance of myself.
In Mark 4:36-39, Jesus was in a boat with His disciples on the Sea of Galilee when a storm blew up. He had fallen asleep and they chose to let their tired Master sleep while they manned the oars against the strong wind and waves. As their situation worsened, they began to panic until one finally cried out, “Master, carest thou not that we perish?” Jesus stood up in the boat and said, “Peace, Be Still!” and the storm immediately became a “great calm.” He commanded the storm to “Be Still,” because it was making a nuisance of itself, but now, a holy hush fell across the surface of the water, and His Omnipotence (infinite power) was on display in the stillness of the hour.
In Psalm 46, we are invited to, “Come, behold the works of the LORD, what desolations he hath made in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto the end of the earth; he breaketh the bow, and cutteth the spear in sunder; he burneth the chariot in the fire.” And so that we will not make a nuisance of ourselves while He displays Omnipotence, or miss the life changing point that He intends—He instructs us, “Be Still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. (Psalm 46:8–10)”
We live in uncertain, perilous times. Everyone has his own ideas about: What brought all of this upon us? Who is to blame? What chain of events might correct our course and restore a sense of order? Certainly each of us can do his part in choosing right over wrong, helping our neighbors, raising our children with morals, a work ethic and respect for others, but our feeble efforts will not likely be enough. In the end God must once again put Omnipotence on display. “Be Still” and know that HE is God!