Bridget A. Thomas
Every day is a gift!
Be Still
Recently I kept coming across the Bible verse Psalm 46:10 which says, “Be still and know that I am God.” I realize this is a popular verse, so it might not seem out of the ordinary to stumble across it. However, in this case, I had the feeling God was trying to give me a nudge.
There are two other Bible passages with the words “Be Still” that come to mind.
The first is from the time when the Israelites were fleeing Egypt, and Pharaoh’s army was chasing them down. The Israelites panicked and didn’t have much faith.
“Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.’” – Exodus 14:13-14 NIV
These words proceed the famous story where God parted the Red Sea. The Israelites were able to walk through the Red Sea on dry ground. Then when Pharaoh’s army reached the Red Sea, not a single man survived.
Another story with the words “be still” can be found in Mark 4. Jesus and His disciples were in a boat one evening when a terrible storm hit, causing fear in the disciples.
“But [Jesus] was in the stern, asleep on the cushion. And they woke him and said to him, ‘Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?’ And he awoke and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, ‘Peace! Be still!’ And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. He said to them, ‘Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?’” (v 38-40 ESV)
These three Bible passages remind me that God is Almighty. He has all the power that we lack. When we are facing a storm, we can turn to Him because He can handle anything and everything.
Worry is something many of us struggle with. Whether we are facing good times or not-so-good times, it’s easy to worry. It’s easy to think “What if?” If we continually allow our thoughts to go down these paths, it can get out of hand.
As Dwight L. Moody put it, “Faith takes God without any ifs.”
When facing a difficult situation, we need to remind ourselves that the battle belongs to God. He fights for us. He parts the sea. He calms the storm. Truly it goes back to trust. We have to trust Him with each obstacle, each day, and each moment.
This is incredibly hard sometimes! This might be something we have to continually work on. But when we have seen the Lord come through in the past, it helps us to trust Him a little more in the future.
And He understands our doubts. We can be honest with Him. We can tell Him when we are struggling with trust.
Reading the Psalms can be a benefit in this area. (And I have all of Psalm 46 below for extra encouragement!) The Psalms remind us of who God is. They remind us that God is Powerful and Greater than anything we face. They remind us that He created this world and therefore, He is above all. The same God who created the universe can easily crush the mountains we face.
I pray that we each learn to hand our worries over to our magnificent Lord and Savior. I pray we each learn to trust Him with our challenges. He is always there. He doesn’t miss a single detail. And He is continually working on our behalf.
We can be still in His presence, knowing that He is fighting our battles. We can be still in His peace, as He makes a way where there is no way.
Thank you for reading. You are in my prayers. And if you have any specific prayer requests, please let me know. And thank you for saying a prayer for my family. God bless you!
1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.
2 Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
3 though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.
4 There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.
5 God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.
6 Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.
7 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
8 Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth.
9 He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.
10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”
11 The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Psalm 46 NIV
© 2018-2024 Bridget A. Thomas. All rights reserved.
Bridget A. Thomas 
Psalm 46:10 is one of my favorites. ❤️
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Mine too! It is a beautiful verse. An author that I like, Becky Harling, has written about when she had cancer she memorized Psalm 46. Every day she would go over those words and it helped her to renew her perspective. Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Pauline. I hope you have a peaceful weekend. 🙏♥️
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Looking at each situation where “be still” is located, we can see that in every circumstance, we are covered and there’s no reason to worry. We know what the Father will say when we go to Him. 🙌🏻🙏🏻❤️
Thanks for this encouragement!
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So true! Sometimes I feel like life is a tug of war. Our struggles pull us one way. But God is on the other side, reminding us to trust Him. He’s got us in the palm of His hand. Thank you, Summer, for stopping by and commenting. I hope you have a blessed weekend. ♥️
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You too, Bridget! 🤗
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Thank you 🤗
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It’s so hard to stand still and wait for God. But it’s even more necessary to do so. Great post Bridget!
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I agree. It really is hard to stand still and wait. Our minds continue to wrestle with questions that don’t have answers. But you are right – waiting on God is often necessary. And it’s the best path because He sees all and knows all.
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Thank you for sharing this valuable devotional Bridget. A similar situation arises regarding being still can be found here:
“You need not fight in this battle; station yourselves, stand and see the salvation of the LORD on your behalf, O Judah and Jerusalem.’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out to face them, for the LORD is with you.”
— 2 Chronicles 20:17
God bless you today sister 🙏
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Jehoshaphat’s story is one of my favorite! Thank you, Alan! God bless you and your wife! 🙏
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I love how God does not only say do not fear. He gives us the reason. He is with us.
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Such a great point. He is not like a parent who might give a reason of “because I said so.” He provides all that we need in every moment.
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Wonderful post! Thank you for putting these “Be Still” passages together for us…Very inspiring post on trusting God with all things. There is no peace without God. Praying for you and your family! I hope you have a very good weekend! 🙂
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“There is no peace without God.” Such a good point. When we cling to Him, we can find peace, even in the midst of the storms. Trusting Him isn’t always easy, especially when we question the things that are happening. It’s funny because I wrote this post several days ago. But I didn’t know how much I would need this today. Which shows how God goes before us and paves the way, even if things don’t look like we would expect. Thank you, Linda! Your prayers are very much appreciated. And I hope you have a wonderful weekend. 🤗
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Good reminders that it isn’t simply peace be still but also He has already won the war. The only battle is between my carnal nature, “the natural man,” and focusing on Jesus.
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A great point, Judy. Our human eyes cannot see the victory yet, so we tend to focus on what’s in front of us. Remembering to focus on Jesus is something we have to continually remind ourselves. Thank you for sharing your thoughts, my friend! 😊
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You’re most welcome and thanks for the inspiration.
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You’re welcome! 💕
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💕
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Hi Bridget
I really enjoyed your blog post. “Be still” are such comforting words from the Lord.
It’s so easy to look at trust as a hurdle to accomplish sometimes isn’t it? Thankfully, God is so patient with us as we learn to trust Him.
In difficult times when I have needed security as I venture forward, it has been such a blessing to know that God is simply there, always willing to take my hand. I don’t have a ton of confidence in myself, but one thing that helps me to put my trust in Him is how much He loves me. Knowing even a little about His love can go a long way in our journey to trust Him.
I hope you’re doing well, and feeling safe and Blessed in His arms, Bridget. ❤️ Blessings.
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Tina, for some reason I am having trouble replying to your comment. So hopefully you will see this…. I agree – When we hear the Lord remind us to “Be Still,” it is comforting. And it reminds us that He is in control and He is on the throne. I’m so thankful for His patience with us. I have needed it over and over. I don’t have a ton of confidence in myself either, so I understand what you mean. But I love your point that even in those moments we can hold onto Jesus and His love. He will see us through whatever we are facing. Thank you for your sweet words. And I hope the same for you. May God’s peace and blessings be with you. ♥️
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It is so hard to be still and not worry. Being still with God often includes waiting with trust and faith. As you said is it a continuous work. I have found that repeatedly going to God is what helps me not allow my worries to be like a runaway train.
May the Lord continue to be your ever present help at this time. May he strengthen you as you look to Him 💙🙏🏽
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I believe that “repeatedly going to God,” as you said, is key. Even in a given day, we might have to hand our worries over to the Lord numerous times. But I’m so glad He understands our struggles. Thank you for the kind words. I hope your family has recovered from being sick. And I pray you are doing okay. You are in my prayers. 🙏♥️
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Worry is something that my plate has been full of lately as I’ve worked on multiple projects and solving different problems. I’ve had to remember to be still and rest in His peace. Thanks for this timely reminder, Bridget.
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I’m learning that being still in His presence has an amazing way of nourishing us. Jesus supplies all that we need. What an amazing gift. Thank you for stopping by and commenting, Rainer.
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it’s something I’m really trying to work on. Being still and also trying to shut out the distractions. If I can only offer say 10 minutes meditation to God each day, why don’t make sure I am offering the very best I can be in that moment to him. ❤️
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Thank you for this! I needed to hear these words this morning. 🤗♥️
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So true. Standing still, waiting on the Lord, and not worrying is very difficult.
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I agree! When we are walking through a difficulty, we might have to continually hand Him our worries over and over, as we remind ourselves to trust Him. But I’m so glad He doesn’t give up on us!
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Amen Bridget. He is truly our loving Father.
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