Psalm 46

June 14, 2025

“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted over the earth.”
Yehovah of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

— Psalm 46:10-11

Do you ever have a verse or passage that you suddenly start to see everywhere, as if it’s following you? For the last eight weeks now, I’ve noticed these verses no fewer than two times a week without me seeking it out.

I’ve come across them in the most unexpected times, seeing them incorporated in the scenery wherever I go, from dish towels and greeting cards at the store, to frames and wall hangings at the homes of both friends and family. They’ve been on bumper stickers, in phrases of songs that come on, on phone widget Bible reminders and quotes in my Pinterest feed, in my dreams both verbally and written out, and it was even front and center on a pillow covered in poppies that my aunt gave me last month. Needless to say, it has caught my attention, and I’ve been pondering its significance with the rest of the events happening in my life this spring, prayerfully waiting for our Abba to tell me what He wants to know from it.

Be Still

In my thinking on it, I’ve often wondered what it means to “be still,” exactly. Is it as straightforward as it seems? To stop moving, and to understand that He is God?

Pulling out my Hebrew lexicon and Strong’s concordance, I decided I’d start with the word’s origins for its meaning. The phrase “be still” stated in this verse is the word רָפָה (pronounced: raw-faw) in Hebrew. It’s a verb meaning, “to sink down, drop, withdraw, relax, abate, abandon; be quiet; to show oneself slack.” Not all that difficult to understand on its own, but I still didn’t know for sure what He wanted me to do with it. Was I to be literally quiet, withdrawn, and slack? I decided to put it into the context of the rest of the psalm as well, seeking insight for its application.

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in times of trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth is transformed
and the mountains are toppled
into the depths of the seas,
though their waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake in the surge.
Selah
There is a river whose streams delight the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her; she will not be moved.
God will help her when morning dawns.
Nations rage, kingdoms crumble;
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
Yehovah of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah
Come, see the works of Yehovah,
who brings devastation upon the earth.
He makes wars to cease throughout the earth;
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
He burns the shields in the fire.
“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted over the earth.”
Yehovah of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
— Psalm 46:1-11

First of all, what an encouraging psalm! I can understand quoting just “be still and know” on its own for its catchy quality, but the rest of this psalm is so powerful, and I have to wonder how often we consider it as a whole. At any rate, as I read it in its entirety, I felt like I was getting somewhere with this now. Allow me to take you along my thought process, breaking the psalm down one piece at a time.

God is our refuge and strength,
an ever-present help in times of trouble.
Therefore we will not fear,
though the earth is transformed
and the mountains are toppled
into the depths of the seas,
though their waters roar and foam
and the mountains quake in the surge.
Selah

In these first three verses, it’s established that we serve a powerful God, a God who is in control of all things, and who guides and helps us through life’s trials.

Reading it, I felt comforted and was given peace of mind about the loss of our daughter at 17 weeks gestation, especially when my aunt gifted me the pillow. I felt supported in a decision that’s been ever present on our minds surrounding our fellowship on shabbat, with how it affects our community and both sides of our family. I felt relief in letting go of all the uncertainties surrounding our finances from the winter months. And I felt peace surrounding the move that Brenden and I are making next month to a new home, with the timetable to move in being pushed back several times with still a hard deadline for our moving out of this current place. These have all been stressors for us in recent weeks, and while we’ve stayed reliant on our God through them, there’s a certain peace that comes with remembering that that God moves mountains, so what are these things to Him but little and easy?

There is a river whose streams delight the city of God,
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within her; she will not be moved.
God will help her when morning dawns.
Nations rage, kingdoms crumble;
the earth melts when He lifts His voice.
Yehovah of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
Selah

These four verses further explain His power and might, His control over the earth, and His support for those faithful to Him. As David stated only a few psalms before this, “By the word of Yehovah the heavens were made, and by the breath of his mouth all their host” (Psalm 33:6). And He is our fortress! A hedge of protection around us, keeping us from harm.

Come, see the works of Yehovah,
who brings devastation upon the earth.
He makes wars to cease throughout the earth;
He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
He burns the shields in the fire.

It’s made clear in these two verses, as well as a couple before, that our Abba is in control of armies and politics. He lays waste to His enemies and those who hate Him, He fights for the righteous, and He causes wars to end. It doesn’t take but one quick scroll through social media to see the chaos of politics across the world, with numerous countries either currently at war or threatening to start one. That can be scary if not for our God being in control of it all.

“Be still and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted over the earth.”
Yehovah of Hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Lastly, in the final two verses of this psalm, we arrive back at the point that’s followed me around these fifty days leading to Shavuot/Pentecost a week ago. Be still. Wait. Let go. Relax. Stop. And know, perceive, see, understand, recognize, discern, experience, acknowledge, and consider that “I AM” is God. Yehovah, the Mighty One, is with us, and again: the God of Jacob/Israel is our fortress of protection. I don’t have to have all the answers, or know every move to make. I was being told and repeatedly reminded to let it go. Wait, and watch how He works in my life.

And so I became still. I kept my calendar open. I kept my mind, eyes, and ears ready to discern His will and direction, and I’ve waited, keeping track of every time I saw those words in my daily life. Waiting for Him to move. Waiting for His direction. And waiting for Him to tell me, “See what I can do?” My part has simply been to wait, be quiet, and watch.

This past week, I noted that I saw the verses only once: at a repeat location, in the decor of my grandmother’s old bedroom. I felt as if the next move was near, and my time of stillness was drawing to a close.

Walk by Faith, Not by Sight

This afternoon, Brenden and I were attending the sabbath fellowship started twelve years ago by his and my parents together. My dad was teaching on Numbers 13-14, telling about the Israelite spies bringing back their report of the land, and the lack of faith the ten exhibited compared to Joshua’s and Caleb’s complete trust in God.

He used it as an inspiration piece, reminding the listeners to steadfastly and boldly move where we’re led by God in our lives, doing what we’re told to do, for His glory. To stand up for righteousness in the face of adversity and fear. To recognize our God in His ability to fight for us, even against our perceived giants. To stop trying to do everything in our human way, and let Him protect and fight for us. Ultimately, our faith in our Elohim saves our lives, even through the scariest times.

He referenced Abraham, who moved to a new land, sight unseen, in faith that he was walking with God and doing as he was told by Him to do. He also referenced 1 Peter and Proverbs:

In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Yeshua Messiah. Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls.
— 1 Peter 1:6-9

Trust in Yehovah with all your heart,
and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him,
and he will make straight your paths.
Be not wise in your own eyes;
fear Yehovah, and turn away from evil.
— Proverbs 3:5-7

Repeatedly, my dad stated, “Do you fear moving forward where Yehovah wants you to go? Do it anyhow.” And all throughout the message, my husband and I were texting one another with some excitement.

As if my dad were a mouthpiece and we were hearing the Father speak to us through his words, we kept hearing over and over: “It’s time. Do what I’ve been telling you to do.”

It felt like the answer to our prayers, the final stamping out of our fear and decision paralysis, and the end of the wait. I’d seen Him work in my heart, and I’d seen him remove hurdles that seemed huge to me not two months ago.

If you’ve read my last blog post, then you’ll already know that Brenden and I have been revisiting our goals as a family, prayerfully making decisions and plans toward the future we see ahead of us. We’ve been discussing these plans for our family since before we started dating, and a key factor in our getting together was that our goals, creeds, and visions for where He was leading in our lives were very much the same. The steps we’ve taken in where and when we’re moving, as well as the kind of landlords we found, all play into that. As does our community that we’ve chosen to deepen our connections to.

I’ve said before that Brenden and I strive to be community-minded individuals. Without community, there’s no incentive outside of personal conviction and discipline to keep living for God in righteousness, and we being humans are quick to stumble. As a family, we have a desire to live out Proverbs 27:17, with iron sharpening iron all week long, throughout daily life. We also desire to fulfill a deep rest in Him every shabbat, resetting our minds and refocusing on His desire for us to begin and carry into every new work week.

When we got into the car to leave, Brenden hesitantly confessed to me a thought on his heart that I’ve also been having myself: “I feel like Yehovah has been telling us to start a fellowship for shabbat.”

We’re stepping out in faith, putting our human fears and doubts aside and trusting Yehovah with all our hearts as we move, sight unseen, into this new chapter.

this summer chapter

Change is here. Summer is a busy time for us already, with Brenden’s work going into their busy season and working overtime, followed by our first anniversary right on its heels. We also have the aforementioned move, and some work to do on the house we’re moving into before winter comes again. We have purchased chicks to move with us into the established coop there, and we have also adopted a kitten with a birth defect in its leg, causing it to hobble rather than walk. And the planning for Sukkot/Feast of Tabernacles and a trip to see some family in Kansas is already underway.

Yet, despite all the crazy, I feel calmer and more relaxed this weekend than I have since Pesach/Passover. I feel more prepared in my heart and mind to relax and watch my Abba continue to work, only moving as I’m told. It takes so much pressure off!

It would be dishonest of me to say that one message was all it took, and now we know every move to make to get where we feel we’re being called to go. It would be dishonest of me to say that we know exactly what to do and how to go about it all. But it is honest of me in saying I feel as if we’re doing the right thing, being led by the Spirit. It’s been a scary idea for me, but I’m not afraid anymore in making this move. He’s been preparing and softening my heart to hear where He wants us to go.

Going forward, as we humbly grow in our faith and our strength in Him, I imagine I’ll learn many things worth sharing with you all. I understand that we’re still young, and we’re still figuring out what this plan looks like. This post is to act as an announcement of that decision, as I imagine it will affect my future posts and insights with the topics I share.

Pray for us in this chapter, that we can clearly hear His voice as we did today, and that we don’t fall back into fear, as humans are prone to do. Pray we can keep our hearts soft and humble, acknowledging that we’re soft-spoken and followers by nature yet stepping up despite it. And pray that the right people join with us in this project, for His glory.

Until Abba lays a new topic on my heart,

Here are a few songs that have caught my attention these past several weeks: