"Be Still and Know That I Am God" - 5 Character Traits of God that Bring Comfort
Hide me now
Under Your wings
Cover me
Within Your mighty hand
When the oceans rise and thunders roar
I will soar with You above the storm
Father, You are King over the flood
I will be still, know You are God
- Still, Hillsong Worship
At one point in our lives, I’m certain that we had felt so overwhelmed and burdened that we need to seek refuge from it all. This song brings such a powerful message that God is here to comfort us, more so during times of doubt and despair. I surrender my worries and fears to Him, having God as my sole refuge and strength has brought the greatest sense of comfort to my life.
The Message of Psalm 46
For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. According to alamoth. A song.
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[d] 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 is a song for Zion, God’s holy city where his people dwell with Him. The city of Zion is holy because God dwells in it. This psalm is all about security with God that God is our true home.
In Crosswalk’s article, we see the context of Psalm 46:10 and the various views on it. One of which is from John Casteel saying,
“There is a silence and stillness that should overtake us in the presence of someone that is so overwhelmingly holy and glorious. The call to all is to be still before our holy, awesome, and glorious God.”
To summarize Casteel, as more knowledge and worship flow out of the city Zion—that is God’s message shared with the world—the more people will come to know him and understand his ultimate security and enjoy his presence. God’s goal in being with his people is so they can accomplish his purpose, to spread knowledge of him so more and more people can come to know him.
According to Christianity, as God addresses Israel, He is not just telling them to “be still” or “rest”. If this is written during a time of war, which it most likely is, God is commanding them to “stop fighting” or “cease striving”, and open their eyes to who He is. It’s easy to be fearful when things aren’t going well or when we are faced with challenges and conflict in our life.
BST explains that fully comprehending who God is is impossible for us as limited beings, God does make himself known in a variety of ways, and through what he reveals about himself in his Word and in his creation, we can begin to wrap our minds around our amazing God.
Attributes of God That Will Comfort You
Although God desires our praise, thanksgiving, and worship, He also welcomes our greatest fears and worries. In every situation, the Lord is a “refuge and strength” and our “stronghold”, as expressed in Joel Ryan’s article in Christianity
In the midst of conflict and life turmoil, sometimes we just need to open our eyes, step back, stop what we’re doing, and acknowledge who God is and what He can do. Doing so provides comfort in the chaos and peace in the midst of struggle.
Quinnise Pettway, an author whose mission is to help Christians shift their perspective of God and strengthen their relationship with Him, shares this question in her iBelieve article,
“How often have we sat back and viewed God as an unapproachable, demanding, or distant spiritual being whose only goal was to place demands and restrictions on us and rain down fire or some form of punishment every time we make a mistake?”
Oftentimes, we may depict Him as such, yet through the Scriptures, countless characteristics of God are revealed that ought to bring us comfort, assuring us of a God that comforts more than just a disciplinarian and a judge.
There are days when we may not feel it, and other days when we are seemingly left alone to cater to difficult situations we are in. Yet, the Bible speaks of God’s attributes we find in each verse that reminds us who God really is. Nothing in this world can compare with God’s love for us and his power in our lives.
The following lists 5 of His comforting characteristics, and prayerfully serves as a reminder of who God is and His desire to be in our lives.
God is our refuge and strength.
“He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the LORD, “My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust!” Psalm 91:1-2
This remains to be one of 10 Incredible Attributes of God that bring me the most comfort.
God is our shelter, our safe place, our refuge in the storm, and our help in times of trouble. He is the only One in this world who never changes, who doesn’t shift in difficult circumstances, or crumble when life gets hard. He is our everlasting rock, and we are secure when we run to Him. This world will have troubles; we can be sure of that, and maybe you find yourself there right now, but be assured — nothing takes God by surprise. He is steadfast, immovable, and we can find help and protection beneath His wings.
God is with us.
“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10
According to Tozer’s, The Attributes of God, this ought to bring deep comfort to Christians who struggle with loneliness and deep sorrow. In a very real way, God is always near us, “closer than our thoughts.” The knowledge that we are never alone calms the troubled sea of our lives and speaks peace to our souls.
In a world that often leaves us feeling alone, overlooked, and disregarded, God says this over and over in His word: “I am with you.” He sees our pain, and He knows our situation. He understands what we’re walking through, even when no one does.
We never need to fear or worry because He promises not to leave us to fend for ourselves. He carries us when we feel like we just can’t go on anymore. He strengthens us by His Holy Spirit when our struggles feel too big.
God cares deeply about us.
"Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7
As a caring God, he welcomes our greatest fears and sources of anxiety. Not many of us want to hear about someone’s worries, more so “all” of it, yet our amazing God has his ears tuned to hear all about it.
God remains approachable at all times.
"Come to me, all of you who are weary and carry heavy burdens, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you. Let me teach you, because I am humble and gentle at heart, and you will find rest for your souls." Matthew 11:28-29
God encourages us to talk to Him directly anytime our hearts desire to. God will never turn us away or frown upon us. He eagerly invites us into His presence and assures us of rest through his humble, gentle, and comforting heart.
God is able.
Debbie McDaniel shares daily encouragement in living strong, free, hope-filled lives. She shares this wonderful attribute that God is able to heal each wounded heart and broken place.
God sees every pain and struggle. He knows where we’ve walked, and He’s able to heal each wounded heart and broken place. No matter what’s swirling around us today in this world, or what struggles we might be facing right now, remember we are held by an amazing God. His heart is for us, and every promise is true.
How To Be Still
In one of The Bridge Sermons’ podcasts, John Casteel shares that “in order to find security in God, we have to stop finding security in everything else...nothing in this world will offer you the security you have in God.”
Deborah Nayrocker shares two steps for how to “be still” and silent in an excerpt from Encouragement to be Still and Know God's Love on Crosswalk.
"As we become silent, we have two aims: First, it is important to remove distractions. Life can be fast-paced. We may be overwhelmed with busyness and activities. We may feel we can’t slow down. Our busyness can get in the way of having time alone.
Find a specific time and place for solitude. Turn off any distracting noise in the background. Take the time to experience God’s presence.
Second, besides removing outside distractions, it is essential to silence our inner being. That is, banish all the thoughts within us that pull our attention away. If something needs to be taken care of later, write it down and then forget about it for now."
As we find ourselves facing uncertain times, we only need to run to God. He is everywhere, and never far. Our faith in His truth allows for life-changing work to take place when we recognize how God is our refuge, our strong tower, and an omnipotent force over our lives.
iBelieve’s article centers around how God is our hope in every storm. He guards our way, He has our back, and He leads us step-by-step along the way. We never have to fear because God reminds us He is for us, and that is the most powerful force we can have surrounding us.