Perhaps life has been tough for you lately. Have circumstances become too much to bear? Do you feel as though things are coming apart in your life? Are there things in your life that are out of your control and it is driving you insane? Well, the Bible gives us a simple solution in Psalm 46:

Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
(Psalm 46:10 - ESV)

Let’s break this down starting with the first sentence in verse 10. We live in a world where things are moving very fast and it will get faster. There’s a lot that takes place each and every day. There’s political uncertainty and there’s global unrest. There may be things that are happening in your very life. But the Bible tells us what we need to do in times of trouble. Stop in your tracks and know that God is bigger than whatever you are going through. Whatever you are going through, just taking the time to stop and pray could make the difference in how you are coping with the challenges of this life. But you have to slow down and stop and make this a priority. And yet another way we can take “be still” is to keep our resolve and remain steadfast in our faith in Jesus as we anticipate God to carry out His will.

The Lord says He will be exalted among the nations and that He will be exalted in the earth. We need to trust in Him because we know that God is All-Powerful and Almighty. We can trust in God simply because of who He is and we can trust that He will work out everything for good. But are we willing to trust in Him no matter what?

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
(Psalm 46:1 - ESV)

Do we really go to the Lord when trouble comes our way? So many times, we try to fight our own way out of our troubles and use earthly and material crutches in order to deal with our troubles. It can be anything from spending too much time watching television to being addicted to drugs. What do we do when we encounter trouble and how long do we wait to go to the Lord? Because remember, it is God who is to be our true Refuge and our true Strength.

You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
(Isaiah 26:3 - ESV)

do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:6-7 - ESV)

How do we experience this peace? By keeping our minds on God, like Isaiah 26 says, and by being quick to pray when we feel anxious, like Philippians 4 says. If we notice, what is talked about in Isaiah 26 is very similar to the command for us to “be still and know that I am God.” We can not only take “be still” to mean to stop in our tracks but to also mean to keep our resolve in Jesus Christ when tough times come.

Do you have the peace of God in your life? Are we experiencing God’s perfect peace? Because there is a difference between the peace that God gives and the temporary peace we may feel when we tap into the worldly vices. The peace that God gives is permanent and the only way we move out of this peace is by getting in the way of it. But worldly vices can only produce a temporary and worldly satisfaction and that is why you will have to keep running back to them again and again in order to be satisfied for only a moment. Is it worth it brothers and sisters?

This week, I went through a tough week. So many things seemed to be crashing down on me, one thing after another. And I got so caught up in it and so distracted that I became negative and bitter. It wasn’t until I prayed to the Lord and laid my burden upon Him that I was freed of it. And it is no different for any other believer. There are professing Christians out there today that have no peace and their hearts are in a chaotic state because instead of choosing God as their refuge, they’re choosing the different vices of this world. And then what happens is that sin overtakes their lives.

For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.
(2 Corinthians 12:10 - ESV)

Indeed we may want out of our present circumstance but what we need to pray for more than anything is for God to help us through. It is more important for us to be able to deal with any circumstance than to always be rescued from every circumstance per say. It is going through things that increase our faith and bring us closer to the Lord.  

Are we willing to admit how weak we are? We may think that we can deal with everything life throws at us and that is why many times we make the mistake of trying to overcome under our own strength and will. But it is when we come to the Lord in prayer, thereby admitting how weak we really are, that then the strength of the Lord will work within us.

God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God,
the holy habitation of the Most High.
God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved;
God will help her when morning dawns.
The nations rage, the kingdoms totter;
he utters his voice, the earth melts.
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah

Come, behold the works of the Lord,
how he has brought desolations on the earth.
He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;
he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;
he burns the chariots with fire.
“Be still, and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.
(Psalm 46:1-11 - ESV)

I have put the whole Psalm in this article because the full context surrounding verse 10 is a beautiful piece of poetry that reminds us that not only is God the one we can rely on, but we see through these verses why He is worthy for us to do so. And the last verse is a great reminder for us to remember as we live out this faith, the Lord is always with us. Now if you are an unbeliever, you can not tap into these promises but if you repent (turn away from your sins) and believe in Jesus Christ (that He died on the cross for your sins to give you right standing with God), then indeed you will have the Lord with you as you live out your life following the Lord.

But remember brothers and sisters, the choice is ours in terms of how much we will seek out the Lord and depend on Him in times of trouble. And that will make all the difference in the world.