Be Still....

             He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 45:10)

 

            This is one of those verses that can benefit from multiple readings:

            “Be still and know that I am God.”

            “Be still and know that I am God.”

“Be still and know that I am God.”

“Be still and know that I am God.”       

“Be still and know that I am God.”

“Be still and know that I am God.”
            It would make a good exercise, to contemplatively read through these lines every morning for a week, or perhaps one each morning for a week to see how one’s understanding grows. Rather than put ideas in your head in that regard, let’s move to the next section.

“I will be exalted…I will be exalted…” If a human were to say these lines about himself, we would say that the person was arrogant. But if God is God, if He is the creator and Lord of Heaven and Earth, and if there is none who can rightfully (or actually) take His place, should He not be recognized as what He is? Would we say of the person who has won every chess game he’s ever played that he is arrogant to say that he is the best chess player alive, and should we be remiss if we reject that idea? If you are the owner of (name that object) would it not be silly and wrong for someone to say that  you aren’t or to treat the object and you as if that relationship did not exist? Should the thing you made (whether a sandwich or a piece of art) declare that it made itself, owes nothing to you, and deny you the right to do with it what you wish?

The dual claim of “I will be exalted” isn’t out of line unless it can be proved that He is not God. The thing about that is that when someone claims that God is not God, the someone making the claim is also claiming that he/she is.