In the Gaps

“Cease striving and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exulted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

Cease Striving – The traditional translation of this Hebrew word (raphah) in Psalm 46:10 is “Be still”. “Be still and know that I am God”. We are quite familiar with that version. But we might not realize that raphah implies a good deal more than sitting quietly. God is not interested in bowed heads and folded hands. He has something else in mind here. To understand His perspective, we need to see the others uses of this form of the verb.

Joshua 10:6 translates raphah as “abandon”. Deuteronomy 4:31 uses “forsake” or “fail”. Psalm 37:8 uses “cease”. Judges 11:37 translates “let alone”. What is the similarity? In every case, this form of raphah carries the idea of letting go of something. That’s the imagery we need in Psalm 46:10. God is not asking us to be quiet. He is asking us to let go of everything else that demands our attention. He is commanding us to stop the striving, frantic business of living. He is requesting our full and undivided attention. Then, and only then, will the second part of the verse become reality.

Do I have to sneak away to a quiet corner in order to enter into this relationship with God? No, I don’t! (But it helps!). Even in a quiet corner my mind can be so full of myself and my world that I cannot hear or know the God of creation. I could stand on a crowded street corner in Hong Kong and be so attentive to God that the world ceased to exist for me. Location is not the question. Neither is physical posture. Face down or face up makes no difference. What matters supremely is the discipline of abandoning the constant stream of distraction. I must enter into the heavenly throne room and stand or kneel in the presence of the All Mighty. God must fill my mind and heart until everything about me and my world is pushed out of the picture. Such discipline takes practice (or epiphany). Usually years of practice. That’s why I begin by finding the quiet corner. Whatever helps me enter into His presence and His presence alone is a useful tool. Whatever does not help must be abandoned, even if it’s the choir or the organist.

Do you want to know God? He invites us into His presence. But the steps to get there are up to us. Abandon, forsake and cease. Let go of everything that keeps you occupied with the important but trivial. The bigger the gap between you and your life, the closer you will come to Him.