Cease Striving

Greyfriar’s Bobby, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh, Scotland. https://www.facebook.com/SpectacularScotland

“^[a]Cease striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the ^[b]nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

Psalms 46 : 10 (NASB)

I was blessed this morning by my good friend Ruth’s blog post “Be Still”. The focus of her devotional poem is our verse but from the NIV Bible which is the most widely known version: “Be still, and know that I am God…” This verse encourages my heart as I enter day three of pain from a strained back. I responded with the comment, “Be still and know that I am God” is the battle cry of my soul in the strife and pain of life, it focusses my attention on eternal rather than fleeting matters.”

I like the NIV version but I was further encouraged by the NASB, which takes us deeper into meaning of the scripture. If like me you are tenacious in the face of difficulty you will always strive to better your circumstances, but God calls us to “let go and relax” (a). To use a well known phrase, “to let go and let God!”

Dear reader, your discomfort or pain like life is a temporary state of affairs. Father God uses these events in life to further our relationship with Him and Eternal welfare in His Kingdom. Such hope encourages us as believers in the grip of various trials, knowing that God will build us up through our pain.