Be still—God’s Got the Ticket
“Stop striving and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted on the earth.”
And He got up and rebuked the wind and said to the sea, “Hush, be still.” And the wind died down, leaving the water perfectly calm.
My head clamored.
Do this! Do that!
Make a call. Confirm arrangements.
Why didn’t you (insert any number of things!) way back then?
Why didn’t I complete that project?
I can finish this if I hurry up.
The to-do list in my head would not calm down.
You know the drill; most men and women are familiar with the constant barrage of messages bombarding their minds. The messages might be a nagging to-do list or a health issue. It might be the fear of letting someone down or not meeting expectations. It might be a health issue. Have you ever just wanted to silence the noise? I have! Yet, when I’m in the middle of the message glut, I wonder, “But how?”
God spoke through the psalmist, stating, “Stop striving. Know that I am God.” When I read this, it is as if God is telling me personally, "I've got this. Remember, I’m God. You have no reason to keep thinking about this.”
Just this morning, I was concerned about a health issue. In some ways, it seemed like no big deal, but in other ways, the questions continued to nag in my mind. I said out loud, “God, when will I know what’s going on? When will I know what to do?” I immediately recalled an account from Corrie ten Boom’s autobiography, The Hiding Place. She shared a conversation with her father from her youth. Corrie had asked her father a question about death; his response was to ask her a question in return. He questioned, “When you and I go to Amsterdam, when do I give you your ticket?” She answered, “Just before we get on the train.” Her father assured Corrie that in the same way our wise God knows when we need things also. It felt as though God was saying to me, “When you need more information or another plan, I will show you. You will know.” I reasoned—I’m on a need-to-know basis, just like my young children were on a need-to-know basis so often.
God was telling me not to strive. “Strive” is one of those words that sounds a bit archaic, but it is a fitting word for what I do sometimes. When battles rage in my mind, or all my energy focuses on the next passionate endeavor or task at hand, I can easily reason that I need to work harder. Plan longer. It seems counterintuitive to rest, reflect, take a moment, and watch God tell the storms in my life to 'Be Still.” Yet that is precisely what God wants me to do: Trust Him.
This morning, God reminded me once again that He is God, and I am not. I needed that reminder.
Dear Lord, thank you for reminding me that you have my life (and all the nitty-gritty details) in Your Sovereign care. Thank you for loving me so much that I have the assurance of salvation eternally, but also the assurance of care for every detail of this earthly life.
What do you continue to mull over in life—even to the point of worry? Take an index card and make a ticket. Write on it: God will give me the ticket when it’s time. Carry this reminder in your pocket.
Delve Deeper: Read Matthew 6:26—34. Make a list of everything Jesus encourages us to remember. Place a check mark next to any item on the list that you are currently concerned about. Say a prayer right now and give that concern to God. Repeat this meditation as often as needed until you feel at peace, saying, "God's got this!”