I see this verse as an invitation to surrender our anxieties and trust God’s sovereignty. “Be still” encourages and calls us to stop striving for control and attempting to manipulate our circumstances. It’s a command to rest in the assurance that God is in control, even when life feels overwhelming or chaotic. Just as we need to sleep at night to allow time for our bodies to recover and repair from the day we had, we need pauses and breaks from our constant going and doing to be reminded of, strengthen, and pursue our reliance on the Lord.
As we choose to pause and rest, He then calls us to “Know that I am God.” Knowing who God is (loving, powerful, gracious, just, sovereign, wise, omnipresent) largely impacts our perspectives, priorities, and peace. By choosing to stop and reflect on God’s character, we deepen our relationship with Him and allow the truth of who He is to shape how we think, act, and feel daily. Put another way, when we know God, we anchor ourselves in His unchanging character and promises.
It’s interesting that God first calls us to stop and be still, THEN to know that He is God. We can get so caught up in our day-to-day busy schedules, thoughts, stressors, or plans for our lives; even if we logically acknowledge who God is, the reality of how that can and does impact our lives is lost when we rush from one thing to the next. When we are intentional about being still and slowing our pace, we can allow the truth of who God is to bring encouragement, conviction, peace, and direction into whatever He calls us to. Rest without reflection or relationship is a temporary help or relief. We need both, to stop and know.