But What Does Psalm 46:10 Really Mean?
"Be still, and know that I am God . . . (Ps. 46:10). Those promoting contemplative or "listening" prayer point to this Scripture for endorsement.
Psalm 46 deals with the choices we have before us in times of difficulty. It is not a call for a contemplative life, but a challenge to depend entirely on God, His sovereignty, His power, His love, and His care.
Psalm 46:10 can be misunderstood and misinterpreted. The Hebrew term translated 'be still' in many modern English translations means to 'abandon, relax, stop striving.' It pictures a soldier who puts down his weapons, stops fighting, and lets down his defenses, because the danger has passed.
Verse 10 is not calling on us to live a contemplative, passive life, but to take a very active step of faith!
God is so dependable that it is as though the danger we still see has already passed, because He has already solved the problem. The verse doesn't just tell us to cease striving. It also tells us to know that He is God. That includes the ideas of acknowledging that He is God: that He is great above my understanding; that He is sovereign and perfect in how He deals with me; that nothing escapes His notice and nothing is beyond His ability."
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