Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God…”
A capable and good friend once sat with her head in his hands and said “I can’t see the wood for the trees” This is an old saying which is believed to have originated from an English proverb in 1546. The thinking is that in amongst all the good things is a small problem become big by focusing on it. We can miss the fact that life as a whole is good because something is not. “Don’t sweat the small stuff” is a similar saying. In time my friend could see that she was looking at both a problem and a solution she just needed to step back and adjust her vision.
In Psalm 46 we are encouraged to take a look at what God has done. Verse 8 invites us to “Come and see what the LORD has done” and in verse 10 we asked to pause from all fidgeting “Be still, and know that I am God…” Whilst it may not be easy to rest from the cry of our worries and anxieties it is hard mouth with integrity verse 1 “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in times of trouble” Yet when we have travelled the road of seeing what the Lord has done the picture is so much better.
In the moment of most fear and anxiety it may be counter-intuitive to pause and open our mind to the impressive history of how God delivers and rescues. Yet this very action lifts us from the moment and places us in another realm. The presence of God is felt, a presence more which alters our perspective – we see that the wood and the trees are one and the same.
Rob Wykes 