“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations.
I will be exalted in the earth.”- Psalm 46:10 (WEB)
By the time you reach this stage in your journey, you’ve probably cried, questioned, wrestled, and maybe even wanted to quit. You’ve been through the fire, and your heart has been broken and is being rebuilt.
But here’s the truth:
When the breaking quiets down, God often leads you into stillness. And if you’ve never been still before, this part can feel even harder than the storm.
Stillness isn’t inactivity; it’s a sacred invitation to trust.
When walking this journey with God, especially in the very beginning, we often resist what He’s doing. Even when we’ve had some level of preparation, we still find ourselves in situations we can’t make sense of, wondering why things aren’t working the way they used to.
Even if God warned us through His Word, showing us that certain people would leave or that some doors would close, our human nature still resists before surrendering.
That’s often how we end up angry, disappointed, or discouraged; wrestling through confusion instead of resting in His plan.
When You Wrestle with God
Jacob’s story paints this picture so well.
At first, Jacob relied on human wisdom—tricking his brother Esau out of his birthright, then fleeing to live with Laban, who was just as deceitful as he was. After years of striving, Jacob found himself face-to-face with God, wrestling all night.
When God begins to bring change into our lives, we often fight Him to get the blessing just like Jacob did. Yet, as Jacob discovered, God sometimes has to “dislocate our hip”: not physically, but emotionally, mentally, or spiritually—to change how we walk. He also has to change our name or identity so that we can flow with Him.
He gently deals with our minds, emotions, and will until we learn to depend on Him completely. That process isn’t easy: it’s pruning, it’s loss, it’s limping. But that limp becomes a mark of transformation.
There comes a moment when you finally realize: Unless I fully submit to God, I’m going nowhere.
And that’s where many of us are, the messy middle. Not where we used to be, but not yet where we’re going. Somewhere between the promise and the fulfillment.
And it’s there that God whispers,
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
Be Still and Know
If you read Psalm 46 from start to finish, you’ll notice that before the psalmist says “Be still,” he first describes chaos: mountains trembling, nations raging, the earth giving way.
That means stillness is not the absence of trouble; it’s peace in the middle of it.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1)
You might still be learning to process your emotions with God. You may have days where the old wounds sting again, or triggers resurface. That’s okay. This is where stillness becomes your anchor, where you choose to rest in God even when you don’t feel Him.
Remember, even in the chaos, there’s a river flowing.
“There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God.” (Psalm 46:4)
In the New Testament, Jesus calls us “a city on a hill.” (Matthew 5:14)
That means you are that city, and the Holy Spirit is the river within you.
So even when you feel hidden, forgotten, or overlooked, His Spirit is still flowing through you, refreshing you, sustaining you, making you glad in the middle of it all.
Think of David. Though Samuel anointed him as king, he still spend years in the wilderness before sitting on the throne. Maybe you’ve seen glimpses of your own promise, a moment of healing, a breakthrough, or a restored relationship, only for things to suddenly grow quiet again.
But even then, God is saying:
“Be still, and know that I am God.”
The Holy Spirit in the Middle
The Holy Spirit is the river within you, the peace that steadies your heart even when everything else feels shaky.
I’ve met people who’ve walked through incredible pain yet carried an undeniable peace. It’s not because their pain disappeared; it’s because they learned to stay anchored in the presence of God.
And that’s what the Holy Spirit does, He fills you with peace and quiet joy, even when nothing makes sense.
Maybe you’re in that messy middle right now, your faith feels stretched, and your heart feels tired. But friend, the same Spirit who hovered over the chaos in Genesis is hovering over your life right now.
He’s not distant. He’s near.
He’s creative, redemptive, and faithful.
He’s working things together for good: right in the silence, right in the stillness.
“God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.” (Psalm 46:5)
Obedience in the Stillness
Being still doesn’t mean doing nothing; it means doing only what God asked you to do and letting Him handle the rest.
During my “middle” season, I felt led to start writing this book, but the warfare was intense. Every time I tried to write, the warfare would intensify. I experienced extreme burnout, and fake opportunities came up.
I even received a job offer that looked like a dream: stable, comfortable, promising. But deep down, I knew God was whispering, “Be still.” He asked me to step away from my freelance writing business for a season and focus on writing, not for money, but for obedience.
At first, it made no sense. People questioned me, they sent job links, and they quoted bible verses like ‘ God blesses the works of our hands’ and ‘Whoever does not work should not eat,’ and I felt foolish. But in hindsight, I see His protection. Things have shifted. What once looked like security would’ve become a setback.
Friend, sometimes obedience will make you look foolish for a season but wise for eternity.
Be still. Obey. Trust. God sees what you cannot.
Reflection
- Are you in a “messy middle” season, between what God promised and what you see right now?
- Where have you been fighting God instead of resting in Him?
- What would it look like for you to stop striving and simply be still?
Heart Work
1. Journal: Write down the areas in your life where God is asking you to be still. What emotions or fears rise when you think of surrendering them?
2. Meditate: Slowly read through Psalm 46. Let each verse settle in your heart: notice how peace and chaos coexist, and yet God remains unshaken.
3. Pray: Invite the Holy Spirit into your stillness. Thank Him for being your refuge, your river, and your rest.
4. Declaration:
“Lord, I choose to be still and trust You. Even when I don’t understand, I know You are working. My life is in Your hands.”