“Be still and know that I am God!” (Ps. 46:10a)

People often think that “be still” in this verse means, “be quiet,” but it actually means “sink down, relax, let drop, or let go” (H7503).

On the night Christ was betrayed, He prayed in the Garden of Gethsemane (Olive Pressing):

“Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me; still, not my will but yours be done… He was in such agony and he prayed so fervently that his sweat became like drops of blood falling on the ground. ” (Luke 22:42,44)

In His humanness, Christ struggled with letting go of His own will, so much so that His sweat became as drops of blood. He humbled Himself, and acquiesced to His Father’s will even to the point of death.

La Pietà by Michelangelo is a masterpiece revealing the beauty of the human form and evoking emotion from the onlooker. For me, it embodies the idea of letting go or surrender. In dying, Christ shows His complete surrender to the will of His Father. Yes, He died, but three days later, He rose from the dead, conquering death and the grave. In letting go, in being humble, He is raised up to the highest place of honor in His Father’s Kingdom.

Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will exalt you. James 4:10

Many people struggle with wanting their own way. We think that if we can control our lives, we can avoid pain, discomfort, annoyance, and other kinds of suffering. But this simply is not true. We can’t control what happens to us. We can only control how we confront what happens to us.

For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it. (Luke 9:24)

We cannot escape suffering. What we can do is let go of our need to try to control and put our trust in a God Who is good, Who loves us, and Who desires the best for us. We can surrender to His will because He is faithful, He is trustworthy.

For if we have grown into union with him through a death like his, we shall also be united with him in the resurrection. (Romans 6:5)

Even though we are destined to die, He has the power to raise us up again. We have hope that the death we die, whether physically or even psychologically, it is not the end; resurrection is coming.