The Power Behind Rapha
"Be still, and know that I am God." Psalm 46:10
When you hear of the words “be still", what happens in your body? Maybe you comply for a bit, but you wonder for how long.
If I ask my 3-year-old son to sit still, he fights me and moves even more. He runs away or hides under the bed because he wants to be in control.
I often act this way as an adult! If you tell me to surrender something important, like my power or money, my time, or my favorite dessert, I grip even tighter. I think it’s a self-preservation thing. It’s a way to feel safe when I'm told to do something that goes against my human desire or felt need.
I felt this struggle recently in my own healing journey. For the past few months, I’ve been going to counseling, studying different techniques, and learning about ways to heal personal trauma that manifests in anger. This past week, I felt so defeated. It felt like I was doing a lot of work, but seeing no results. I felt cheated, and I accused God for not holding up his end of the bargain; whatever “bargain” that was. Then, I was mad that I was mad!
One morning, God highlighted Psalm 46:10. When I read the words, I immediately realized I was depending on my efforts for healing more than His love.
If you just read verse 10 on its own, it’s encouraging, but we tend to highlight the “being still” part more than anything else. When you read the whole chapter, you’ll see the verse surrounded by words of war and utter chaos:
v.2: “though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,
v.3: though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”
v.8: “See how he brings destruction upon the world.
v.9: He causes wars to end through the earth.”
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v.10 “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be honored in every nation.”
In the middle of chaos, God is saying, “Be still!”
Come again?! That's the last response I want to take!
The Hebrew word for "be still" is rapha, which means to “be weak, to let go, to release”. When the word rapha stands alone, it’s good, but it’s even more powerful when you read the words that follow. The power behind rapha is who it leads us to. We become weak, release control, or rapha in order to know that God is God.
Pause and think about that for a second! When you know God, releasing control shifts from being a power struggle to a promise.
“When you know God, releasing control shifts from being a power struggle to a promise. ”
I used to read the words“be still” and focus on what I was doing more than who God is. It would sound something like this: “If I could just be still. If I could just learn to trust. If I could just surrender.” Then, I would get mad when I didn’t see results I wanted — “I’m sitting and waiting God!“ The more I read the verses, the more I saw the whole picture. The results of being still may be part of the blessing, but it's not the whole blessing. I rapha in order to know God. That’s the blessing.
Sometimes we can make the surrender dance about how well we’re sitting still. We’ve made it about us when we get angry at God for moving too slow. “I’m sitting still God! I’m waiting! Where you at?!” These were my exact words in my defeated moment I shared earlier. Then, God graciously realigns our thinking with His. He sometimes makes us wait even longer until we make the active choice to surrender and to be weak. It’s in our weakness that we submit ourselves to His strength. It’s quieting our efforts and letting Him lead our healing.
We’re not always going to rapha well. No one likes to feel weak or depend on someone else. The aches and pains of rapha are inevitable. Even the earth itself groans waiting for Jesus to return! (Romans 8:22) When we choose to be still and wait on God, we’re going against our human nature. Our nature to be in control and feel safe. Is it difficult? Yes. Is it worth it? Absolutely. This is where I will repeat my point — The power behind being still isn’t in our waiting, it’s in who we are waiting for.
When things are troubling or chaotic, it’s natural for us to try and solve problems right away. Action is necessary, but not before stillness. Stillness gets us to a place of surrender and seeing God. He has the first and final word. Stillness heals and aligns us so we can go out following the commands of our good Father. Stillness is knowing God. That alone is more than enough.
What does being still look like?
It can look like saying a simple prayer.
God, I’ve been waiting for healing. I’ve been waiting for provision. Will you remind me of who you are and what are you doing? Help me rapha in your presence and know you more. I want to know you and see you more than the chaos going on. In your name I pray, Amen.