The owner of the bookshop where Keith worked had been away on holiday for only two days, but Keith, his assistant, was already panicking. Operations were smooth, but Keith was anxious that he wouldn’t do a good job overseeing the shop. Frenetically, he micromanaged all he could.
“Stop it,” his boss finally told him over a video call. “All you have to do is follow the instructions I email you daily. Don’t worry, Keith. The burden isn’t on you; it’s on me.”
In a time of conflict with other nations, Israel received a similar word from God: “Be still” (Psalm 46:10). “Stop striving,” He said in essence, “just follow what I say. I will fight for you.” Israel was not being told to be passive or complacent but to be actively still—to obey God faithfully while yielding control of the situation and leaving the results of their efforts to Him.
We’re called to do the same. And we can do it because the God we trust is sovereign over the world. If “he lifts his voice [and] the earth melts,” and if He can make “wars cease to the ends of the earth” (vv. 6, 9), then surely, we can trust in the security of His refuge and strength (v. 1). The burden of control over our life isn’t on us—it’s on God.
By Karen Huang
REFLECT & PRAY
How can you let go of situations that are out of your control and surrender them to God? What aspects of His character help you to surrender all to Him?
Almighty God, You know what’s troubling me. I don’t know how to deal with it, but You do. Help me surrender to Your leading.
SCRIPTURE INSIGHT
Jesus told His disciples that all Scripture anticipated His coming and specifically mentioned the book of Psalms (Luke 24:25–27, 44–47). Christ’s words remind us that when we read the Psalms, we should reflect on how they might point to Him. After all, He’s the Good Shepherd (John 10:11; Psalm 23) and our divine warrior who defeats the spiritual powers by His death and resurrection (Ephesians 4:8; see Psalm 68:18 ). There are many ways in which the Psalms anticipate Jesus. In fact, Psalms is one of the most cited books in the New Testament.
