“Be still, and know that I am God” - Psalm 46:10

A simple command, yet not an easy one. 

Every day, we move through life searching for the next thing. 

Living in Albania, I catch myself asking questions - sometimes small ones: 

“When will I be warm again?”, “When is the next meal?”, “When will I get to rest?”, “When can I go on a walk?", “When will I finally feel settled?”

And then to the bigger questions:

“Where is God calling me to next?”, “What will life look like when I go home?”, “Am I really making a difference?”, “What is God’s plan for my future?”, “How long will I be waiting for His answer?”

None of these are bad questions - but dwelling on them can rob us of the present moment. 

Last Saturday, after two and a half miles to church in Përrenjas and then back to our home church in Kotodesh, the day began to wind down. 

The sun was setting. 

The sky was partly cloudy. 

The air was quiet. 

The moment we stepped off the overstimulating, busy main road and onto the dirt path along the reservoir, I felt something shift - deep in my soul.

Looking at the sky, I knew the sunset would be beautiful.

Noticing my peers, I knew a few of them felt that same shift too.

Earlier in the day, I felt uneasy, dizzy, and restless - anxious, nauseous, and tired. But in that moment, something lifted. And the weight on my shoulders released. 

We kept walking, marveling at the sunset, amazed by the pink afterglow of the sky. As our walk was coming to an end, one of the guys on our team, Ethan, caught up in the moment, suggested we pause and take it all in, to remember the moment. Then Addy, spontaneously proposed we run in the fields. 

“Why not?” I thought. 

So we did. 

We dropped our bags and ran freely through fields that weren’t our own. 

Eventually, I sat down and admired the watercolor skies. 

And I acknowledged God. 

“YHWH” 

God is the air I breathe.

The breath of God is the breath of living power.

The breath of God is that of divine presence. 

Without Jesus, I am nothing.

Jesus is everything.

He is what gives me purpose.

To sit with Him is to be present.

To sit with Him is to be blessed.

To sit with Him is to be loved.

Allow yourself to sit - to admire God’s handiwork. 

To “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10, ESV). 

Time keeps moving - a truth we often overlook. Yet, when we focus too much on what’s ahead, we lose sight of what’s happening right now.

We’re already about a quarter of the way through our time on this mission trip. And I am reminded that even if we did nothing, God would still be working. 

Nothing we do is truly in our control.

Jesus says, “For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:30, ESV). 

If we get too caught up in what we are doing, we might miss what God is doing. 

So - be still.

Take a moment to look at the sunset. Notice the changing leaves. Listen to the laughter around you. Enjoy your cup of tea. And admire the beauty of God’s creation. 

Thank the Lord for what He is doing. 

God is always working - and often, when we are truly still, He works the most. 

Be still.

Praise the Lord, and surrender your will to Him.

Let Him work. 

Don’t carry burdens he never asked you to carry. 

Sometimes, we ask, “Why, God? Why are you making me suffer through this?”.

But He’s not.

Often, we’re the ones picking up the weight.

Let Him carry the load - while you,

“Be still, and know that . . .” God is God (Psalm 46:10, ESV).