“BE STILL, AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD”
D. T. Pye
We have all been deeply moved by the action of the Lord Jesus that brings us together today, and I think what has impressed us a little since the Lord has acted is the side of a certain innocence that relates to this young one (we would all know that the actual state of innocency ceased at the fall). However, in this babe, though so short a time in this scene, there has been that which is precious in the divine sight. There is so little that a child understands so young, yet I think the statement we have in Psalm 22 is probably the first thing that the child learns, and that is it learns to trust. Maybe there is something in that for us all. Our brother has been speaking about faith, and I think maybe that is what tests us most throughout our lives; there is a great need to trust. Here it is the Lord trusting “upon my mother’s breasts”, that is how it puts it, and that is what a child learns first of all, it learns to trust, learns love there. It learns indeed that special bond which there is between mother and child, and how attractive it is, especially when we think of the blameless side, as we have said, that relates to a child so young.
Yet the Lord has acted, and maybe it is to draw our attention to the fact of the need of trust with us, and whether it is maintained throughout our lives. You see, if distance comes in it has its effect upon us and we sometimes lose the blessedness of this trust. Persons in Scripture proved that trust; you look at John the apostle; he knew what it was to trust, in the bosom of Jesus; he loved to frequent that area. You know, that is available to us too; you find there is comfort in trusting in Him; there is strength for us to meet the exercises of the path. The Lord Jesus is the One whom John is able to detect in His movements very quickly; you have it in John 21. John is able quickly to recognise that it was the Lord on the shore. Well, I think it is those who have trusted that become quickly aware as to what is proceeding. It is a feature that could profitably be found marking us.
That is why I read in Psalm 46—it is a different setting I know, it relates more to the land, but there is wonderful comfort in the fact of finding that God is our refuge. I think we have all proved that. We are brought to it time and time again, that in the troubles of life and in the distresses that come upon us He is “a help in distresses, very readily found”; and that is true; we know it from experience. Think of the wonderful care of God towards us. In relation to Israel you find the God who would shepherd them all the way, and in Deuteronomy you have the expression, the “God of Jeshurun, Who rideth upon the heavens to thy help”, and we have that One supporting us; there is a refuge in Him, “And underneath are the eternal arms”, Deuteronomy 33: 26, 27. What comfort there is in proving the refuge there is in God in times of distress and trouble; always there are underneath the eternal arms. That is to bring us through, and to bring us through into the greatness of His thoughts for us, for He would do that.
So it involves that trust on our part. But, you know, it is a poor thing if we are looking to God only for the sense of refuge—not but what we prove it anyway—but God has more in mind for us. Wonderful it is to prove that refuge and that comfort, but He has so much more in mind for us. I think the sifting process goes on, and it is to develop something that is really, truly formed and substantial in us in our knowledge of Him. That is the great end. It says, “Be still, and know that I am God”. Well, what is our knowledge of God? As long as we are left here in this scene there is scope for our knowledge of God to grow, and I think it is through the testings that it takes place.
We have been looking just last night at the fact that Hezekiah had a testing; he carried the letter in before God and he got the answer (see 2 Kings 19). David is another one who, when a moment of deep exercise came to him, was able to go in and sit before Jehovah and there his thoughts changed. We need to be enlarged in our knowledge of God. I am sure what has taken place is to draw us more away from the things of this scene and occupy us with our heavenly calling, that we may grow and increase in our knowledge of God. It is a wonderful thing to “Be still, and know that I am God”, to know that He is acting in relation to us, and that He is working out what He will. So you find that He is the One that is exalted; He will be yet exalted among the nations, and He will be exalted in all the earth. But He has something of that place now in the affections of those who love Him. The One who is Jehovah of hosts, the God of Jacob, is the One in whom there is safety. There is rest for us, there is that sure refuge; there is an area where we can grow and increase in our knowledge of Him.
Well, may the exercises of the present moment yield in the way of comfort for our hearts and the assurance of God’s operations towards us, that He would bring us through to something that would be for His own pleasure and His own joy. There is also to be something for us; maybe that may take time, but let it be that we are trusting in that sure refuge which we have in the God who is well known to us in Jesus’ love.
Words at the burial of the infant son of Mr. and Mrs. W. Clark, Kirkcaldy
7 October 1982