Examining misquoted, misused, and misapplied Bible verses.

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

Sometimes when I watch the news, it makes my stomach turn. All the chaos in our world. All the anger and vitriol. All the suffering and war. It’s scary.

When I worry, my stomach tends to tangle into knots. I feel anxious. I can’t sit still. I can’t sleep.

During such moments, however, one verse has consistently comforted me more than any other: “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

God tells me to be still—to take a deep breath and remember that he is God. He’s got this. He’s got me. He is in control.

A few years ago, however, a fellow pastor pointed out to me that God may not even be speaking to me in that verse.

The context

In Psalm 46, the psalmist reminds us that we don’t have to be afraid, even when the whole world collapses around us. We have a refuge, a place to seek shelter, a mighty fortress with strong, thick walls to protect us.

As Martin Luther wrote in his famous Reformation hymn, that mighty fortress is our God.

God will be with us. He will provide for us, protect us, and take care of us. In verses 8 and 9, the psalmist invites everyone to see what God can and has done throughout history.

He protects his people. He ends wars. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear.

“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’ ”

The question is, To whom is God speaking in that verse? Many of us have always thought God was speaking to us, calmly assuring us that he is in control and we have nothing to fear.

But if you look closely at the context, verses 8 and 9 talk about how God ends wars and forces those who futilely fight against us to stop. And then God says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

The immediate context seems to indicate that God is saying to our enemies and to our world, “Be still! Knock it off! I’m in control. I’m in charge here.”

In that sense, verse 10 would be analogous to when Jesus was on the Sea of Galilee with his disciples in a terrible storm (Mark 4:35-41). As the waters roared and foamed around them, Jesus rebuked the winds and the waves.

“Quiet!” he said. “Be still!” And the storm stopped immediately.

Applying this truth to our lives

To whom is God speaking in Psalm 46:10? To us or to those who fight against God and us? Is Psalm 46:10 a continuation of what the psalmist was saying in verses 8 and 9, or is it a summary application of the entire psalm for us as believers?

Honestly, we can’t say with certainty to whom God is speaking in verse 10. It could be us. It could be our enemies. It could be both at the same time.

In the end, it doesn’t matter. The point is still the same. We don’t have to worry. We don’t have to fret. We don’t have to be afraid. God is with us. He is in control.

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

The forces that rage against us cannot win. Terrorists cannot win. Pandemics cannot win. Cancer cannot win.

Jesus wins. God’s got you. Even if such things take your life here on earth, you have forever waiting for you in the happiness of heaven because of Jesus. You cannot lose. You never need to be afraid. God’s in charge. He can stop it all with a snap of his fingers.

At this moment, it feels like the world is falling apart around us. We see craziness and chaos in our country, war and danger in our world, and heartbreak and hardships in our personal lives.

Take a deep breath. You’ve got this. Better yet, God’s got this, and he’s got you.

So, be still, and know that he is God.

For further thought or discussion

In many parts of the Bible, God tells us not to worry or be afraid, but he doesn’t simply say, “Don’t worry” or “Don’t be afraid.” He always tells us why we don’t need to worry or be afraid. Make a list of such passages that you can use for yourself or to share with others when fear and anxiety rear their ugly heads.

This is the final article in a series on misunderstood Bible verses. Find all articles in the series. 

Author: Andrew Schroer
Volume 112, Number 09
Issue: September 2025

Bringing God’s Word into focus

Theologians call it the “perspicuity of Scripture.” It means that the Bible is clear in what it teaches. In other words, the Bible says what it means and means what it says.

That does not mean, however, that every verse in the Bible is simple or easy to understand. Though the immediate context and the context of Scripture usually help the reader to pinpoint God’s exact meaning, certain verses can be understood in more than one way.

That shouldn’t bother us as Christians. Such verses neither change the overall meaning of the section in which they are found nor disagree with the rest of Scripture. Sometimes, as in the case of Psalm 46:10, it simply could be that God may want to communicate more than one idea at the same time.