Elemental: S2 - Day 1

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

Be still. Calm down. Exercise some patience—all words we need to hear at this point in the journey. The chaos of deconstruction causes most of us to squirm. Overwhelmed by the instinct to “fix it,” we gravitate to five-point plans, old formulas, and confident teachers. But hold on. This might be the perfect time to slow down and sit in the rubble.

When things feel like they have crumbled, breathe deep and look around. Assess the pieces and consider when and why the walls fell. Inspect it like you would a machine under repair and you’ll discover essential faith parts to keep for the future. You might uncover ideas that belong in the garbage bin and still others that will go into a pile labeled, “We’ll see.”

We might hurry too quickly through this process, thinking that our salvation depends on it. Let’s be clear—our redemption is never based on what we know. It’s based on Who we know. Faith is in a Person, not a philosophical idea or a handful of fundamental beliefs. But God's followers across the centuries have repeatedly confused this. For example, my faith community uses phrases like “having the truth” to describe our commitment to Bible study. And, inadvertently or not, we create a sense that whoever is most theologically correct wins the game, goes to heaven, and is saved.

The scriptures couldn’t be more explicit—you and I are saved by a God who chooses us through His gracious love, a pure and ridiculous gift. And, having committed to us, God waits to be selected in return.  Psalm 46:1-2 says,

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea…

So, when He says, “Be still and know that I am God…” we are being invited into the patient safety of a relationship with the One who loves us. He even loves us when our explanations are wrong and the construct of our beliefs crash into the sea.

If you still feel the urge to hurry up and fix things, try closing your eyes and listening to your breathing while rehearsing the line, “I am His, and He is mine—my refuge and my strength.”

1. On a scale of 1-10, how patient are you?
2. What is something you previously believed that you are currently questioning?
3. How comfortable are you with the idea that God loves you despite your doubts or questions? That you are saved?