Becoming Helpless

I was given an invitation to speak to at a church recently while on vacation. As I sought direction on what to say, I came across Psalm 46:10:

“Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth” (NIV84).

I’d heard this verse before, but never really thought about it. If I had, I would probably have bowed my head, closed my eyes and tried to “be still” for as long as I could. That would likely have been about 38 seconds before I began feeling really awkward and got up to do something that felt more useful.

This verse stuck with me however, particularly the first line, so I began exploring it some more. One of the first things I did was read it in other versions. I was struck with how it read in the NASB:

“Cease striving and know that I am God” (original italics).

This got me digging into Bible dictionaries. What I found really changed me, and I knew this was the direction I needed to go.

What I found was that the word translated as “Be still” in the NIV84 can be translated “relax,” “fail,” “be feeble,” “let alone,” and my favorite, “become helpless.”

Beyond that, I discovered the word for “know” means “to know by experience” or “to know intimately.”

Suddenly, this verse had gone beyond me sitting with my head down mentally rehearsing the deity of God to allowing myself to become helpless in my own efforts as I experienced the living God moving and acting on my behalf.

With that in mind, I decided the best way to prepare this message was to live it. Since I'm not a practiced speaker, I could have spent hours typing up notes and practicing my delivery. Instead, I spent as much time as I could in the presence of God.

I worshipped; I cried; I repeatedly declared that He was all I wanted and needed. As the day I was to speak came closer, He began giving me a picture of what I was going to do.

The best way I can explain it is to say that the Holy Spirit showed me I was to go and basically turn myself inside out on the congregation. To take everything He’d been doing in me and share it.

I don’t remember most of the details of what I said. I did take a few notes with me, but I went in determined to be as helpless in my own efforts as I could.

One thing I do remember hitting on was fear, and how it hinders our “becoming helpless.” I also talked about the importance of allowing God to touch and work on any area He wants in our lives. Afterwards, I offered prayer to anyone who wanted it.

I noticed as I spoke that God had me being very transparent, even about things that weren’t completely resolved in my own life yet. But I got the feeling it was that transparency that was encouraging the people to open up their own lives to the power of God.

It worked. One woman sat through most of the service in tears; later she came to me saying I’d spoken directly to what she’d been dealing with.

Everyone came for prayer. Some came with their hands up, ready to open up and let go; others had specific needs. After service was over, many told me that the things I’d said or prayed were confirmation of things God had been saying to them.

I still have many people in my life I want to see touched by the power of God. Rather than trying to reach them with my head knowledge, I think it’s time to “cease striving” in my own power, and trust Him to be God through me.