To Slacken

You wake up and nothing seems to be going right. Problems seem to come out of nowhere. People you love are super annoying and can’t do anything correctly.  Bills are due, and money is tight. The world is full of uncertainty. If your patience was a rubber band, it would be stretched so tight it would be about to snap! 

Humanity is full of tension. 

Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!‭‭ Psalm‬ ‭46:10‬ ESV‬

‬So how does this verse relate, and what does it practically teach us? 

Be STILL is the Hebrew root word raphah. Raphah actually means to slacken. Merriam-Webster defines slacken as: 1. to make less active; slow up 2. to make slack by lessening tension or firmness.

So to BE STILL isn’t just simply being still, but it is slackening in God's presence. It's an action. We meditate on God’s goodness. Again, our humanity is full of tension, because we have emotions. When we let ourselves try to cope when we are stretched out too far, we never find any peace. We need to be actively letting out stress, anxiety, worry, etc. These things stretch us to the point of snapping. When we let go, God’s Spirit eases our minds. The only way to find rest is by letting the Holy Spirit refocus our souls. When we allow God to supernaturally relieve our tension, it not only affects us but others around will notice as well. So by allowing our nature to be transformed into Jesus’ nature, the miracle will shine to others and make them wonder how this is possible in our tormented world.

So if we currently find ourselves at the point of snapping, relax. It's just a part of being a human; everyone goes through it. We all experience it but that doesn't mean it has to be normal. God has given us the gift of His Holy Spirit for us to rest in His presence and for Him to be made known. 

So let's take the next couple moments to slacken in God’s presence. Fill your mind full of God’s blessings and goodness and allow His Spirit to talk to your soul and ease your mind.