Transcript
A (0:00)
The following is a listener supported ministry from the Grace Evangelical Society. One of the favorite verses in Psalms and most comforting as we understand it, is be still and know that I am God. But are we understanding it correctly? What if it really has to do with judgment? You may be surprised as we talk about the real meaning of that verse today on Grace in Focus. Thank you for joining us. This is the podcast and radio broadcast ministry of the Grace Evangelical society. Our website, faithalone.org you will find our bookstore there and a number of books. Bob Wilkins most recent book, the Gospel is still under siege. You can also find out about our online seminary. You can earn an M. Div. Degree free if you maintain a 3.0 average. It's all@faithalone.org now with today's discussion, here is Bob Wilkin along with Philippe Sterling.
B (1:02)
Phillipe We've been talking about the second coming of Christ and I thought it might be interesting to discuss some expressions that are much misunderstood. For example, one of them is be still and know that I am God. And that's from what, Psalm 46?
C (1:21)
Yeah, that's Psalm 46, verse 10.
B (1:24)
Okay, before we look at it, you're very much a student of what's called contemplative spirituality and you're like me, very concerned about it and see that as a dangerous sort of practice. But isn't this a verse that's used a lot by people within contemplative?
C (1:42)
Yeah, that one small portion of Psalm 46:10 Be still and know that I am God is one of the key verses that mystics of the ages have used in terms of centering prayers, you know, stilling the mind so that you can go into an basically an alternate reality and sense the presence of God, you know, with you and be in communion with you.
B (2:08)
Right? And that is also where we get a lot of people use this for silent retreats. You know the old joke, by the way, don't you, about silent retreats? Well, kind of. It's about the monk that was a novitiate. He was on a 21 year novitiate and after seven years he had a vow of silence. So he hadn't said a word for seven years. And so he meets with the abbot and he says, well, you get two words. What would you like to say, my son? And he said, bed hard. And he says, okay, thank you my son. Go back for seven more years. So he goes and he works for seven more years and then he meets with the abbot again and he says, okay, my son, you have two more Words. What would you like to say? And he says, food, cold. He says, okay, my son, go back and work. So he works seven more years, and then he comes to meet with the abbot, and they're going to make him a full fledged monk. And he says, okay, my son, you have two more words. And he says, I quit. And do you know what the abbot said at that point?