RAPHAH

RAPHAH. BE STILL

I would love Raphah in cursive as My first tattoo.  maybe just below my bra line or on the very side of my foot. Not sure exactly where but i'm sure i want it. 

Be still has always been the strong words of God in my life. Through a period where my Cousin committed suicide God reminded me to be still. 

This article explains what i mean when i say be still. 

It is knowing Gos is bigger, to not worry but to drop it all at his feet and seek him fully. Then we can be healed and his plans will be revealed. 

Be still and know that i am God is from psalm 49:10 in the bible

RAPHAH is the Hebrew word for Be still.

A song called Be still and know i am God was played at my cousins funeral. 

And throughout my trials i am reminded of Gods love, power and in that i feel peace. 

So be still and know God is God. 

RAPHAH.

Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exulted in the earth.

Psalm 46:10

The traditional translation of the Hebrew word raphah in Psalm 46:10 is Be still. Be still and know that I am God. we are quite familiar with that version. But, we might not realize that raphah implies a good deal more than sitting quietly. God is not interested in bowed heads and folded hands. He has something else in mind here. To understand His perspective, we need to see the others uses of this form of the verb.

Joshua 10:6 translates raphah as abandon. Deuteronomy 4:31 uses forsake or fail. Psalm 37:8 uses ?cease.? Judges 11:37 translates as let alone. What is the similarity In every case, this form of raphah carries the idea of letting go of something. Thats the imagery we need in Psalm 46:10. God is not asking us to be quiet. He is asking us to let go of everything else that demands our attention. He is commanding us to stop the striving, frantic business of living. He is requesting our full and undivided attention. Then, and only then, will the second part of the verse become reality.

Do I have to sneak away to a quiet corner to enter into this relationship with God No, I dont! (But it helps!) Even in a quiet corner my mind can be so full of myself and my world that I cannot hear or know the God of creation. I could stand on a crowded street corner in Brazil and be so attentive to God that the world ceased to exist for me. Location is not the question. Neither is physical posture. Face down or face up makes no difference. What matters supremely is the discipline of abandoning the constant stream of distraction. I must enter into the heavenly throne room and stand or kneel in the presence of the All Mighty. God must fill my mind and heart until everything about me and my world is pushed out of the picture. Such discipline takes practice (or epiphany). Usually years of practice. Thats why I begin by finding the quiet corner or secret place. Whatever helps me enter into His presence and His presence alone is a useful tool. Whatever does not help must be abandoned, even if its the choir or the organist.

Do you want to know God? He invites us into His presence. But the steps to get there are up to us. Abandon, forsake and cease. Let go of everything that keeps you occupied with the important but trivial. The bigger the gap between you and your life, the closer you will come to Him.

Be still. Raphah