Be Still and Know — It’s Deeper Than You Think

Be Still and Know — It’s Deeper Than You Think

Recently, I began a life coaching series with Kurt Mahler, founder of Courage for Your Calling. Kurt is a true prophetic leader and a personal hero of mine—someone who carries both the weight of God’s Word and the gentleness of His Spirit. His life and voice have helped shape mine for many years, and now I’m honored to be in a season of intentional growth under his guidance.

One of the first topics we’ve begun exploring together is called “Forge the Sword”—a focused journey into the critical discipline of stillness before God. The name itself is powerful: forging a sword implies heat, precision, waiting, and transformation. In the same way, the Lord forges something deep within us when we make space to be still in His presence.

During my first session practicing this discipline, something unexpected happened.

I had a passing, almost random thought: “What kind of ‘knowing’ is God referring to in Psalm 46:10 when He says, ‘Be still and know that I am God’?” The phrase stirred me. I knew the verse well, but I had never paused to wonder about the Hebrew word used for “know.”

So I did what any good Bible nerd would do—I looked it up.

And what I found stopped me in my tracks.

The Hebrew word used in Psalm 46:10 is “yada” (יָדַע)—the same word used in Genesis 4:1: “Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore a son.”

That’s not a casual knowing. That’s intimate, experiential, life-producing knowing. And suddenly it all made sense.

When God invites us to “Be still and know,” He’s inviting us to experience Him with the same kind of closeness, trust, and intimacy that exists in a covenant relationship.

This knowing is not intellectual. It’s not theological. It’s relational.

It’s a knowing that comes when we stop striving, sit in His presence, and allow ourselves to encounter the One who knows us best.

And here’s what blew my mind:

Just like intimacy between husband and wife brings forth life, intimacy with God births something deep in our spirits.

When we take time outside of our activities and performance to be still and know God, something happens within us. We become pregnant with His purpose, His thoughts, and His heart for our lives.

Ideas are conceived.
Destinies are awakened.
Callings are clarified.
Fruit begins to grow—not by effort, but by presence.

In our culture of constant motion, God is calling us back to stillness. Not to waste time, but to receive His life in us. Stillness is the spiritual womb where the plans of God are formed.

This one Hebrew word—yada—has opened a door for me, and I believe it’s a door for you too. It’s a door into the deep, loving friendship of God, where we stop trying to do for Him and start learning how to be with Him.

So here’s my encouragement to you:

Slow down.
Be still.
Wait on Him.
Let Him speak.
Let Him love.
Let Him plant His purpose deep in your spirit.

The knowing He’s inviting you into is not just informational—it’s transformational. It’s intimate. And it’s fruitful.

David A. Harris, Sr.
Spiritual Growth Foundation