Cease striving [let go, relax] and know that I am God.

~Psalm 46:10 NASB, emphasis added

Sink or swim. I would do one or the other. One of the items on my to-do list was learning how to swim. As much as I love the beach and pool, swimming was something I never learned to do.

One summer, I attended a pool party at an acquaintance’s house. While lounging around in the water, I struck up a conversation with a young lady who happened to be a swim instructor. I shared how I had always wanted to learn to swim but never got around to it. Since we had some time in the pool to ourselves while the others prepared food, she offered to help me learn to float.

As she held me up, I lay back in the water. The first thing she noticed was how tense I was. I needed to relax. And if I didn’t, this wasn’t going to go far. However, the more I thought about trying to relax, the harder it became. I was in my own way. The fear of not being in control frightened me. I knew she was there to hold me up and support me, but I was still tense and had a difficult time letting go.

After a few minutes of getting comfortable, I finally felt a bit at ease. I had to stop trying to hold myself up and let my body do what it can naturally do in the water. But the minute she moved her hands from under me, I immediately tensed. I’m sure you know what happened next. Holding on hurt rather than helped me. My inability to relax and trust something different outside of my comfort zone kept me from the thing I wanted to experience.

Reflecting on that moment in the pool, I know of other times when I have clinched so tightly to my own efforts that it became detrimental. I was on edge about circumstances that troubled me. I tried to fix them, moving from one thing to another, instead of recognizing I needed to relax and let go.

When we fully give up on trying to hold ourselves up, we can experience and rest in God’s love, trusting in the promise that He will uphold us with His righteous right hand even when it seems as if His hands aren’t there.

Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.

~Isaiah 41:10 NKJV

This verse in Isaiah is found in a passage where there was apparently some trouble (read Psalm 46:1-9). However, the instruction in verse 10 is the opposite of what many of us would do. Instead of holding to the things that caused the stress or trying to figure something out, we are instructed to

• Let go.
• Be still.
• Relax.
• Cease striving.
• And know that He is God.

 

The word know means to acknowledge, become acquainted with/aware, or to clearly understand. If we are not careful, holding on to so many things can cause unnecessary stress and distract us from shifting our attention to the Lord. We can miss the chance to pause and recognize who God is and know Him in a deeper way.

Our striving can only get us so far if God is instructing us to be still and acknowledge that He is God. It is not about us, our efforts, or our plans. We need moments when we intentionally pause and allow ourselves to float in the current of God’s grace and love. Moments when we focus on His identity, power, and Word. These are the only things worth holding onto.

What do you need to release so you can rest in God’s hand of protection?

Father God, I surrender my cares to You, for only You are able to carry me through this life to achieve what You have predetermined. I rest in You and trust You will guide me. As I let go and give You control, I trust You to make my life beautiful in Your eyes. Then, I will be hemmed in by Your hands of grace as a carefree floater. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Genre: Non-fiction

Adapted from Pages from My Heart, by Lekeisha (Ford) Maldon: Used with Permission

Copyright 2021: Sink or Swim: Lekeisha Maldon: All Rights Reserved