Paulette and I recently returned from a vacation tour of Panama. One part of the tour was a small boat ride around some of the islands in Gatun Lake, which is the water source for the Panama Canal. This part of Panama receives over 150 inches of rainfall a year, and the uninhabited islands are covered with tropical rainforest. On the ride we saw beautiful flowers, large trees of many types, hanging vines that looked like they could support Tarzan, and animals including monkeys and sloths.

Near the end of the ride the guide told the six of us in the boat to duck, and he took the boat under some overhanging branches. When we reached the other side, we found ourselves in a grotto-like pool, about sixty feet in diameter. It was very dark, since the sky was hidden by the interlocking branches of the large surrounding trees. He stopped the engine, and there was complete quiet, except for the faint trickling noise of a very small waterfall. None of us spoke, and we breathed quietly; even the birds were silent.

To me it was a spiritual moment. As I reflected, two things came to mind. The first was the wonderful hymn “Be Still, My Soul” whose tune is based on Finlandia by the Finnish composer Sibelius. It opens with “Be still, my soul: the Lord is on your side.” The second was the Bible verse “Be still and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10). To me they both say that not only should I be quiet and meditate, but that I should quit concentrating on my own efforts and instead have faith and confidence in God.

When I returned home I found that all of Psalm 46 guides us to have confidence in God’s strength. Please read Psalm 46 and remember: God loves YOU unconditionally.

Jim

“He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.’
The Lord Almighty is with us;
the God of Jacob is our fortress.” Psalm 46:10-11