One of my favorite verses in scripture comes from Psalm 46:10. It says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." What a powerful verse. But what strikes me the most is the 8 words. "Be still, and know that I am God;" But today, as I was looking at the plaque in my office with this verse, I noticed something for the first time. My plague reads, "Be still and know that I am God" and the bible reads "Be still, and know that I am God". Notice anything different? It is there. The only difference is the comma. Yes, a comma. I never noticed it before, but that comma adds so much to those 8 words. That comma forces me to pause, to be still. That comma separates the two actions. According to Harper's writing center, the purpose of a comma is to indicate to a reader when a sentence calls for a brief pause. This verse has one.
I'm not sure how many times I've read this verse and never stopped to think about it in this fashion. As I read, "Be still", I need to be still. I need to pause and let all that God is, sink into me. I need to listen to His voice, see His creation, feel His presence and power, then...then I will know that He "is God". I will never look at this verse again the same way. A comma. A simple comma serves as reminder to pause and see the wonders of our God. "Be still, and know that I am God;" (Psalm 46:10)
