“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” - Psalm 46:10
For those who have subscribed for a while, there’s a conspicuous absence of a Lenten series, which I have written in the past - at least the last few years. Lent feels a bit different for me this year. Perhaps it’s because I found myself completely burnt out as 2025 rolled into 2026, so the thought of adding anything else drained my energy instead of adding to it.
There was a little bit of guilt initially. I should be focused on Lent, I should be giving something up or taking something on. I was at a conference on Ash Wednesday, and missing that sessional guidepost added to the lost feeling I’ve been carrying the last few months.
The more I think about it, though, I unconsciously was guided into what I was giving up for Lent: doing more.
Psalm 46 reminds us that God is with us. We are told to be still and know that God is God. The author of Psalm 62 finds comfort in waiting for God in silence. I need to be reminded that we’re not required to ‘do’ in order to be saved. The things we do are an outpouring from our salvation, not a requirement of it.
So when I find myself overextended, worn out, and empty - that’s when God steps in and asks me to be still, seek him and be filled.
And when I look back at Psalm 46:10, the second portion of the verse catches my eye. God will be exalted, not by anything I do, but because he is God. I am only asked to be still and know, to acknowledge, his Divinity.
So if Lent this year feels like a bit too much for you also, remember that your salvation has already come. It doesn’t hinge on a perfect observance. You are already enough. And maybe you too are hearing the call to simply rest in God and let him fill you.