A Gentle Reminder to Breathe before the Rush - iBelieve Truth: A Devotional for Women - August 29, 2026
“Be still and know that I am God." – Psalm 46:10 (NIV)
Most mornings, before my feet even hit the floor, my mind has already started racing. And it’s not racing towards peace or stillness; it’s hurrying toward my to-do list for the day. Emails I need to answer. That text conversation I’ve been avoiding. The family budget I still need to balance. The library books I’ve yet to return. I need to take care of the back-to-school appointments and paperwork for my kids. And that commitment I said yes to, but I already regret adding to my schedule. Basically, I wake up feeling like everything depends on my ability to be productive, capable, and prolific.
And that’s just the first half of the day.
Do you know this feeling? When the anxious obligations begin before the day does – before coffee, before prayer or times of quiet with God, before you’ve had one moment to ground yourself in who you are and Whose you are. We live in a culture that treats hurry, hustle, and arduous to-do lists as virtuous. But then things like stillness, rest, or slowing - these are treated as luxuries.
But God has never been in a hurry.
God spoke the world into being with unhurried intention. Jesus paused among the people in the middle of crowds that pressed him to move faster. He stepped away from crowds to simply be. And the Holy Spirit gives us peace that passes all understanding (Phil. 4:7) – not peace that pushes us to live exhausted lives. In a culture of productivity and rush, Psalm 46, known as a Psalm of Confidence, reminds us to be still.
Be still.
These ancient words were actually written in the middle of turmoil. The Psalm opens loudly—with violent earthquakes, furious seas, and uproarious nations. But amid those disturbances, the psalmist makes a confident promise: God is our refuge and strength, our ever-present help in trouble. And God’s Kingdom is made up of rivers of gladness, not waters of chaos. In other words, the stillness of Psalm 46:10 is not a stress-free, vacation-coded life; it is the calmness of a soul that has chosen to anchor itself in God’s presence, rather than in chaos.
The first part of the verse– “be still” – raphah in Hebrew– means to sink down, release, let go. This is as much a physical image as a spiritual one. It’s the kind of peacefulness that requires us to loosen our grip on what we’ve been white-knuckling, and to let go of the belief that everything rests on our shoulders. Being still is letting go of the belief that the day succeeds or fails based on your ability to hold everything together. That is the ground we are invited to anchor ourselves in, before the pressures of the day begin.
The second part, “and know that I am God,” is telling us to acknowledge (literally, to admit or say aloud) that God is God, even in the midst of a hectic schedule - especially in the midst of a hectic schedule. This is not a passive acknowledgment either. The scripture reminds us to actively acknowledge God’s power. So, before the rush of the day tells you that everything depends on you, you are invited to remember that God is God and you–and your to-do list and Google calendar—are not.
Psalm 46:10 is your gentle reminder to breathe before the rush. Here are a few ways to do that:
- Build a before-the-rush ritual. This doesn’t have to be long. Take five minutes before checking your calendar, email, or phone, five minutes of lying in bed or sitting quietly and just breathing. During those five minutes, I like to say, “Good morning, Holy Spirit. I need you today.” Take those moments to acknowledge your dependence on God’s power before the day makes its demands.
- Practice breath prayer. An ancient spiritual discipline, breath prayer is simply praying a short phrase in sync with your breathing. Try inhaling and saying: Be still. Then exhale: You are God. Repeat this four times or so. This can be practiced anywhere– in the car before a hard meeting, in the middle of a hectic afternoon, in the shower before work. This is a simple way of breathing before the rush begins.
- Name one thing you want to release to God today. You don’t have to name your whole list; just release one thing. Maybe it’s the conversation you are dreading or the outcome you can’t control. Maybe it’s the person you are worried about. Releasing is you practicing Psalm 46:10- and placing your stress in better hands – God’s hands. What would it change about your day if you paused for a few moments before the rush took over?
Let's pray ...
God,
You are my refuge, my strength, and my very present help in trouble. I come to you day—before I open my phone or look at my calendar, before the burden of the day settles onto my shoulders. And before I forget, yet again, that I was never meant to carry it all alone. Holy Spirit, help me to acknowledge my dependence on You every morning. Jesus, help me soak in Your refreshing presence. Father, help me know, in the weary places of my soul and body and busy brain, that You are God and I am not. Let Your rest and peace wash over me.
Please quiet the part of my soul that believes everything depends on me - on my effort and my capabilities at balancing it all perfectly. Help me to let go, even for a moment, of the stress that I cling to. And let the truth of you who are - God over the earthquake, God over the roaring seas, God over my calendar, God over my to-do list - be the ground I stand on before my feet hit the floor. I breathe in: You are God. I breathe out: Be still. I rest in what I know: I am your beloved daughter.
Amen.
What truth from today’s devotional is God using to encourage your heart? Share your reflection and join our conversation in the iBelieve Truth Devotional Forum.
Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Jirapong Manustrong
Related Resource: How Faith Finds Us When Life Takes a Detour
Joining us this week is worship leader turned viral comedian Heather Land. After growing up in the shadow of her mother’s decades-long addiction, Heather reflects on how this painful season—alongside her unexpected shift from the worship stage to the world of comedy—taught her that while our paths may take unforeseen turns, our core calling to encourage and uplift others remains constant.
Later in the episode, we’ll hear from Rachel Kessler, an Episcopal priest and Kenyon College chaplain who completed her PhD in medieval studies at the University of Toronto before pivoting to seminary after hitting academic burnout, then built a following as the “Nerdy Priest” on TikTok after a student secretly downloaded the app on her phone.
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