Be Still
BRD REFLECTION 2026
Matthew 12:22-37 and Psalm 50:16-23 (NIV)
(Ivy Ho, Discipleship and Nurture)
READ:
The following verses stood out to me:
Matthew 12:30-32
30 “Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. 31 And so I tell you, every kind of sin and slander can be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.32 Anyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.
Psalm 50:22
22 “Consider this, you who forget God,
or I will tear you to pieces, with no one to rescue you:
OBSERVE:
In this passage in Matthew, the Pharisees rejected Jesus’ authority in expelling the demon from the blind and mute man. Jesus rebutted the Pharisees and went on to say that whoever is against Him is against God, blaspheming God’s spirit is an unforgivable sin. A parallel message can be found in Psalm 50:22, “…you who forget God, or I will tear you into pieces, with no one to rescue you.”
APPLY:
This is a stern warning that it is an “unforgivable sin” and no one can rescue me when I reject or forget God. I often find myself lost in the “storms” around me. Instead of turning to God and trusting His authority over my struggle, I try to get out by relying on my human wisdom. Like the Pharisees questioning Jesus’ authority, I doubt God’s presence and that plunges me into deeper despair. The readings reveal to me another verse in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” In the middle of the “storms” around me, I just need to recognize God’s authority and be still, surrender and trust Him, I can be found in His silence.
DO:
No matter how many “storms” there are surrounding me, I shall remind myself that I will not be lost if I hold on to God’s authority. I just need to be still, and have no need to strive or fight. God’s authority can calm all “storms”.
PRAY:
Forgive me Lord, when I take matters into my own hand, trusting myself more than You. Forgive me when I forget You and doubt Your presence. Let me just be still in the middle of all the “storms” around me, trusting that You will fight and shield me, and I can rest in You. Amen.
