史上第一張拍到人的照片，是法國發明家路易·達蓋爾（Louis Daguerre）於1838年所拍攝的。照片顯示了一個人在中午時分，站在巴黎空蕩蕩的大街上。但這其中顯然有令人不解之處，因在那段時間，人行道和車道上應該是熙來攘往的行人與絡繹不絕的馬車，可是在照片中都沒有看到。

其實，照片裡的這個人並不是單獨一人。這張照片拍攝於巴黎繁華熱鬧的聖殿大道，當時一定有許多人與馬匹在那裡，只是沒有出現在照片中。達蓋爾發明的銀版攝影法需要七分鐘的曝光時間才能捕捉到影像，而且在七分鐘內，拍攝主體必須保持靜止。顯然人行道上的這個人之所以能被拍到，乃因他是當時唯一靜止不動的人，他正站著讓人給他擦皮鞋。

有時候，靜止不動所帶來的結果是行動和努力無法達到的。在詩篇46篇10節，上帝告訴祂的子民：「你們要休息，要知道我是上帝！」即使列國喧嚷（6節），大地搖動（2節），但安靜信靠上帝的人會發現，上帝「是我們在患難中隨時的幫助」（1節）。

在這裡被譯為「休息」的希伯來文，也可譯為「住手」（新譯本）或「安靜」（當代譯本修訂版）。當我們安靜下來，不魯莽行動，只倚靠上帝，而不倚靠自己，我們就會發現，上帝是我們最穩固的避難所和力量（1節）。

The first photograph of a living person was taken by Louis Daguerre in 1838. The photo depicts a figure on an otherwise empty avenue in Paris in the middle of an afternoon. But there’s an apparent mystery about it; the street and sidewalks should have been bustling with the traffic of carriages and pedestrians at that time of day, yet none can be seen.

The man wasn’t alone. People and horses were there on the busy Boulevard du Temple, the popular area where the photo was taken. They just didn’t show up in the picture. The exposure time to process the photograph (known as a Daguerreotype) took seven minutes to capture an image, which had to be motionless during that time. It appears that the man on the sidewalk was the sole person photographed because he was the only one standing still—he was having his boots shined.

Sometimes stillness accomplishes what motion and effort can’t. God tells His people in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God.” Even when nations are “in uproar” (v. 6) and “the earth” shakes (v. 2), those who quietly trust in Him will discover in Him “an ever-present help in trouble” (v. 1).

The Hebrew verb rendered “be still” can also be translated “cease striving.” When we rest in God instead of relying on our limited efforts, we discover Him to be our unassailable “refuge and strength” (v. 1).