God has been directing me into a place I will call “Standing still”. There are many passages in the Bible where God reminds us to be quiet, to stand, to be still, why? Because when we do this, we take ourselves out of the way and God can move for us. He can place us in the position we are called to be in, he can speak to and for us; He can use us!
Often our time seems to be consumed with the demands of life, personal entertainment, work, friendships, etc. He longs for communication with us. We are created to be the sons and daughters of God, but many times we don’t even acknowledge Him because we have become so busy we claim we do not have the time. But the Lord would have us choose a better way.
It is important to note that busyness prohibits us to really listen. When we become so busy we cannot hear anything but our own agenda we lose sight of God’s purpose for the day, the week, even our lifetime. Prayer is essential to our relationship with God; to pray unceasingly. This does not mean you become sanctimonious and arrogant walking through life with your eyes closed in posture; but to have open communication in your heart and mind to speak to God, and hear Him speaking to you. He longs to communicate with you, he longs to hear you. Yes, He is all seeing, and all knowing, He knows your thoughts before you do, but it is the action of communication with Him that pleases Him, and changes you into the person you are meant to be. In true humility, setting aside our selfish desires, our motives; becoming a servant in truth we find peace and contentment. The secrets of our heart are exposed in His light; and He will fulfill the desires of our heart if we submit to His will.
“God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” Psalms 46:1
When life becomes overwhelming with hurt, disappointment and trials, it would really be a benefit to us if we could remember that there is a place we can run to that will protect us, nourish us, give us strength and courage, and that is right into the safety of God’s arms!
“Therefore we will not fear, Even though the earth be removed, And though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; Though its water roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn. Psalms 46:2-5
Fear disarms us of faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God. But how do we stop fear; that paralyzing terror of what is known, or even unknown? How do we drown out the noise of our own imaginations screaming to be heard? How do we make the voices of others proclaiming catastrophe, and speaking failure into our lives to cease? God wants us to KNOW that no matter what is going on around us, no matter what the circumstances we find ourselves in, no matter where we are He is in control. He is in to the midst of us. HE LIVES, he dwells, IN us. If we can really get a hold of that reality; that God LIVES in us, what could really come against us and succeed?
“The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Psalms 46:6-7
It really doesn’t matter how fierce an enemy, how strong and seemingly insurmountable a circumstance is, or that chaos is surrounding you like a storm. When God speaks to you and into your life those things must fall away from you, we must refuse to carry them with us; if we will have faith and we seek Him as our refuge we can do ALL things!
When God speaks everything else seems to melt away in comparison. Only we must hear Him in order for us to receive the benefit of His voice in our life! How? By taking a deep breath, calming our spirit, and sitting still so that He can speak. Think about it. Can you really talk effectively to someone who is jumping up and down, spewing off all their thoughts, fears, concerns, and not really listening to what you have to say? It’s the same with the Father; we have to LISTEN in order to hear. He speaks to us many ways; through His written word, He speaks to our hearts, our minds, through others. But we must be willing to LISTEN.
“Come; behold the works of the Lord, Who has made desolations in the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow and cuts the spear in two; He burns the chariot in the fire. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth: The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.” Psalms 46:8-11
God wants to work wonders and miracles in our lives. This is a call to look back in history how God has destroyed cities, kingdoms, nations, for the sake of His own. He can bring peace where peace seems like just a wild dream. He can destroy the weapons of enemies; and simply cut off their resource to harm you. Only he wants us to BE STILL, to calm our hearts and minds, to listen to His voice, and realize that HE is God, and He has a plan and purpose for our lives! Plans to prosper you, and never harm you. He is your hope and refuge.
Sometimes we feel alone, and that God has abandoned us; our lives seem filled with chaos, desolation, and hopelessness. Our thoughts are centered on what is surrounding us, the atmosphere around us, and the actions of others who oppose us. We often cannot see the hand of God who holds us.
The thermometer of our faith has fallen very low; the pulse of our hope is faint, and our heartbeat of motivation irregular. We have become ill with worry, and the screaming of circumstances in our lives has deafened our ears to hear the voice of God.
Lord help us to rely on You; to recognize that You are always present with us, and that you will never leave us forsaken. Increase our faith and our knowledge that even in our turmoil You are holding us close, that Your love is surrounding us and that in our weaknesses You show Yourself strong!
Open our eyes to see that our God is a miracle working God, nothing is impossible for You to accomplish! Open our hearts Lord to hear Your voice clearly, and give us a heart of obedience. Lord give us boldness to look at our “mountain’ (a symbol of difficulty in our life) and command it to move, with faith and surety that if we believe it MUST move.
Heal us from our worries, and let gladness replace our sorrows. Let faith arise in us, help us to recognize that You hold us in Your hand, and in You is safety and peace.
My goal is to learn to stand during chaos, and be still, to be silent and let God move in my behalf. The voice of defeat is a loss of faith, the sound of murmuring and complaining cuts off the blessings God has in store for us. I will bless the Lord at all times, and magnify His holy name. I will trust and believe that the word of my God is exalted in my life. Amen