Be Still

“Be still, and know that I am God:
I will be exalted among the heathen,
I will be exalted in the earth.
(Psalm 46:10)

AS THE CLIMAX of Psalm 46, this verse is not so much about meditation as it is about the mediation of God’s kingdom in the heart of faith. The command to “be still” comes from the Hiphil stem of the verb rapha (meaning to be weak, to let go, to release), which might better be translated as, “cause yourselves to let go” or “let yourselves become weak” (in poetic contexts, the noun form rephai’im was sometimes used as a synonym for “the place of the dead”).

But to what end are we to “be still,” “let go,” “surrender,” and even to “die to ourselves”? In Hebrew grammar, the emphasis of coordinate imperatives (“be still!” and “know!”) is on the second imperative. In other words, we surrender in order to know that God is in control as Ribbono Shel Olam – the Master of the Universe. We “let go” in order to objectively know the saving power of God in our lives. We give up trusting in ourselves and our own designs in order to experience the glory of God’s all-sufficiency (Ex 14:14).

When we confess the truth about who we really are – weak, feeble, and ineffectual, especially in light of the cosmic movements of history – we can surrender our desire to control outcomes and entrust the care of the world to God. Indeed, even though the present world be shaken (v 2), with the nations raging and the kingdoms of men tottering (v 6), we will not fear, since we know that God is our present help in time of trouble (v 1).

The city of God will one day be established upon the earth (vv 4-5), and the schemes of the “princes of this world” will all become desolate (vv 8-9), but in the coming kingdom the Lord Most High (el elyon) will be exalted among the nations, and Jesus will forever be exalted among His original covenant people Israel.

Meanwhile, “set your minds on things that are above, not on things on the earth; for you are dead, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you will also appear with Him in glory” (Col 3:2-4).

Yes, “be still” – in order to know that the Lord God of Israel reigns!

- John. J Parsons

Story of a Nail

Don't look down on me just because I seem to be an insignificant nail. I traveled the world and I've seen much in life. The highlight of my life was the day I was taken by a Roman soldier along a dusty road that led to Calvary.

When he took me out of his bag, I saw three men waiting to be crucified. Serve them right, these criminals ! But there was something different about the man in the middle. Those weeping women called him "Messiah". A plaque on the cross read 'King of the Jews". So this was no ordinary man. He seemed to be well loved and respected. I hate to see this man die. For once, I wish I wasn't a nail.

A soldier placed me at the wrist of the man in the middle and hammered me in. "Ouch, ouch!" my head hurts. How self-centered I was. The pain must have been excruciating for Him, but He was silent. As his head turned, I saw those eyes. They were not eyes of anger and hatred, but of love and compassion. I heard him say, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing."

There was something I didn't understand. What crime has He committed? "He claimed to be the Son of God," one woman told another. But... to be crucified for that? Later i gathered it had to do with what man called "sin". This man had to bear the sins of the world. That sounded pretty heavy. Poor man.

It wasn't long before He breathed His last. Honestly, I was sad to see Him die. If He claimed to be God, and if it is true, surely He can save Himself? Why didn't He come down from the cross? My fellow nails and I secured Him to the cross. But it was love, love for the world that held Him there.

The story of a simple nail triggered much thought about all that Jesus had done. Who drove those nails? Was it the crowd-pleasing Pilate? The religious establishment of the day? Or the dutiful Roman soldiers?

The apostle Paul, in addressing the crowd at Pentecost, said, " ... and you, with the help of wicked men, put him to death by nailing Him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him" (Acts 2:22-24)

It was our sins that drove those nails! And it was love, God's love for us that held His Son to the cross.

This Easter, as we ponder on the significance of our Savior's death and resurrection, may we love Him even more. Let us take this opportunity to bring someone into the loving embrace of his nail-scarred hands.

- Campus Crusade

Overcoming the Fear Factor

Worry, fear, and anxiety were never meant to be a part of our vocabulary, and yet most of us worry more than we’d care to admit. What are you afraid of? Are you scared of waking up to an intruder in the middle of the night? Perhaps it’s flying on an airplane. Maybe it’s the fear of sending your child off to college. Perhaps your greatest fear is not being able to provide for your family. Most of us can find something that haunts us.

Panic best describes the emotion I felt when the nurse rolled Jimmy out into the living room. Both of his legs and most of his fingers had been amputated. Jimmy was the father of my son’s friend. Beset with diabetes, he was at the end of his life, but refused to let go. Concerned about whether Jimmy knew the Lord or not, I had phoned his wife, Juanita, and asked if I could visit him. I wanted to be sure that Jimmy would meet his Creator as Savior and not as Judge.

Jimmy’s deteriorating condition took me by surprise. When I saw him I was terrified. I whispered to the Lord under my breath, "Oh, God, how can I minister to this man when I don't know what he's been through?" Even though I was scared stiff, somehow I knew God would show up to do what I couldn’t do. That’s exactly what He did because God has given us this promise. ““I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13).

As Jimmy and I talked, it was apparent that he knew the Father, but I sensed there was more. We weren’t far into our conversation when I discovered the real trouble with Jimmy — he was afraid to die.

I told Jimmy Bible stories about God sending angels to people in need, people just like him. Those angels had a special message: “Fear not, for God is with you!” As I shared with Jimmy, peace washed over his face as he received the message for himself.

At Jimmy's funeral his wife shared Jimmy’s last moments with me. Jimmy would often wake from his sleep wide-eyed and call out, "I'm afraid!" Juanita would pat him gently and remind him of God's promise: "Don't be afraid, Jimmy. God is with you." Then he would sleep again. The last time Jimmy opened his eyes, he just stared at the ceiling. His wife asked, "Jimmy, are you afraid?" Jimmy whispered, "No, I'm not afraid. I'm just looking at the angels." With that, Jimmy stepped from this world into the next.

I find it interesting that while Jimmy’s outcome didn’t change, the way he experienced death changed because he trusted in the promise of God. I experienced this same truth in my life. Even though I pleaded with God to save my first husband from death, it wasn’t God’s plan. Yet I chose to trust God’s purpose. In spite of my fear, I chose to believe what I couldn’t understand. Doing so changed the way I journeyed through life and the valley of death. I had a companion named Jesus.

Jimmy’s story reminds me that when I’m afraid, I need not fret because the same promise God made to Jimmy, He makes to you and me: “Fear not, child, for I am with you.” In fact, did you know that the phrase “fear not” is stated in the Bible 366 times? That’s one “fear not” for every day of the year, with one extra left over for those really hard days. Why does God faithfully remind us over and over to “fear not”? He does so because we are not created to live in fear. Second Timothy 1:7 tells us, “For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.” You and I were created to live by faith, and in God, we have all the power we need for a faith that is stronger than all our fears.

It’s a Problem of Faith

The truth is, most of what we worry about never comes to pass, but we insist on tormenting ourselves anyway. Worrying about what may or may not happen can nearly drive us crazy. A lot can go wrong in life, but God doesn’t want us to become worrywarts.

It takes faith to battle fear and learn to live with assurance in a God we can bank on. Unfortunately, most people go through life missing opportunities because they’re afraid to really live the way God intended. Fear becomes a stumbling block that leaves us with regrets. Relying on our faith allows us to live fearlessly.

False Advertisement

My youngest son loves chocolate milk. One day as I stirred syrup into a tall glass of milk, I noticed that the label on the bottle read “Genuine Artificial Flavor.” I was shocked! What appeared to be look and taste real was actually artificial! I felt cheated and deceived. This was false advertisement.

In the same way, the father of lies specializes in false advertisement. He’s good at making our fears look real when they are not. In fact, Satan’s greatest tool for causing us to doubt God’s protection is the fear that God will not follow through with His promises. The Enemy works hard to convince us that God is too busy to do anything about our concerns. If anything is going to be done about our situation, we’ll have to do it ourselves. Like the boogeyman, Satan’s spooks are all smoke and mirrors. We can easily expose his trickery by determining if there is really something to fear or if our concerns are simply…

False
Evidence
Appearing
Real

This acrostic for fear is the kind of shock wave Satan uses to stun us. While the sting of fright feels real, in truth it’s merely the trickery of Satan that gets our heart pounding. It’s important for you and me to determine if our fears are real or simply Satan’s hocus-pocus. If it’s a real concern, I heed its warning. On the other hand, if my worry is false evidence that just appears real, then I know the Enemy is involved.

You may be skeptical right now, but when you realize you were created for faith, not fear, things will begin to change for you. You’ll learn how to rely on God’s care while giving Him your cares, you’ll be able to identify His goodness and mercy in your life, and you’ll overcome your fears of loneliness and insecurity. Before you know it, you’ll be able to say along with Paul, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”

- Micca Campbell, An Untroubled Heart: Finding a Faith That Is Stronger Than All My Fears

Father's Love

A gentle hand to just demonstrate and teach when it is needed

A gentle hand on the shoulders while crossing the road

Simple and yet heart warming gestures of a Father's Love

The Lord's Prayer

Our Father, who art in heaven,

I begin with an endearing term of relationship, 'Father'. Remind me today that you live and reign, not in heaven only but all around me and in my life. Make me aware of your active presence all day, in all my undertakings and in the people I meet.

Hallowed by your name,

How can i recognise you - in the splendour of nature, in the odd mix of people I meet, in the still voice that calls me to be more like you? May I 'hallow' what lies before me, by consciously referring it to you, and also honour your perfection, your holiness, by seeking to become more like you.

Your kingdom come,

Yes, and allow me to be an agent of that kingdom by bringing peace to the anxious, grace to the needy and your love to all whom i touch. May people believe in your reign of goodness because of how I live today.

Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

I see that will most clearly in Jesus, who healed the sick and comforted the grieving, who lifted up the downtrodden, who stood always for life and not death, for hope and not despair, for freedom and not bondage. He lived out heaven's will on earth. Help me be like Jesus

Give us today our daily bread.

We have no guarantee of a day beyond this one. May i trust you for what I need today nourishment for both today and soul, and not worry about future needs and wants. May I also be ever responsive to those who lack bread today.

Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

Remind me of my true state, as a debtor who can never buy my way into your favour. Thank God, I do not have to. Grant me the same attitude of forgiving grace towards those who own me, and who have wronged me, that you show towards me.

And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

Let me not slide mindlessly towards evil today.Make me alert to its temptations and strong to resist it, with neither fear nor regret.

- Prayer, Does it make any difference ?

Honoring God

Probably the most important thing that negative emotions reveal is our own self-centeredness. We need to admit our level of self-centeredness, because out of such an admission comes the freedom to refocus our expectations away from God's creation and onto God Himself.

God doesn't require us to succeed; he only requires that you try.
- Mother Teresa

Loving one another truly

"The most insecure people are those who can't distance themselves from their loved ones enough to discipline them. Loving discipline may put a temporary emotional distance between people, but if we balance that hard-side correction with softness, we won't lose love. If anything, we'll enrich it." - Gary and Norma Smalley