Psalms 46:1-11 ESV God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way, though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble at its swelling. Selah
There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High. God is in the midst of her; she shall not be moved; God will help her when morning dawns. The nations rage, the kingdoms totter; he utters his voice, the earth melts. The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Come, behold the works of the Lord , how he has brought desolations on the earth. He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the chariots with 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 fortress. Selah
From YouVersion Reading Plan Presence-Filled Prayer:Experiencing God in Prayer by First15
In a world where the chaos of continual motion has become normal, we desperately need times spent simply being still. Maybe the most powerful declaration we can make to God, others, and ourselves that everything is going to be okay is to choose to be still. Our loving Father is beckoning us to simply come be still before him.
Too often we feel bad if we take just a minute to stop working. There’s always something else we can do. There’s always a problem to fix, a book to read, a sermon to write. What do you have to offer if you're always burnt out and tired? What does it say to others about the God that is supposedly leading you if your fingers are always worked to the bone? What will the result of all that work if you're not doing it refreshed and in God’s strength?
Verse 10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” He alone is God. He will be exalted. It’s not on you. It’s not even about you. This is all about God. When you don’t take time to stop working and remember that, it's easy to make it all about you. You need to experience God’s presence in the stillness to learn to have the faith to experience his presence in the chaos.
Guided Prayer:
Meditate on Psalm 46:10. Allow the power of God’s word to stir your faith to rest and be still.
“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!”
Let’s do the single most counter-cultural thing we could do, and be still.
I preached a sermon, on faith, a couple of weeks ago and I said When we are surrounded with difficulties and don’t know what to do, we should fear not and stand still. We can’t make food appear when we don’t know where we will get our next meal. We can’t make cancer go away just because we don’t want to be sick. We can’t make that employer hire us just because we want that job. The only thing we can do is what Moses told the Israelites when they were trapped between the pursuing Egyptians and the Red Sea;
Exodus 14:13 ESV And Moses said to the people, "Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord , which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
The Lord will fight for you, you just have to be still until He says move.
2 Chronicles 20:15 ESV And he said, "Listen, all Judah and inhabitants of Jerusalem and King Jehoshaphat: Thus says the Lord to you, 'Do not be afraid and do not be dismayed at this great horde, for the battle is not yours but God's.
The secret of faith is to fear not and stand still. God will act. Isaiah said,
Isaiah 40:30-31 ESV Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.
Choosing to be still requires faith. It requires trust. It requires taking ourselves out of the center of everything and putting God there instead. It is the act of choosing to abide rather than strive.
John 15:5, 11 ESV I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.
About First 15. First15 offers worship, a devotional thought, and a guided prayer for every day. Meeting with God in the first 15 minutes of your day, experiencing his presence and being empowered by his Spirit will change your life. For more information visit their website https://www.first15.org/