Tag Archives: hope

Be Still

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“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”
Psalm 46:10-11, NIV*

The Psalm opens with “God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.” (Psalm 46:1, NIV) From there, the writer expands on both the greatness of God and the magnitude of the trouble.

“Be still, and know that I am God.” Or as the New American Standard Bible translates it, “Cease striving.” The context makes me think this “Be still” is addressed to the clamouring nations, but it also applies to the frantic Israelites.

Personally, I paraphrase it as “Stop fighting the universe.”

Be still… cease striving… stop fighting. Sounds good, but once we’re wound up we can’t stop. We’re like a toddler on overload who needs a loving parent to draw her into a big hug and whisper “shhh” against her hair.

Know that I am God…. When we’re still, we can see… experience… understand… learn that He is God.

How? By what He whispers to our hearts? By experiencing His presence? By seeing Him work in our circumstances? All this, and more.

Father, please calm our spirits. Still our souls until we can rest in You.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Let Don Francisco’s song, “Still Your Soul in Silence,” bless you today.

There’s a related post, “Be Still”, at the Moses Free Spirit Missionary Baptist Church Blog. Honest, I wrote mine on my own, and didn’t see this one until May 13/08! I guess the Spirit was whispering “be still” to a lot of us.

Another related post: Rest in God.

Another related post: Being Still.

Wait in Hope

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“But as for me, I will look to the Lord and confident in Him I will keep watch; I will wait with hope and expectancy for the God of my salvation; my God will hear me.” Micah 7:7 (AMP)*

Micah writes this at a time when people are so corrupt that he says you can’t even trust your own friend or lover. Yet he looks ahead to the day God will forgive his people’s sin and restore them.

Wait for God. Not impatiently, arms folded, toes tapping. Not passively, resigned or wondering if He’ll really show up.

Hope in God. Not wish-hoping, like I hope it’s warm on the weekend. Expectantly anticipating, securely confident in Him. Actively putting our trust in Him, knowing He cannot fail.

Talk to God. Not complaining or blaming, although He understands if that’s how we start. But finish with praise. He doesn’t need to hear how wonderful He is, but we need to remind ourselves. When we’re looking at how big God is, our problems come into a better perspective and we can trust Him to look after us. We can worship.

Worship.

In the waiting.

If you can, take five minutes to listen to “In the Waiting,” by the group FFH. 

*Amplified Bible (AMP) Copyright © 2015 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, CA 90631. All rights reserved.

 

God Sees

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“I cannot find God anywhere—in front or back of me, to my left or my right. God is always at work, though I never see him. But he knows what I am doing, and when he tests me, I will be pure as gold.” Job 23:8-10 CEV*

When he says this, Job is enduring unimaginable suffering. And his friends’ pious half-truths aren’t helping. He wishes he could find God and plead his case in person. His conscience is clean, and he knows he’s not suffering as a punishment. Why won’t God rescue him?

Pastor Charles Price (www.livingtruth.ca) caught my attention by paraphrasing the verse this way: “I don’t know where God is in this, but He knows where I am. And when it’s over, I’ll emerge as gold.”

His point was, sometimes things are so hard that we can’t see God anywhere. But don’t panic. God sees us. Where we can only see the problems and pain, He sees how He plans to bring good from it.

I link this to one of my favourite comfort verses: “Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.” Isaiah 50:10b, NIV.**

When we don’t understand, when all we have is questions and pain, we can choose to trust God. He knows. He loves us. And He will never abandon us.

A song for those hard times: Casting Crowns’ “Praise You in This Storm.”

*Contemporary English Version (CEV) Copyright © 1995 by American Bible Society

**New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

Our Good Shepherd

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He will stand and shepherd his flock
in the strength of the LORD,
in the majesty of the name of the LORD his God.
And they will live securely, for then his greatness
will reach to the ends of the earth.
And he will be their peace.
Micah 5:4-5a (NIV)*

This seems to be one of those prophecies with different stages. Ultimately, Jesus will return. Every knee will bow, and every tongue confess to God. (Romans 14:11) The world will know He is LORD.

But today, He rules in Christians’ hearts and lives. He stands – a warrior who cannot be overcome – and shepherds us. He stands in strength, majesty and power. Despite our circumstances, our hearts can be secure – we can live securely – because He is shepherding us.

And He will be our peace.

Be our peace, Jesus, even in the storms. Nothing can separate us from You, and You’ll never abandon us. Strengthen our faith to trust You.

*New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.