I came across a post on my face book page that talked about God putting us in a holding pattern at times. You can find it here:
A holding pattern like an airplane waiting to land until all is safe. This is not a place people like to be. Waiting. We don't like to wait, but we will all have times of waiting. Sometimes they are orchestrated by God. I tucked this information away to chew on. A couple of weeks later during my prayer time I felt these words of God impressed to me. "Be Still And Know That I Am God" . I hadn't been thinking about that verse, but I think God wanted me to think about it. To take it in. To believe it. The verse is found in Psalms 46:10 It reads: Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
I think my first thoughts were...I know You are God. Be still? Be still? My mind started contemplating on why God was asking me to be still. Surely He knows what all is on my plate and all the things that fall to me to take care of. Be still....that sounds like a luxury, like a vacation. But that is not the whole message. Be still and know that He is God. It is like He is saying, put yourself in a holding pattern and think about how powerful and loving I am.
I finished my devotion and prayer time and began my day still pondering what God was saying. One of my tasks for that day was to do some Christmas shopping. I had seen a little bench with a scripture verse in an advertisement from a nearby shop. I couldn't remember what verse was on it was...but I thought the bench was really cute and that maybe my daughters might like one.
I set out to look for Christmas treasures at the store that had the little benches. As soon as I stepped onto their porch...there it was...a beautiful handmade bench with these words: Be Still and know that I am God. Immediately I thought, OK, I'm listening, I'm hearing you Lord.
I bought the bench and told my hubby that it was the gift we were giving each other. He was pleased (probably because he wouldn't have to go shopping). But, he liked the bench too.
All the words of the 46th Psalm are important.
1. God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble.
2. Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;
3. Though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling.
4. There is a river whose streams shall make glad the city of God, The holy place of the tabernacle of the Most High.
5. God is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved; God shall help her, just at the break of dawn.
6. The nations raged, the kingdoms were moved; He uttered His voice, the earth melted.
7. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.
8. Come behold the works of the LORD, Who has made desolations in the earth.
9. 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.
10. Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!
11. The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.
In verse 8 the word desolations means emptiness, bleakness. We can find ourselves in some pretty bleak or empty, hard and discouraging places, but God says: Be still and know that I am God: I will be 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.
The words in this chapter speak of wars and weapons. We are in a war every day. We have an enemy. But greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world.
I started to wonder...what does God mean that He wants me to be still. (Then I got this mental picture of a hyper toddler and a parent trying to get them prepared for the day saying patiently, "Be still.")
Why is it so difficult for us to be still? Maybe because we are trying to handle things on our own. Maybe we reason that God doesn't care about all those mundane things on our plates. I needed to be reminded that our awesome wonderful God is a God of tiny details as well as big world events. I think the message here is if He can handle big world wide events...He can handle my stuff, and your stuff. And, He wants to.
I love nature and all the things of nature. You don't have to look very far to see just how detailed our God is. The intricate web of a spider. The pattern on the back of a turtle. The colors that He painted all the different birds that come to visit. The sounds they make. The sound a frog makes. The way leaves work to bring something into the tree and release something different back into the air. I discovered something by accident one year when some sunflowers came up voluntarily in my yard (from bird seed probably). I saw the way they faced in the morning and then the way they faced in the afternoon. They always faced the sun. I should be as wise as a sunflower and keep my eyes on the source of my strength.
My life is not too complicated for God, nor it it too mundane. His love for us is so great. His wisdom to be Lord is so far above ours. Be Still child...Be Still. Stop fretting. Be still and consider how great is our God. It is about being patient...about being able to wait. There is that word that no one likes. Wait for God's direction. God knows that undone things can bug us. But He knows what might be more important. Be Still...and find what is important to Him. And by the way, He will wait with you.
Psalm 27:14 says: Wait on the LORD; Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the LORD!
Psalm 62: 1-2 says: Truly my soul silently waits for God; From Him comes my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation; He is my defense; I shall not be greatly moved.
I'm guessing we all have stuff on our plates that we don't want there. Stuff we really don't want to have to deal with. Stuff we ignore or pawn off onto someone else...Stuff we deal with in our own in a helter-skelter way...Not trusting God to help, not waiting for His leading. He wants to be LORD of our plates.
I love David. I love reading his honest unreserved words.
Psalm 69:1-3 In this psalm David gets really real with God.
1. Save me, O God! For the waters have come up to my neck. (Has your plate ever felt that full?) I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing: I have come into deep waters, where the floods overflow me. (Have you ever felt that overwhelmed?) 3. I am weary with my crying; my throat is dry; my eyes fail while I wait for my God. (David got tired, he felt overwhelmed, he felt vulnerable, He cried...but what did he do? He waited for his God.)
Be Still....Do not fret....and KNOW that He is God. Give him your plate. Seek His wisdom for all things and wait for His leading, His wisdom. Be willing to wait for Him to act, to answer, to lead and guide.
Blessings
