The prompt this week is still, which I love because it has been an important word for me for a long time. I even have it tattooed on my foot!
I have it there for a few reasons. One is this verse: Psalm 46:10: He says, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." This just reminds me that I can be still, be calm in knowing that God is above all and that brings me to the second: Exodus 14:14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. This is the one I repeat to myself when I am in the midst of struggle. When I want to pull the situation back, out of where I thoughtfully placed it in God's hands, He reminds me, "Be still child, I am fighting this for you. I will fix it if you only trust me." That is just an amazing thought to me. God cares enough about me to take care of me, fight my battles for me, cry with me if I need it.
But being still in his presence is important. I need to let go of all the stuff that I hold on to, turn off the noise both in my house and in my head and just sit in quiet with him sometimes. In some cases this looks like me locking myself in my bedroom while the rest of the house is in chaos or taking a drive (when I know everyone at home is safe of course)
There are eight other verses that I think are great that relate to being still:
Ecclesiastes 3:7 A time to tear and a time to mend, a time to be silent and a time to speakJames 1:19 My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.
Psalm 37:7 Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; fret not yourself over the one who prospers in his way, over the man who carries out evil devices!
Psalm 62:5 For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him.
Job 6:24 Teach me, and I will be silent; make me understand how I have gone astray.
Psalm 131:2 But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.
Isaiah 32:17 And the effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust forever.
1 Thessalonians 4:11 And to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you.
Knowing that God fights for us does indeed help us to be still. We sit confidently in his power and might and wait patiently for him to do just what he said he would do.
ReplyDeleteBeing still and being calm,
ReplyDeletemy hat is off to you,
but I cannot accept that balm
for I must be true
to what God has made in me,
when He said, "You're Mine!",
leaning back with smile to see
a laughing Frankenstein
whose madcap ways astound his friends
and fills them all with grave concern
as Monster finds his looney ends
and cannot seem to learn
how he could be a joy to know
if he could, darn it, take it slow!
Yes, I love that God fights for us and with us!
ReplyDeleteYou picked out some wonderful verses about being still! I like the picture of the child comforted by his mother from Psalm 131
ReplyDeleteVisiting from FMF#26
Such a good reminder. Especially those top two verses from Psalm 46 and Exodus 14.
ReplyDeleteThanks for sharing.