Tag: calm

BE STILL

BE STILL

Still can mean calm, quiet, unmoving, or at rest.  There are passages in the Bible that instruct us to ‘be still’ or to ‘be silent.’

This instruction may have several purposes:  1) to require our silence, so that we will focus upon God, alone; 2) to instruct us to be tranquil and at peace; and 3) to direct us to subdue every instinct to God’s will.

Be still, and know that I am God:  I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.  (Ps 46:10 ASV)

But the Lord is in his holy temple.  Let all the earth be silent before him.  (Hab 2:20 CEB)

Be silent, all flesh, before the Lord, for he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.  (Zech 2:13 ESV)

Being still, silent, and at peace will bring about a great ability to focus upon the Lord.  It’s a good time for prayer and thanksgiving, as well as for a reverential form of worship.  Obviously, there’s definitely a time for joyful, loud, expressive worship, too.  But when the Holy Spirit leads us into a still and tranquil time of prayer, we should be sensitive and responsive to that leading.

One form of “being still” is to step away from our busy lives in order to connect with God.  This is a time to stay focused on God’s vision for our lives and to listen for His direction and guidance.  The obvious follow-through is our obedience to what we hear the Lord saying to our hearts.

What is the purpose of stillness?  Being still before the Lord brings us clarity.  It draws us into the moment and gives us time to clear the clutter and clamor out of our minds and hearts.  It helps us to hear God’s voice more accurately. Stilling our hearts before the Lord helps us to stop striving and to surrender our circumstances to the Lord.  In whatever situation you find yourself today, take some time alone with the Lord.

Being Kept in “Perfect Peace”

Being Kept in “Perfect Peace”

You will keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on You, because he trusts in You.  (Isa 26:3)  Our inner peace is supported by and dependent upon our complete trust in and focus upon God Himself.

But whatever house you enter, first say, ‘Peace to this house.’  (Lk 10:5)  We can share the glorious peace that resides in each one of us with others!  How wonderful!

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.  (Joh 14:27)  Jesus is speaking in this passage, and it says that He gives each one of us His own peace.  What a precious gift!

Jesus was so filled with peace that he was able to SLEEP in a small boat in the midst of the sea during a fierce storm!  (Mk 4:35-39)  Jesus commanded the sea to be still, and it obeyed Him.  Jesus literally spoke the peace that was within Him into the sea.

What does it mean to be kept in “perfect peace” as mentioned in Isaiah 26, above?

This is referring to a peace that is not dependent upon our circumstances at all.  Rather, it is entirely and completely reliant upon knowing—with complete assurance—that God loves us wholeheartedly; and that He is with each one of us ALWAYS.

Bear Grylls writes in his autobiography, ‘Faith in Christ has been the great empowering presence in my life, helping me walk strong when so often I feel so weak.’  Bear is a former member of the UK Special Forces, and his TV adventure series Man vs. Wild has reached an estimated 1.2 billion viewers in over 180 countries.

God’s presence in our lives should be a constant reassurance to us.  The knowledge of His unfailing love and His plan to bless each of us at all times is designed (by our Creator) to fill us with peace.  This peace is a deep, abiding sense of tranquility and calm within us.

As we rest in the loving arms of Jesus, having the certainty of His goodness and His good plans for us, we are made strong and powerful.  Knowing that the Lord has already purchased our victory, we are inspired to live our lives of faith courageously.  Be bold in the Lord for you are blessed!

Hope in God’s Grace

Hope in God’s Grace

Therefore gird up the loins of your mind, be sober, and rest your hope fully upon the grace that is to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.  (1 Peter 1:13 NKJV)

Gird up the loins means to gather your long robes with a belt to prepare for action (for a battle); but this verse is talking about the mind being prepared for action.  We’re to be sober which means temperate, restrained, serious, thoughtful, calm, and unruffled. 

We can be calm and tranquil because the revelation of Jesus has already occurred!  His work is finished!  Praise our God!

We’re instructed to rest our hope (confident expectation) upon the grace given to us at the revelation of Jesus, our Savior.  We’re so highly blessed to be among those who have received this sacred revelation!

We may rest confidently upon His grace.  We may rest, knowing that our salvation was paid for fully by Jesus.  There is no work or striving that we need to do, but just to live our lives for Him by the grace that He has already provided.

. . . through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.  (Rom 5:2)

. . . that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.  (Tit 3:7)