Tag: instruct

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.

Song in the Night

Song in the Night

I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.  (Ps 77:6)

The psalmist ransacked his knowledge, his memory, his intelligence—his whole nature, and his entire soul, either to find comfort or to recall the songs of praise that he remembered singing in past times unto the Lord.  He was recalling his songs of praise, making a diligent search for them in his heart.

The Lord will command His lovingkindness in the daytime, and in the night His song shall be with me—a prayer to the God of my life.  (Ps 42:8) 

The psalmist is trusting in the mercy of God.  His song in the night is a song of praise to God for His salvation and goodness.  It’s a remembrance of all the good things that God has done for him.

You shall have a song as in the night when a holy festival is kept, and gladness of heart as when one goes with a flute, to come into the mountain of the Lord, to the Mighty One of Israel. (Isa 30:29)

In this Bible verse, the prophet reminds the people that the song in the night arises due to gladness of heart, such as the joyous sound of a flute, when praising God and approaching Him in worship.  A wakeful, unsettled night may be relieved with a heartfelt song in the night.

At such times, it’s good for us to remember the Lord, and to know that we need Him.  When troubles, trials, or pains assail us in the night, keeping us awake and in anguish, it is the time to allow the Holy Spirit to instruct us.  It’s a time to feed upon and meditate upon the Word of God—which has the power to comfort us and to teach us. 

This is my comfort in my affliction, for Your word has given me life.  (Ps 119:50, emphasis added)

For whatever things were written before were written for our learning, that we through the patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope.  (Rom 15:4, emphasis added)

Permit a song in the night and the comfort of God’s Word to minister to your heart when illness, turmoil, or anxieties assail you and attack your sleep.  God’s loving plan for you is that you have peaceful sleep.

I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O Lord, make me dwell in safety.  (Ps 4:8)

. . . For so He gives His beloved sleep.  (Ps 127:2)

The Armor of Light

The Armor of Light

The night is far spent, the day is at hand. Therefore let us cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armor of light.  (Rom 13:12)

What is the armor of light? The armor of light is not made of physical materials but of moral and spiritual teachings and standards.  We are children of light (Eph 5:8; Phil 2:15), and we are encouraged in the Word of God to walk in the light.  (Ps 89:15; Isa 2:5; 1 Joh 1:7)

Fix your mind on the reality that the day of Christ’s second appearing—the sunrise—is quickly approaching because the dawn of Christ’s first appearing has already occurred. The forces of darkness have been defeated.  Soon, they must submit entirely to the Sun of Righteousness. (Mal 4:2)

Practically speaking, how do we put on the armor of light and walk in the light?  There are various facets to this topic, and I am only going to cover a handful.  If this is a topic of interest to you, I encourage you to pursue studying it in more depth.

Walking in the light and wearing the armor of light includes:

  1. Reflecting the image of God to the world by living holy lives (Ro 13:14);
  2. Clothing ourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ (Gal 3:27)—corroborated by loving others as Christ does;
  3. Recognizing that Christ is the Light of the World (Joh 8:12, 9:5), and that His Spirit lives within each one of us. (Ro 8:10-12) Therefore, we must allow Jesus to instruct and guide our every act and every plan so that we bless others and that we, ourselves, walk in blessings;
  4. Walking in the light means maturing in our faith day by day as we follow the leading of the Holy Spirit, and obey the Word of God.
  5. Following God’s teachings, living in His power, and growing in His grace.

May you be a blessing as you continue to grow and to mature in faith!