Do Not Be Afraid

Thoughts about Being Still

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DoveToday when I woke the words ‘Be Still and Know’ were rolling through my mind as I walked down the steps into the kitchen, made a cup of coffee and began getting ready for the day. My heart it’s true was full of wonderings and some worries and I just kept trying to push them away . . . and when I left the house I fell into the trap of letting worries and wonderings begin to take root. It was a horrible experience, one I’m sure many other people have endured, at least the Bible and the stories about the saints and holy men and women of God let me know that feelings of anxiety have crept into everyone from time to time. ‘Be Still and Know’ . . .

Know what? I wondered – – – I know the ending of the verse is ‘. . . that I am God.’ so why, I wondered, don’t those words roll through with the first?

Now, bear with me as I share this because maybe this answer is for you as well. The verse is from Psalm 46:10 and there may be times in your life when you need to be reminded that God is who God is and that he will be exalted . . . and then there are times that you need to be reminded that you yourself need to be still so that God may be exalted through your stillness rather than your anxiousness or doubt or wonder or stubbornness or hurt or broken heart.

Be Still and Know that . . . sometimes being still is enough. Sometimes it’s what God wants from us . . . we don’t have to do everything, we don’t have to say everything and we don’t have to worry . . . we can give it all to him . . .our worries, our wonderings, our stubborn, hurt and broken hearts . . . we can just be still and let him exalt himself in us so that once again we may exalt God . . .

Sometimes just being still and listening to the word of God as it comes to you or as you read it or listen to it is prayer enough.

This is a good season for us to be reminded that he wants some of us to just be still and be quiet. We can rest in this knowledge, that we can trust God to handle the work of changing the world while we work a little more at changing our own hearts and minds so we may love and think and live in a more godly way.

What do you think? How do you feel about being still?

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Don’t Be Afraid

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How often have you heard these words spoken to you?  What was happening in your life when someone whispered them into your ear or spoke them loud and clear?

Don’t be afraid Mary – she was going to have a baby . . . not just a baby though – this baby was going to be her savior, and not only hers, but the whole world.   Don’t be afraid?  Really?  That’s a pretty big calling don’t you think?  Being told IN ADVANCE that you are going to be the mother, not of some king or some military leader, or a president or a governor – no, the savior of the whole world.   HOW IN THE HECK AM GOING TO HANDLE THIS?!!!  I’m thinking that’s what most women would be saying – maybe that’s why God chose a younger girl – maybe she wasn’t hardened by so many life’s experiences . . .

OK, so let’s put some of this in perspective for our own lives – Because Mary wasn’t afraid, she didn’t say No.

How many times has fear of something caused you to say no?

It takes a courageous person to say yes to the angels in our lives that speak to us about letting the Holy Spirit overshadow us so that God can do something marvelous.

Doesn’t our Salvation from the world and all it’s troubles begin with saying yes to the Holy Spirit who guides us into truth on paths of peace?

Don’t be afraid of salvation – it’s a good thing – it’s personal and communal.

Don’t be afraid of letting God do a new thing in your life . . .