Be Still

     "Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalm 46:10)
     As a whole, our country is in high stress mode, don't you think? We've had uprisings and protests. We've watched division grow and the economy shrink. We've seen 2 hurricanes come through in a short span of time and bring billions of dollars worth of destruction. If we weren't personally impacted by those storms, most of us personally know someone who was.
     On a more local level, many around us are facing storms in their lives. I've talked with personal friends in the last 2 days who have family members battling cancer. Our church family has faced the funeral of a 5 year old girl who died from the awful disease just a week ago.
     Personally, our immediate family has had 2 ER visits in the last month and a half, 2 surgeries in the last 4 months and other assorted stresses and pressures besides. You are probably in a similar situation with your own personal stresses.
     I was reminded of Psalm 46:10 this afternoon and thought I'd just share a few thoughts from another passage of Scripture that always strikes me as curious; Mark 6:45-52. I want to grab a couple of thoughts from it and hope they'll buoy you up a little bit today. I'm not going to reference specific verses, but grab your Bible and check it out. Go ahead and wrestle a little with it. Then go back to Psalm 46:10.

  1. Jesus sent them into this situation. They weren't doing anything wrong.
  2. They were struggling against the wind and were not making any headway.
  3. Jesus came to them walking on the water.
  4. Jesus "meant to pass by them." I find that sentence fascinating...
  5. They thought He was a ghost and screamed.
  6. He said to them "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid."
     We need to learn how to take some time to be still. To take heart. To choose not to fear. I'm not talking about taking some funky pose while humming and hoping for some state of mental removal from our situation. I'm talking about a choice to stop running down the worry lane and spending so much time focusing on the dangers around me. It's not sticking my head in the ground; it changing the focus of my gaze for a bit so my spirit has a little chance to rest. The constant stress and worry doesn't accomplish anything profitable. 
     Plan some time to focus your attention on the Lord who has carried you through in the past. The storm around you may still rage, and you will have things to do when you re-engage the battle but the small break will be a welcome refreshment to your spirit.
     I know; easier said than done. But let's practice at it until it comes more naturally. I don't think the storms are going away any time soon...

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