Be Still

On November 10, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 62: 5

My soul, wait in silence for God only, for my hope is from Him.

The first thing I needed to understand about this verse in order for it to minister blessing to me is that David is actually addressing his own soul. I think there is an entire message in the truth that sometimes we need to speak to our souls commanding them in a particular direction but what I really want to talk about today is being still before God so that we can enter into deep communion with Him. 

This has been a contemplation of my heart for a long time now and a focus for this year. I have never been very good at being still. Psalm 46: 10 tells us, “Be still and know that I am God” or as it reads in the NASB version, “Cease striving and know that I am God.” Either phrasing is equally difficult. Being still relates to both physical stillness and mental quiet. I found being still and quiet physically challenging but mental quiet near impossible. I would sit down to pray and my mind was all over the place. I thought I had a quick, active mind but in truth I had an undisciplined mind. In my experience, it is very difficult to have an active communication with God when my mind will not shut up for one moment. Something, therefore, really struck me about the silence David commanded to his soul.

It turns out that this “silence” is an interesting word. It is the word “damam”. Its primary meaning is “to be or grow dumb, silent or still – ceasing.” Not surprisingly, we see the expected silence but there is also the concept of stillness that is found in Psalm 46: 10 as well as the mandate to cease striving. This is a profound silence then, akin, in my mind, to peace. When we look at all of the definitions and synonyms for this word “silence” we find the words relax, rest and wait. There is an imperative tense too in made silent, kept silent, stand still, stay still, wait in silence. These are the commands David spoke to his soul. He tells his inner being to be still, quiet, relaxed, etc. knowing that God will speak into the silence.

We know David to be a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13: 14). We also see in David a person who fully expected God to be an active player in his life. I have to conclude that this internal discipline that David exercised and his core belief that God would speak into the silence were critical factors in the enviable relationship that He enjoyed with God. There is nothing, however, that God did for David that He will not also do for you and me. Therefore, it may be wise for us to look into this man’s behaviors and attitudes, no, not to observe only but rather to model his behaviors so that we may enjoy the same fruit. For I am convinced that if we sow the same seed that David sowed, we will reap the same fruit, that of a close, personal, Psalm 23 kind of experience with the Father of lights, the God of the universe, our very own dear father.

Finally, for some of you quiet contemplation may come easily though that is beyond my comprehension. Others of you may find this topic challenging. All of us probably need to meditate (think on, cogitate, ponder) over this topic. Quiet spirits, still minds and bodies are not the stuff of modern society. If, however, we want to enjoy daily communion with our Father, if we want to hear His voice speaking into our everyday life then we are going to have to master the art of silence, the skill of still.

Back to Top

Heart Talk

On November 7, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Psalm 27: 8

When You said, “Seek My face,” my heart said to You, “Your face, O LORD, I shall seek.”

The whole Bible; the law and the prophets are contained in this little verse so how shall we speak about it? There is one word which jumped out at me from this passage. It is the word “heart”. David received the Word of the Lord with his heart and responded from his heart. I wonder if this revealed “heart response” is the reason that God called David a man after his own heart (1 Samuel 13: 14).

You see, my first instinct would have been to receive God’s instruction with my mind. Then I would probably analyze it for a week or two and then I would get around to actually doing what He said. As it turns out, though, God is not asking us to seek Him with our minds. He wants us to seek Him with our hearts. It just amazes me that David’s heart answered God instead of his mind. I didn’t even realize our hearts had a voice. I wonder what it sounded like when David’s heart answered God. No doubt God heard him.

So, what is my heart saying to God today? What is yours saying? Our culture validates brain activity but does very little to honor works of the heart, much less the voice of the heart. But God isn’t speaking to our minds. He doesn’t live in our brains. He is a heart God and we must learn to open our hearts to His voice. And then we must learn to speak to Him out of our hearts. There is where the real communication takes place and it is always where relationships are forged. I have heard of getting a check-up from the neck up. Perhaps it is time we got a heart physical.

Back to Top

Fleeing Fear

On November 6, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Isaiah 44: 8

Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago?

I understand that we are living in frightening times but none the less our Father tells us not to be afraid. There is a good reason for this, several in fact. First of all, if we are in fear, then we are not in faith. That is the biggest reason of all. Secondly, though, God has prepared a way for us through all of the trouble of this age. 

You are going to hear a lot of doom and gloom reports but even as you hear them you need to say in the back of your mind, “This report is not for the saved, the holy ones of God.” You will need to remind yourself constantly that the frightening news that you hear is not for you. For every calamity, economic depression and terror threat your Father has prepared a way. Re the 23rd Psalm and integrate it into your being. Even in the midst of your enemies, even if you are living in the valley of the shadow of death, fear not. Your Father has prepared your table. He has prepared a feast for you so that even amidst the turmoil, even when surrounded by enemies you will be dining at a feast prepared for you by the Father of Lights. Your enemies will stand on the side lines and observe the banquet that your Father has prepared. You will sit and dine leisurely ignoring all but the grace and blessing of the Lord.

Don’t fear. Don’t tremble and be afraid. God has prepared a way. If you find fear in your heart or mouth, root it out, spit it out. Do not let fear be a part of your vocabulary or thought process. When you hear yourself say that you are afraid, get your Bible and put this verse in your mouth instead. Your God is much bigger than the monsters under your bed. He always was, He always will be. Fear not! This is the command of the Lord.

Back to Top

Precious Peace

On November 5, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

John 14: 27

Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you.

So here is the question. If Jesus gave us his peace then why are we not more peaceful? I have been playing in a week long bridge tournament and it is a great place to study peace (or the lack thereof). I just wonder what a psychologist would say if he or she studied people in bridge tournaments. It is an amazing dynamic. There are a lot of great people and I really enjoy getting to see the people from my mother’s bridge club that I do not get to see often. My goodness, it warms my heart just having my eyes filled with the visage of these beautiful people. Then you sit down at the table and start playing cards with someone you probably have never met before and you get to see human relationship dynamics at their loudest. I have said before, bridge can really highlight your shortcomings. If you are, impatient, bossy, rude, controlling, or have any of a number of character flaws, the game of bridge takes a 25,000 lumens spotlight and shines it right on your weakness. It pulls the brokenness right out of you and puts it on the table for everyone to see. This is especially true when you play in a week long tournament. As Saturday and Sunday roll around the rude behavior increases. Some folks are so impolite you would have a hard time believing me it I told you about it. 

Probably my greatest weakness (having to choose between several here) is that I don’t like to let anyone push me around. I am a fighter and have been since I was a child. So when these bossy, rude people get in my face I tend to push back. Now, I don’t think I am usually rude back but I don’t let their bad-mannered comments to me slide either. So Jesus said to me this week, “Why are you letting them have the peace I gave you?” Whoa!!

We also had some major issues with the hotel in which we stayed and one young guy who worked there almost made me lose my testimony. Well, truth be told, he cannot make me lose my temper. I am the only one who can make that choice. So Jesus challenged me all week long to hang onto that which he gave me. If Jesus gave me his peace then why would I let some jerk steal it from me? 

One lady at the bridge table got me a little. She and her partner played the first two hands and took their jolly sweet time in so doing. No problem. I am not going to cause them stress or boss them to hurry. Unfortunately, when it came to the last hand I was trying to play and she kept interrupting my chain of thought to tell me to hurry. Well, who died to make her the boss of the world, right? So eventually I pushed back (didn’t I tell you I hate to be bossed around?). I told her that her interruptions were making it hard for me to think quickly. I wasn’t rude but I think I was at least firm. Well, one thing led to another and we left that table with less than cordial feelings. It certainly was not mine nor my partner’s intention to be rude or contrary but I have a hard time not pushing back when someone gets in my face. That’s my damage showing. But here is the thing, I have a lord who loves me more than life itself and as he left this earth he gave me his sweet peace. Why, then, am I letting some goober steal it from me. 

The peace of the Lord is precious, sacred even. Moreover, Jesus left his peace for us because he knew that we needed it. His peace is not just a gratuitous offering. It is necessary for life. If we abide in his peace we will manifest much better health than those who let the turkeys get them down. So many of today’s medical malconditions result from allowing our peace to slip. It is called stress and every time we allow stress to replace peace we are allowing damage to be done in our bodies. We can recover but we need to do so as quickly as we possibly can. Say a quick prayer (even while you are sitting at the bridge table) and repent if need be. Repentance may be a simple as, “Lord, I am sorry I let your peace get away just then. Forgive me and help me to move back into peace right now.” That is not difficult, is it? Then you might take a deep breath, close your eyes for one second and let his peace flood right back into you. It really does work but you have to be intentional about it. This is not a magic formula. It is all about setting your heart and mind on living in Jesus’ peace and being determined.

There is one other point I would like for us to think about. What does it say about the person who is acting out? Maybe they are fussing at their partner or being crabby but what they are really saying if you listen well is, “I am hurt and broken! I need help.” You see, the damage in our personality is showing and it really is a cry for help. Now, you cannot always intervene in the person’s life at that moment but you can pray for them. And I think I am going to get better at praying for all of my opponents before the games. I will say that we only had that one encounter with an opponent but I did pray for all of the players before the tournament began. Maybe as each new opponent comes to my table I can say a very short prayer and thus avoid those issues. Hey, and remember to pray for your partner (not about them). It is up to you and me to be the carriers of the blessing. Criticizing our partners and feuding with opponents is not part of the blessing. There is something much more important going on here than just our master points. We are the actual ambassadors of Christ to a hurting world. We are affecting eternity with our words and attitudes so let us keep everything in perspective and live and love, in Jesus’ name.

Back to Top

Philosophical Luxury

On November 4, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Mark 5: 22 – 23

And one of the synagogue officials named Jairus came up, and upon seeing Him, fell at His feet, and entreated Him earnestly, saying, “My little daughter is at the point of death; please come and lay Your hands on her that she may get well and live.”

I wonder about old Jairus. You know Jesus and the synagogue rulers were not on the best of terms. That makes me wonder where Jairus stood with Jesus before his daughter became ill. I just imagined this morning as I read this passage that he may well have been one of those people who stood in the synagogue courtyard complaining about and criticizing Jesus. I bet those folks had a big time running down Jesus and saying every sort of mean and critical thing. But when the need arises vain philosophies wane. I like to say, “There are no atheists in the oncology ward at the hospital.” While that is not completely true the point is made. Sometimes our philosophies are a luxury that we can no longer afford. 

Inside every human is the knowledge of the truth. Most people know the truth of God in the depths of their soul but they don’t want to acknowledge that truth. When Jairus’ need grew large enough, he pursued the truth and when he did salvation came to his whole household. 

Where does this leave us? If this is true then I think it leads us to establishing an ethic of patient compassion. Perhaps we cannot know all of the reasons people deny the truth but we can be there when their need overwhelms their philosophy. Compassion led Jairus to salvation. Compassion healed his sick daughter. Compassion must then also be our guiding light.

Sometimes when I hear the foolishness which spills out of people’s mouths I am amazed. They go through so many hoops in order to avoid admitting the truth. We can be available to pray when their need arises though and prayer does work. When you pray and their need is satisfied they will begin to understand that the Lord, our God, loves them and will help them. Answers to prayers are not for the saved only. They are a witness to all of the Jairus’s of the world and their kinfolk. Don’t withhold your prayer from the ungodly because it may be your prayer that leads them to eternal life with the Father.

Back to Top

Holy Health

On November 3, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Malachi 4: 2

But for you who fear My name the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings; and you will go forth and skip about like claves from the stall.

There is so much to love about this scripture. The image is one of incredible blessing for those who love God. Just thinking about the sun of righteousness rising on you might be enough to dwell on for quite some time. But that the rising of the aforementioned sun brings with it healing is great news. Because you love God, because you have dedicated your life to Him, there is blessing in the wings for you. One of the blessings is that you should live a healed life. You do not have to accept the sickness that the devil has spread. God and Jesus have already provided for your healing and your health. They have so blessed your physical body that as you receive more of the blessing, you will be able to skip around like a calf. You are expected to be spry and agile. Your body serves you. And if you are in Christ then you have your life in Christ and your body is his temple. Your body is dedicated to the service of the Lord and the Lord is responsible for its upkeep. Thank the Lord for his grace and mercy and for the great gifts he has bestowed on us.

Back to Top

God’s Scrapbook

On October 31, 2014   /   Word of the Day   /   Leave a comment

Malachi 3: 16

Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord gave attention and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and who esteem His name.

The children of the Lord were talking and what God heard pleased him. I imagine that they were talking about the Lord God. They were probably saying how great He is and recalling all the great and wonderful things he had done for them. God heard them and was so pleased that he had a book of remembrance drafted so that these people and their love of the Lord would be memorialized. 

Don’t we all want to be remembered by the Lord for the lovely things we have said about him? How remarkable it would indeed be to move God to the point that he commands a book to be written about us. It is like a scrapbook or a photo album. It is something so precious to the Lord that he wants to capture it in his memory book. Let us be moved by this verse and endeavor to proclaim God’s goodness to one another. Let us encourage one another and praise the Lord in one uplifted voice.

Back to Top