“When my heart is overwhelmed.  Lead me to the rock that is higher than I. “  Psalm 61:2 NKJV

It gets so hard at times balancing every aspect of life; marriage, family, ministry, and career. Where do I find the time for me? Where do I find the time to commune with my Heavenly Daddy? So much comes into play on any given day. Sometimes I feel as though I am sinking, I am drowning in it all. Then I hear Your still small voice saying, “rest in me.”

I hear you calling me back to a place of stillness, a place of much needed peace. I hear you calling me to breathe and allow You to replenish me. I long for that time in Your presence, Lord. I long to be near You. You calm the raging emotions inside of me. Just as Jesus spoke peace to the wind and the waves in the Gospels, You still my overwhelmed heart. It is in Your presence I find fullness of joy and at Your right hand, pleasures forever more.

It is in the stillness that I find peace; I find continual hope. It is in the stillness that I find rest for my weary soul. Take delight oh my weary soul. Take delight in the presence of Abba Father. Take delight in His loving arms. If you find yourself in a similar place today, I challenge you to find rest in the Presence of Almighty God. It is in His Presence that we find renewed strength, peace, and hope.

Father, we long for Your unfailing love in our everyday lives. When we are running on empty, emotions are high, and life is overwhelming, lead us to the Rock that is higher than us. Lead us to that place of refuge and peace that we so long for. It is in You that we find rest. It is in You that we find hope. It is in You that we find peace.

When life seems to overwhelm you, take out a pen and pad and journal your thoughts.

Write a love letter to God telling Him how much you need His presence in Your life.

Grace and peace,

By Mary Pinckney
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•   How to have a “Quiet Time.”

•   Praying the 23rd Psalm for Yourself and Others

•   Salvation Explained

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Prayer from Psalm 46:10-11

BE—God, I say “yes” to You. I choose to allow Your way to shape me and Your will to direct me in what is best. I surrender instead of resist, I yield instead of fight, I believe instead of doubt.

STILL—Father, may Your rest abide and Your peace abound within me. Quiet all anxiety that troubles my thoughts and unsettles my emotions. I bring my soul under the control of the Holy Spirit; I stand steady upon the unmovable foundations of Your kingdom; I receive the sufficiency of Your grace and the encouragement of Your promises as you calm my soul.

AND KNOW— Lord, thank you that Your word is sure, unchanging, and indisputable. Your word is true. I am certain. You have saved me from guessing, wondering, wishing, or pretending. I know! I believe!

I AM GOD— You are who You say You are. You do what You say You do. There is no other! You are the highest, the greatest, the best. You have no weakness, no lack, and no equal. You are my God, and my Heavenly Father. I find comfort in Your nearness, security in Your voice, courage in Your strength, hope in Your promises. You are enough. More than enough! You are with me. You are my refuge. I am safe in Your care.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! The Lord of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.”  Psalms 46:10-11 NKJV

By Roy Lessin
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• Be Still, My Daughter by Sylvia Gunter
• Be Still by Max Lucado
• Impatient Heart, Be Still

The post Pray This appeared first on Thoughts About God.

Be Still, My Daughter
Sit still, my daughter.
Ruth 3:18 NKJV

My personal paraphrase of Ruth 3:18 is precious to me. God spoke to me and said,

“Sit still, My daughter, the apple of My eye, waiting as long as it takes, until you learn (know, perceive, understand, discern, and distinguish as truth) how the matter, thing, question, or cause will turn out, because surely the Man Christ Jesus, your Kinsman-Redeemer, will not by any means be idle, or silent, or have any peace until He finishes His purposes, working until the job is done, in His eternal now.”

Why is being still such an un-American activity?

Ten years ago, our daughter Elizabeth was asking the same question. Read her story about learning to be still.

Come with me to a beautiful Saturday morning in October. It’s the third weekend of the month, and I am at a retreat center in the north Georgia mountains with twenty students to learn about student leadership. The weather is crisp, the sky is pure blue, and the sun is beaming. The day before I had spotted two swings overlooking a lake with the mountains in full fall colors as the backdrop. My soul and spirit, hungry for time alone with God, knew there was the perfect place for time with him. The announcement was made, “Go outside and spend 45 minutes alone with God.” As the assignment was being given, I got into my racer’s blocks waiting for the start gun. Why? Because I had to be the first one to the swing by the lake so I could have a meaningful time with God, of course. As the group split, I overheard several girls say, “Hey, let’s go to the lake where the swings are.” Immediate sirens went off and a red flag raised… they can’t go to the swing… that’s where I’m supposed to be! All of a sudden, the mission was clear: get to the swings first! The closer I came to the lake, the more focused I became. My pace was intense, my joy fleeting, and winning was all that was important.

As I approached the lake, I was almost in a full gallop. The swing was on the opposite side of the lake from me. The girls made a foolish error by going to the left. Ha ha! So I quickly dashed off to the right to make it around the lake first. If we only had a instant replay, you would see me as I ran around the lake. I rushed right past a small white chapel. I flew past a wooden cross on the shore. I jumped onto the swing feeling good about my victory, but too wound up from the competition to be still and know that He is God.

As I sat there trying to catch my breath, it hit me.

“This is what your life is like. You’re wrapped up in getting things accomplished, even good things, and you’re relying on your flesh and power most of the time for insignificant victories, all the while missing what’s important.”

Then I looked back around the lake and saw that in trying to be in control, I had missed things God had wanted me to stop and see along the way… the white chapel (faith), the cross (everlasting hope), and the gift of still time with the Savior sitting on a swing (love). It didn’t take a seminary degree to catch God’s reference. The words of 1 Corinthians 13 came ringing at me, “But the greatest of these is faith, hope, and love.”

John Piper says that as he approaches the Word of God, he prays for the gift of reading slowly, to truly hear God in His Word. That is my own desire, but I would take it a step further and pray that God would give me the gift to live life slowly. I want to hear God not just in sections of my day marked “Time alone with God,” but when He decides to speak in unexpected times and unique ways, I want my soul and spirit not to be racing around the lake but instead be in a place of continual stillness on the swing, so that I might drink deeply of what He has prepared to show me.

It sounds pretty on paper. And it is the longing of my spirit, and yet it is a daily, more like hourly, battle to embrace quiet. Since my theology lesson on the swing that day, I have been experimenting with stillness, solitude, and silence. I am realizing how addicted I am to activity and noise. I understand why David had to command his soul to be still and know that He is God. Being quiet is difficult, and almost impossible for some of you. But I have discovered that my soul and spirit have been starving for stillness for a long time. And now that I have given my soul a taste of stillness again, it will not be satisfied unless it is a regular part of my day. Will you take 15 minutes to just sit and be quiet? (Driving a car with your cell phone turned off doesn’t count.) I mean so quiet and still that you can hear the clock tick. And just sit, look, listen, and remember what it’s like to be still.

Will you take the challenge to “Be still and know that I am God?”

Will you take some time to sit and quiet your soul before the Lord? Ask God how He wants to meet you in His presence. Meditate on these “be still” verses.

Be still and see the salvation of the Lord.
Exodus 14:13-14

Be still by the side of the Lord.
Exodus 33:21

Be still so you won’t miss the great things God is doing.
1 Samuel 12:16, Job 37:14

Stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord.
2 Chronicles 20:17

Be still. It’s the antidote to fretting.
Psalm 37:7

Be still and know He is God.
Psalm 46:10

Be still before the Lord.
Zechariah 2:13a

Let Jesus rebuke your storms, “Peace, be still.”
Mark 4:39

by Sylvia Gunter
used by permission

FURTHER READING

The post Be Still, My Daughter appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Be still and know that I am God.” Psalm 46:10

Whenever I get to a place where life seems more than I can handle, there’s that still, small voice that nudges me: “Remember, Idelette, be still and know that I am God.” Often it’s easier to run and accomplish tasks rather than putting on the brakes and quiet my heart. On those days, it is what I need most. My Creator reminds me of that often.

Where do I need God to be God? What are the questions in my heart? Where is it that I need to be still today and invite God in?

What will this day bring, Lord?
Be still and know that I am God.

Is there a relationship that needs healing?
Be still and know that I am God.

Am I anxious about finances?
Be still and know that I am God.

Someone I love is sick, Lord.
Be still and know that I am God.

Am I concerned about my work, my future, my purpose?
Be still and know that I am God.

Prayer:
Thank you, God, that You have already saved the world. I don’t need to. I only need to do what You require of me. Help me return to that place of stillness where I find perspective and strength.

By Idelette McVicker
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

The Remedy for Chaos

Keeping It Together In the Midst of Chaos

The Effects of Fear

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“I have stilled and quieted my soul…” Psalm 131:2

Whether it be the insistent cry of the corporate ladder, the more vocal cry of small children, or the never-ending cry of our loneliness, cacophony surrounds us. However, even the most “type A” personally eventually discovers that the soul, that deep place within, longs – indeed requires – stillness.

I am amazed that the writer of Psalm 131 does not ask for a seminar, retreat or religious “professional” to teach him how to be quiet. He simply says, “I have stilled and quieted my soul…” Did he hide in a cave in the midst of actual battle for moments of spiritual re-arming? Perhaps it was during the daily schedule of unrelenting decision-making as king that he escaped into a quiet side room of the palace?

In our modern world with its press of sound via television, radio, iPods, internet and cell phones, it becomes imperative for the Christian to learn how to “still and quiet” the soul. But this is not a habit that comes naturally; we are attuned to the clock and calendar, somehow wanting instant quietness without effort. Anyone who has suffered through learning to play a musical instrument knows the tendency to skip over those daily and often frustrating practice sessions. In similar fashion, any spiritual practice must also be actually practiced.

The psalmist says that the result of a stilled and quieted soul is the attitude of a small child who leans close to his mother, fully confident in her love, care and protection. There is ultimate and sure blessing ahead for the one who is learning to be still and quieted.

Lord, I am impatient for so many things. I want results without effort, without practice. Not only does my head know that I need quiet, but the core of my being longs for it. Please help me understand and practice the disciplines that will lead to a stilled soul.

By Marilyn Ehle
Used by Permission

FURTHER READING

• Be Still, My Daughter 
• Restores My Soul – A Devotional by Phil Ware
• Silent Adoration – Devotional by Andrew Murray

Homepage for  Devotionals

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‘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

Jesus taught us to pray with reverence when He modeled for us ‘Hallowed be Your name”
(Matthew 6:9). This phrase is a petition, not a proclamation. A request, not an
announcement. ‘Be hallowed, Lord.” Do whatever it takes to be holy in my life. Take
your rightful place on the throne. Exalt Yourself. Magnify Yourself. Glorify Yourself.
You be Lord, and I’ll be quiet.

‘Be still, and know that I am God‘ (Psalm 46:10 NIV). This verse contains a command
with a promise.

The command? Be still. Cover your mouth. Bend your knees.
The promise? You will know that I am God.
The vessel of faith journeys on soft waters. Belief rides on the wings of waiting.

In the midst of your daily storms, and in this storm that has swept over our country
and even the entire world, make it a point to be still and set your sight on Him. Let God
be God. Let Him bathe you in His glory so that both your breath and your troubles are
sucked from your soul. Be still. Be quiet. Be open and willing.

Take a moment to be still, and know that He is God

Be still and allow God to be hallowed in your life.

By Max Lucado
Used by permission
From; For the Tough Times

To learn more about Max Lucado visit his website at:
https://maxlucado.com/about/

FURTHER READING

• Be Still, My Daughter

•  Impatient Heart, Be Still 

• Be Still – A Devotional by Marilyn Ehle

The post Be Still appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Listen and hear my voice; pay attention to what I say.” Isaiah 28:23

For as long as I can remember, Mom’s always had a hearing impairment. It’s so debilitating she got a hearing aid many years ago. While the aid is very helpful, it also has its downfalls.  For instance, when mom is in a large crowd with people talking, she struggles. The abundantly loud noise is overwhelming. The hearing aid cannot distinguish between sounds and just makes EVERYTHING louder. Frustrating to Mom, she elects to turn off the aid in these situations.

There are times in my life when I wish I could turn off the noise in the background. All the voices of the world are a distraction to me, keeping me from completely tuning into God. The key verse provides a powerful reminder to constantly seek to hear God’s voice in my boisterous world.

God specifically tells us to listen and hear. While both words are verbs, they also imply we not only perceive God’s voice but take it into consideration, concentrate on it, take notice while acting on it.

What’s God saying to you today? How can you tune out the bombarding chatter of today’s society and focus on the voice of the only One who truly matters?

Dear Heavenly Father, please help me to hear your voice above the noise of my world. Guide me in all my decisions today and help me to be in continuous communication with you. Help make your voice known to me in all circumstances. In Jesus’ Holy name I pray, Amen.

Thought:  Make a vow of silence for a time today to listen for God’s voice.

By Alisha Ritchie
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  Harsh Judgments Can Kill One’s Spirit

•  10 Things to Pray for Friends and Family

•  Salvation Explained

The post Hearing Impaired appeared first on Thoughts About God.

“Be still, and know that I am God.”  Psalm 46:10a

With summer here, the stormy winter and chilly evenings of recent months have quickly been forgotten.  One morning, however, my heart felt like a lingering storm.  Numerous needs “my own and others” were crashing in on me like an unexpected whirlwind.

Casting these burdens on the Lord, I was suddenly awakened to a scene quietly unfolding outside my window.  Like a fitting backdrop, tall fir trees lining our neighbor’s fence stood motionless, being what they were created to be.  Without a word, early summer flowers were telling of their Creator’s faithfulness and love for beauty.  Soon, a sparrow entered to complete the picture, not planting seeds or gathering food into a barn, but happily discovering and enjoying what our heavenly Father had provided for him. This hushed scene struck me with its peacefulness – a sharp contrast to my stormy heart.

Distracted by this stillness, my thoughts turned to a particular storm in the lives of the disciples – one in which their Maker slept on a pillow.  The disciples weren’t sleeping.  With an unexpected storm crashing in on them, their lives were in turmoil. But when they woke Jesus, He commanded the stormy winds and waves to be still.  And they obeyed.

Creation busies itself by resting in its Creator’s authority and by obeying the same command given to us: “Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10a)

He is God.  And that’s all we need to know to be still.

Father, Thank you for rest promised to those who remember that You are God. Knowing who You are, we seek Your strength to be still.  In Jesus’ Name.  Amen.

by Bethany Hayes
Used by Permission

Further Reading

•  How did Jesus Pray?
•  Practicing the Presence of God
•  Salvation Explained

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“Then He (Jesus) arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm”
Mark 4:39

Every day we are faced with the choice to rest in the promises of God or to stress over the problems we encounter. It should be an easy decision to make but yet we find ourselves often caught between two opinions. On one hand we want so much to trust and believe that God will do just what He says. On the other hand we find ourselves doubting that He actually cares. After all, God has so much more on His plate than to be concerned about our issues.

I am so glad that God is not like man. He is much greater than we can ever imagine. His love for us spans wider than the ocean. Before we were even a thought, He knew us. He predestined us, made us a part of His master plan. That should be grounds for our trust. I have found that it is much easier to trust a God that has a proven track record. I would rather take my chances with God any day than to walk in fear and doubt on a regular basis. I have been there and done that too many times. Today, I choose the peace that comes with trusting that God will perform what He has promised. I may not know when. I may not know how, but I can be confident that He never fails. He has proven Himself faithful time and time again.

Lord it is so easy to get caught up in the turmoil of everyday life and to focus on what we see rather than what You have said. It should always be an easy choice to trust you and rest in Your promises but even the best of us struggle. Teach us daily to renew our mind on Your promises and meditate in the scriptures that speak of Your love, grace, and assurance. May our hearts take courage in knowing that You have left us Your peace. In Jesus name Amen

By Mary Pinckney
Used by Permission

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I should have gotten up earlier. Why did I choose a flight this early in the morning? If I hit one more red light I’m going to miss it. I will have to park in short term parking for a long-term trip. I just can’t miss this trip. I have to be at the meeting on time and there are no back-up flights. Maybe I should have gone the night before.

All of these thoughts were in my mind as I sped, a little over the limit, down the highway towards the airport. As the departure time drew closer, my chest tightened.

Then I caught an ear to the sermon on Christian radio. “Faith and patience are tied together”, he said. “Oh really“, I thought. “Yes“, he said……. “If our faith is in God we will have undeniable patience. The two are inextricably intertwined. If my faith is in Him and I have surrendered my life to the Lord Jesus Christ, then I won’t worry about whether I make that flight.” Oh really, I thought, how does this guy know I am on the way to the airport. I listened further and more intently.

What if my making that flight is not in God’s plan? If I am totally dedicated to him then I should not fret or worry about the future, schedule wise, health wise, financially wise or any other wise.

This is a translation of the 23rd Psalm from a Japanese Bible.  It says it all:

The Lord is my Pace-setter, I shall not rush;
He provides me with images of stillness, which restore my serenity,
He makes me stop and rest for quiet intervals,
He leads me in ways of efficiency through calmness of mind,
And His guidance is peace.

Even though I have a great many things to do each day,
I will not fret, for His presence is here,
He prepares refreshment and renewal in the midst of my activity,
His timelessness, His all-importance, will keep me in balance,
By anointing my mind with His oils of tranquility.
My cup of joyous energy overflows,
Surely harmony and effectiveness shall be the fruit of my hours,
I shall walk in the pace of my Lord and dwell in His house for ever.

That gives life a new perspective. Let God be your pace-setter, your provision for everything and above all a peace about life.

By John Grant
John Grant is a former Florida State Senator and is a practicing attorney

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