BE STILL
AND KNOW THAT
I AM GOD
Psalm 46:10
Tag: trust
Remain Steadfast
STEADFAST
The Lord has been putting this word on my heart lately.
Remain steadfast.
“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour. Resist him, steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same sufferings are experienced by your brotherhood in the world.”
1 Peter 5:8-9
This is Peter telling us this.
Peter, the one who told Jesus he would never deny Him – even if he had to die with Him.
Peter, one of the apostles whom Jesus took and asked him to pray the night before He was arrested, and then fell asleep.
Peter, the one who impetuously drew his sword and cut off the ear of the high priest’s servant.
Peter, the one who vehemently denied Christ three times.
But all that doesn’t make him less credible; it makes him more.
He’s saying don’t do what I did! He learned what the devil had been up to and he wanted to warn his brothers and sisters in Christ to be aware.
To remain steadfast in the faith – steadfast in our convictions, steadfast in the truth, steadfast in our reliance upon Christ and Christ alone, now and forever.
The devil’s ways are the same as ever. he’s looking for people who are at a weak place, who aren’t being alert and vigilant to the devil’s ways, who aren’t steadfastly trusting in the power and righteousness of Jesus Christ.
Right now, when the world seems like a raging sea, is an opportune time for the enemy to try to discourage us, to trip us up, to question Jesus, and maybe even walk away from Him, even a step.
But we who are in Christ can confidently “lay hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, both sure and steadfast, and which enters the Presence behind the veil, where the forerunner has entered for us, even Jesus, having become High Priest forever…”
Hebrews 6:18b-20
No matter what happens in this life, we don’t have to give in to fear and be tossed around in the waves of confusion. We have an anchor of hope.
We have the promises of God, all of which in Christ are yes and amen. His promises are for this life and extend all the way behind the veil that lies between this life and the next.
Our sure hope, our anchor in rough seas, is that Christ is with us now, and He will surely call us to live with Him in His home where we’ve laid up treasures beyond comprehension, and where love and peace and joy are the way of life.
And we’re reminded of this hope every time we pray, every time we read God’s Word, and every time we enter into fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ.
Our steadfast anchor of hope will keep us steadfast, too.
“Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.”
1 Cor 15:58
Thankful Thursday – Mercy
“Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever.”
1 Chronicles 16:34
There is so much going on in the world right now that our minds can get pulled into a million different pits, so I thought it was important to start Thankful Thursday again.
I don’t have to tell you how despairing and overwhelming the state of this world is in right now.
But God’s mercy endures, now and forever, and when we remember that, and give Him thanks, we will have hope.
The words of David recorded in 1 Chronicles were part of a psalm spoken when the ark of the covenant was returned after battle to its rightful place in the tabernacle. God’s glory had been restored among His people.
Today we’re facing another kind of spiritual battle, and the enemy is doing all he can to hijack the glory of God from this world.
But God’s glory now lives inside His people. We are His tabernacle.
And we know that “All the promises of God in {Christ} are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us.” 2 Corinthians 1:20
In Him we have His immeasurable love and grace and mercy and forgiveness.
In Him we know He will lead us, give us wisdom, and provide for us.
In Him we know our eternity is with Him.
This life is short, and one day, when this battle is over, all wickedness will disappear, and His glory will reign forever more, where we will live in eternal peace and safety and love.
So, wherever your thoughts have roamed to today, let’s focus them back on our merciful Heavenly Father, who already has the victory (and so do we!), and give Him thanks.
What are you thankful for today?
The Saturday Song – Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)
Happy Saturday, friends. You know, for the most part I feel called to encourage my brothers and sisters in Christ, but every once in a while the Lord will put me in the path of an unbeliever, and that’s where I want to be today.
In the path of those who have no idea what this Jesus thing is all about, and the path of those who once thought they knew, but they’ve been away for a hundred million different reasons.
I want to tell you from the bottom of my heart that God loves you more than you can ever know. Yes, He does. You might not feel it right now, but sometimes feelings lie.
You might have been hurt and blame God. I understand.
You might have done something terrible and don’t think He could ever forgive you. I understand.
You might be afraid to trust Him again. I understand.
I’ve been there, done all that, bought the t-shirt and worn it until I didn’t think I could wear it anymore.
But the power of the blood of His Son paid for all of it.
And thirty years down the road I also understand that if you let Him, God will heal your heart; that He not only can forgive you, He is waiting to forgive you; and that no matter what the future holds, He will be right beside you, hurting with you when you hurt, but through it He will give you His peace and strength to forgive, to heal, to grow in grace and love, into very the image of His own beautiful Son.
And just like the story Jesus told the people who had gathered around him: “while {the prodigal son} was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him,” (Luke 15:20) so the Heavenly Father waits for you to take but a step toward Him, asking for forgiveness, and He will run to you with such compassion and all the love you ever wanted, throw His arms around you, and welcome you home.
Today’s song is dedicated to you.
Father, let the chains fall…
Lift Your Head Weary Sinner (Chains)
David Crowder
Lift your head weary sinner, the river’s just ahead
Down the path of forgiveness, salvation’s waiting there
You built a mighty fortress 10,000 burdens high
Love is here to lift you up, here to lift you high
Down the path of forgiveness, salvation’s waiting there
You built a mighty fortress 10,000 burdens high
Love is here to lift you up, here to lift you high
If you’re lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
All who’ve strayed and walked away, unspeakable things you’ve done
Fix your eyes on the mountain, let the past be dead and gone
Come all saints and sinners, you can’t outrun God
Whatever you’ve done can’t overcome the power of the blood
Fix your eyes on the mountain, let the past be dead and gone
Come all saints and sinners, you can’t outrun God
Whatever you’ve done can’t overcome the power of the blood
If you’re lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
If you’re lost and wrecked again
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Let the chains fall…
Let the chains chains chains chains chains chains…
If you’re lost and wandering
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory open wide
If you’re lost and wrecked again
Come stumbling in like a prodigal child
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Let the gates of glory be open wide
See the walls start crumbling
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Let the gates of glory be open wide
Where Was God?
That’s the question on a lot of minds on a day like today.
And I understand that question. There are many events in my own life I’ve wondered where God was.
It was a day none of us will forget for so many reasons. The day quickly became dark and tragic, but there were also more acts of heroism that day, of light in the darkness, than we will ever fully know.
Like 24-year-old Welles Crowther who called his mother from the South Tower to let her know he was okay, and then began to lead others to safety, carrying an injured woman on his back down 15 floors and then returning to help more.
And Rick Rescorla who, as a head of security in the South Tower, ignored orders to keep employees at their desks, saving 2700 people.
And Army Specialist Beau Doboszenski who was working as a tour guide on the other side of the Pentagon. Upon hearing the chaos, he ran to the crash site and spent the next several hours helping co-workers and running into the flames to help bring people out.
These acts of heroism are amazing enough, but looking at their backstories, we can see just a little bit of the hand of God orchestrating the saving of so many lives.
Like the fact that Welles Crowther had been a volunteer firefighter in his teens and was well prepared to confidently lead. Even the fact that somehow that day he had been wearing a red bandana that was able to keep him from breathing in too much smoke as he saved at least 12 people. His body was found in a stairwell headed back up with the jaws of life.
And like the fact that Rick Rescorla had served in Vietnam, with distinction, and had the wisdom to lead his people to safety. And for years he had the forethought to have the employees practice fire drills. Because of that, more than 2700 people made it down the tower to safety in 16 minutes. Rick Rescorla’s body was never found.
And like the fact that Beau Doboszenski was a former firefighter and a trained EMT.
Too many lives were lost that day. The enemy of all that is good and right and holy was there to cause death and destruction and what he’d love to leave in his evil wake is a doubt and mistrust that God was there or that He even exists.
But God is the one who prepared people years in advance with special training and placed them where they needed to be when they needed to be there.
God is the Giver of strength, courage, wisdom, and perseverance.
God is the one who instills in people His love, the greater love that lays down his life for others.
We’ll never fully understand the whys this side of heaven, about that fateful day, or about tragic days in our own personal lives.
But God knows.
Years later we can catch a small glimpse into the behind-the-scenes stories of that day, shining a light on some of the good, among countless other similar sacrificial stories that took place among the evil and about how God was there in their midst.
God sees the full picture. And we can trust He was there that day giving strength to heroes just as He’s with us every day, including our worst days, filling us with His strength, courage, and hope.
And someday maybe God will show us all the behind-the-scenes stories of those awful days in our own lives and how He was right there with us in the midst of it all.
“For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.” 1 Cor. 13:12b
Heavenly Father, thank you for never leaving us or forsaking us. Thank you for preparing a home for us and giving us the hope of being with you someday, when you will have struck down evil for the last time, and there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Thank you for the incredible bravery of so many men and women on that day, for giving what we know was even beyond their own strength . We pray for those who lost loved ones that day. We ask that you would be especially near to them today, and that you would comfort them with your peace that passes all understanding. We know that you will prevail, that you’ve already conquered evil at the cross, and we pray for many more souls to come to know Christ as their own Lord and Savior, even today. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
The Saturday Song – Move (Keep Walkin’)
There are days, months, years, when I feel like I’ve been on a 1000-mile march, uphill, carrying 500 pounds on my back. Maybe the apostle Paul knew that feeling, too, and guessed Timothy might also, and why Paul wrote to him:
“You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. No one engaged in warfare entangles himself with the affairs of this life, that he may please Him who enlisted him as a soldier.” 2 Timothy 2:3-4
That word “good” means beautiful, honest, worthy, valuable, virtuous (for appearance or use.)
Be sure we’re in a war, and maybe now more than ever. But we don’t walk alone. God is with us, strengthening us, empowering us, enabling us to finish in victory.
So keep walking. And look up. Cause things may seem bleak right now, but it ain’t over yet. (Spoiler Alert – God wins, and if we’re with Him, so do we.)
Heavenly Father, help us keep moving and to endure the hardship we encounter in this life, not as those who is endure alone or needlessly, but as a people who, in Christ Jesus, oppose your enemy who prowls around looking for someone to devour, and to be witnesses of your great grace and mercy and proclaimers of the power of the gospel to save. In Jesus’ name we pray, amen.
Getting the Cart Before the Horse
Life is fleeting. More fleeting than most of us think about on a day to day basis. But I think anytime we look back over the life of a loved one who’s gone, we realize again how very momentary it is.
I want to pack all I can into this life. I want to do all the right things, and I sure don’t want to miss anything God wants for my life. I don’t want to miss His purpose in having me here, and I’ve caught myself feeling frantic that I’m not doing enough, or worried that God’s disappointed that I haven’t gotten everything right. Maybe I’ve messed it all up.
I grew up learning to be a perfectionist, that if I could just do everything right I’d be worthy of love, and that spilled over into my relationship with the Lord. Do everything right and He will love me.
But that’s getting the cart before the horse.
God already loves us, and what He wants from us, is us.
He desires us to love Him, to grow in our relationship with Him.
If we practice loving Him with everything in us, everything good will flow from that. Anything we do for Him, any obedience, any service, any use of our gifts, will be a result of that fellowship of love.
Jesus said the greatest commandment is to “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.”
Matthew 22:37
That word commandment means an injunction, an authoritative prescription.
This is what the Lord’s been impressing on my heart lately. “Rest in Me. Focus on being, not just on the doing.”
And yes, of course I love the Lord, but there’s always room for that love to grow. He wants us to love Him –
– with all our heart. Choose to trust Him with every emotion, every anxiety, every worry;
– with all our soul . Choose faith in the love and goodness of God in every circumstance, no matter what’s happening;
– with all our mind. Choose to believe in Him with all understanding. Take every thought captive to obey Him.
Receiving God’s love and loving Him back is God’s prescription for the health of our entire being, heart, soul, and mind.
Sometimes this life doesn’t quite turn out the way we thought it would or ever wanted it to. But God knew, and He’s had a plan all along.
In the middle of the mess He says, “Focus your energies on loving me with your whole being, and anything I desire you to do I will show you and enable you to do it.”
Just a couple of chapters later, after Jesus tells His disciples the greatest thing we can do is love God, His disciples ask Him what will be the sign of His coming and of the end of the age.
He tells them, among other things, that “Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.” Matthew 24:12-13
He didn’t say the love of some, or the love of many, but the love of most will grow cold.
Whether we’re facing the end of the age now or not, there is a lot of hatred and violence and destruction going on out there publicly, and in a lot of ways we’re each being stretched personally. We’re suffering, we’re hurting, we’re confused, we’re downright angry.
The enemy will try to use all that to cause our hearts to harden and grow cold.
But if we purpose to love our Heavenly Father with all of our being, we won’t be one of the most.
Instead, we’ll be one of the few with His love flowing in and through us that will be like an oil causing the light of Christ in us to shine brightest when the world needs it most.
This life is fleeting.
Wouldn’t it be great if someone looked back on our life and said “How they loved the Lord”?
And even more, facing Him at the start of our new life, having loved Him with everything?
The Saturday Song – Reckless Love
“But to each one of us grace was given according to the measure of Christ’s gift. Therefore He says:
‘When He ascended on high,
He led captivity captive,
And gave gifts to men.’
(Psalm 68:18)
(Now this, ‘He ascended’—what does it mean but that He also first descended into the lower parts of the earth? He who descended is also the One who ascended far above all the heavens, that He might fill all things.)”
Ephesians 4:7-10
The word {lower} parts of the earth is katōteros, meaning of Hades (different word than that for hell).
There’s much more to learn in the scriptures about this than I’ll take to explain here, but Christ was not idly waiting inside the tomb. After He shed His blood and died, sin’s power was broken.
It was time for Him to descend to those who’d already died in faith, whose belief in the Lord was counted to them as righteousness, and were waiting for this pivotal moment to be rescued and taken to their eternal home in heaven.
If He was willing to die on a cross while we were yet sinners, and He was willing to descend into a part of Hades to rescue those who were His, what is He not willing to do, and where is not willing to go to rescue any one of us?
Before I spoke a word, You were singing over me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me
You have been so, so good to me
Before I took a breath, You breathed Your life in me
You have been so, so kind to me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
When I was Your foe, still Your love fought for me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me
You have been so, so good to me
When I felt no worth, You paid it all for me
You have been so, so kind to me
And oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn’t earn it, and I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
There’s no shadow You won’t light up
Mountain You won’t climb up
Coming after me
There’s no wall You won’t kick down
Lie You won’t tear down
Coming after me
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
Oh, it chases me down, fights ’til I’m found, leaves the ninety-nine
And I couldn’t earn it, I don’t deserve it, still, You give Yourself away
Oh, the overwhelming, never-ending, reckless love of God, yeah
Keep Growing and Growing and Growing…
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that shall he also reap. For he that sows to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that sows to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good to all men, especially to them who are of the household of faith.”
Galatians 6:7-10 AKJV
It is a long and tedious process to produce the perfect grape. It is three years from seed to harvest and involves soil cultivating – different soils for different grapes, perfect planting, temperature and wind control, proper sunlight, protection from pests and disease, watering, and pruning. Oh, the pruning. Pruning is so important that pruning contests are held to reward the best pruners. It takes a lot work to produce a fully mature, sweet crop of grapes.
Jesus said “I am the vine; you are the branches.” John 15:5a
The branches on grapevines can’t get tired, but we can. And as we endure years of tending and watering and pruning and waiting and not yet seeing the fully mature faith we desire, we might be tempted to give up. And right about the time when it looks like nothing is happening, it’s time to prune. Pruning is painful and sometimes all we see is that something is gone.
What we don’t see is what’s happening underground. Beneath the surface the roots are growing deep and strong, feeding on the nutrients in that perfectly fertilized and watered soil. And the stronger the roots, the stronger the grapevine will be.
So, let us not be weary in well doing…”
That word “doing” is a prolonged form of the word to do. To keep doing for an extended period of time. It also means to abide.
Keep going, keep growing, keep doing well, keep holding onto Jesus, the Vine, until harvest time. Yes, it’s hard, yes, it can be exhausting, yes it might look like nothing is happening except that so much has been taken away, but good things are coming if we don’t give up. We’ll see some fruit in this life, but the full harvest comes in the next. One day we’ll stand before our Heavenly Gardener and reap what we’ve sown.
So whatever season we’re in, let’s keep doing good to others – sowing to the Spirit – as God gives us opportunity, producing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, and eventually the harvest of a sweet, fully mature faith.
Spiritual Olympics
“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last, but we do it to get a crown that will last forever.
Therefore I do not run like someone running aimlessly; I do not fight like a boxer beating the air. No, I strike a blow to my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.” 1 Corinthians 9:24-27
Next year will be the Summer Olympics. A time when athletes will put to the test everything they’ve been training night and day for, sacrificing their lives for, restricting their diets for, enduring injuries for as they’ve fallen down and gotten up over and over so they will be perfect.
In the same way, we who have been following Christ have a proving ground right now to put into practice what we’ve been 
learning.
The world is stressed out and we’re all going to cross paths with that stress one way or another, whether it’s from within or without.
And there is no better opportunity than right now to put to the test the faith we’ve been learning, the trust in Christ we’ve been practicing, the filling of the Holy Spirit we’ve been training our ears and hearts and minds to hear.
So let’s run the race with the right garments:
Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Colossians 3 12-14