Be Still and Know

June 13, 2020

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REFLECTION

Be Still and Know

By Mary McGinnis

When I lived in Southern California back in the 1980’s one of my favorite places to visit was the peninsula of Palos Verdes. The striking contrast between the beauty of God’s creation and the devastation of the area’s landslides intrigued my curious, pondering heart.

Our visits there would begin with exploring the abandoned wreckage of one multi-million-dollar home that had been swept down the cliff by a landslide. The ornate decor, the intricate inlays of the floors, the once beautiful outdoor pool. All I could think about was how this family’s beautiful cliff side home, with all their hopes and dreams, slowly eroded and slid down the mountainside into the heart of the sea.    

Next, we would take a jog down the steep inclines of the cliffs to the rocky shoreline below. There we would explore the glorious beauty of the ocean sweeping its waves up against the rocks. Among the rocks, small pockets of ocean water were captured in tide pools. We would spend hours exploring the beauty of sea urchins, small fish, sand dollars, crabs, and star fish up close.

I could not stop thinking about these memories as I read today’s scripture reading.

“Therefore, we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.”

We have all been experiencing the chaos that has been wreaking havoc on our world and our nation. Not to mention the tragedies that are going on behind the scenes in our personal lives. 

Yet the Psalmist encourages us, “He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear; he burns the shields with fire.”

We can climb down the cliffs of our turmoil and chaos, into the arms of the One who is our REFUGE and STRENGTH. We can BE STILL and KNOW that HE IS GOD! 

Prayer Practice - Take some time today and be intentional about walking away from all the distractions of chaos, turmoil and devastation of our world and sit quietly with God.  Rest in His presence and get to know Him, the Almighty One who holds all things in His Hands.

Run for Cover

Psalm 46:1 (NIV)

 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

Sometimes it seems trouble is everywhere. We survive one storm only to see those dark clouds forming again. Some storms are short-lived; they bring a downpour but quickly dissipate. We are able to walk outside, get on with what we were doing when the downpour began. Other storms last longer; they get our attention and often keep us barricaded from living.

Storms remind us of how sweet and soothing the sunshine can be. Storms also bring rain, cleansing the earth; making everything fresh again.  Rain nourishes the soil, encourages flowers to grow strong and beautiful. The first minutes following a storm are filled with calm, with relief and a new perspective. We have opportunity to start over with a clean slate.

It is during the storms of life we seek shelter: running to the comfort and safety of our homes, or as we see in the animal world, chicks run to the shelter found under a parent's wings. This is the vision I get when reading the verse today.  God is our refuge. He is the shelter from every storm.  And there will be storms.

Even those who do not profess to have faith, or feel a close bond with the God of the universe, will often turn to this invisible being when the world around them crashes in.  Remember 911?  Remember how so many of us filled the churches that evening?  We flooded the local cathedrals, looking for what?  Shelter?  Safety? Help?

But, once the storm passed, we returned to our homes; we continued living as usual. For many though, life changed that day.  Perspective changed and the true shelter became obvious and we would return to that place often, looking for the rainbow which signifies the storm is over. During the tumultuous seasons we need God, we need to hear his voice and feel the comfort his shelter provides.

There is daily shelter in God's presence and we can find it when we look.

"Be still, and know that I am God"  (Psalm 46:10)  

 Psalm 46

Psalm 46

Prayer is Whispering

Shhhhh, when you want to get someone’s attention,…… whisper.

It is amazing how hard others will try to hear what you are saying if you speak in a soft, quiet voice. If it’s being whispered it most certainly must be very secret, very important, or both. Our volume, intonation, pitch, etc. all contribute to the message we are trying to convey. God knows our heart, yet expects us to put our whole self into the messages we send Him. When we are hurting, we need to let him know, if circumstances have us at our wits end, sharing that with the Lord is what he wants us to do. During the times we have much to rejoice and be thankful for, He invites us to turn to Him giving grateful thanks and praise, and perhaps even an “Alleluia!”

Psalm 46:11 “The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.” He waits for us to clearly understand that He is always here for us and wants us to communicate with Him.

Just as there is a time for every season, so there is a time to shout to the Lord, and a time to send him a quiet whisper. Our God loves it when we sing out in praise and worship as we raise our hands to Him who has delivered us. He also patiently waits for us to…… here is that line again; “Be still, and know that I am God.”

What is most important is what is in our heart. When it’s time to sing out and lift our voice, hands and eyes upward, we are to do so. When the time is right to quietly cry out to God, or whisper our heart’s longings without saying a word aloud, God hears us just the same.

Please listen to “Better than a Hallelujah” by Amy Grant  THIS IS AWESOME! 

Listen to/Read Psalm 46  This is AWESOME TOO!