Courage in the Stillness

"Still" by Chris and Bethany Solynjes

"Don't you know I calmed the raging sea? 

Don't you know I hold your heart? 

Child, listen, slow down, slow down, slow down, oh...

I speak to you in miracles, I show love through my power, 

but sometimes just be still and know that 'I Am'."

  This week in the midst of emotion, in the midst of weariness, in the midst of fear, I heard God gently say, "my child...be still."  I never knew there could be so much power in such a gentle response.  Our first instinct is always to fight, to speak out, to run--but God says to just be still and know that "I Am."  

Are we okay with the silence of that moment?  

Are we okay with simply being still?

Let God wash over you with love today as He reveals His power in your circumstances--You need only to be Still.

I Surrender All...

The old hymn, "I surrender All" came on the radio this morning, but it's words felt new to my heavy soul.  A song so simple in lyrics but yet so profound to our Christian Faith.

I came to God today feeling like I had failed in my resolutions, in my plans, in my attempts at living out His will and purpose for my life and these were His sweet words to me...

Resolutions (Hopes/Dreams) are not bad--I give men visions of things to come but those visions have a purpose of hope and not weariness.  I give visions to show the promises I have spoken over you--promises that I will fulfill.  You take my visions and stress and plan and plead for understanding. I'm not asking you to understand--I'm asking you to have faith.  Visions are not given to be fulfilled by man--they are given to show that I operate above the power and abilities of man.  Visions are my promise to you--my gift of hope.  Hope is to bring peace and joy--an excitement to cherish in the every day for greater things to come.  You are meant only to focus on today and put your hope in me for tomorrow.  You must surrender your will to me so that you are free to operate daily in my will and not your own.  Let go of what you can't control and hold on to me.

This year my resolution is simply to surrender.  I will hold on to hope and let go of control.

God's will for us this day is to seek Him in prayer and simply ask,
"Lord what is your will for me today?"

"All to thee my precious Savior, I surrender all."

Trusting in God's Manna

Exodus 16:4 "Then the Lord said to Moses, 'Look, I"m going to rain down food from heaven for you. Each day the people can go out and pick up as much food as they can for that day.  I will test them in this to see whether or not they follow my instruction."

We live in a time of unknowns--the opportunity for fear creeps in on every side. We worry about our finances and how we will make it to the end of the month; we worry about our jobs and if we will have one or not in the coming weeks; we worry about our health and if we will ever find healing or understanding.  Our wonder is consumed by fear for all that we can't forsee.

God recently brought the story of the Israelites to my mind.  Each day God would rain manna from the sky--just enough to get them through that day.  God expected them to go to bed trusting that He would provide again for them in the morning.  It even states that God tested them to see whether or not they obeyed and trusted in what He promised them.  The stories of old are still the stories of today.  If God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow then why is it that we don't apply the stories of old to the situations we face today?  Our human spirit longs to store up, to feel secure by our surroundings, to go to bed knowing exactly how tomorrow and the future will unfold; however, God longs to be our enough, our security, and our hope.

When you find yourself in a situation of the unknown, God only asks you to take it one day at a time.
God longs for you to awake with confidence and to give your all to the circumstances and blessings that He has given you for that day.  The future isn't ours to know. Build your strength on the manna of today, go to bed full and awake tomorrow knowing that Your God will never leave you or forsake you.

Matthew 6:26 Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest or store food in bards, for your heavenly Father feeds them. And aren't you far more valuable to him than they are?