What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?

What Do You See Outside YOUR Open Window Today?
Remember: "When God closes a door, He always opens a window!" You never know what might be out there waiting for you!

Wednesday, January 4, 2017

BE STILL AND KNOW...Updated and Recycled

Dear Friends, as most of you know, my new "One Word" for 2017 is "REST".  Today I was thinking about a certain song, "Jesus I Am Resting, Resting"...and was reminded that I had included it in a previous post some time ago.  So, after researching through my archives, I discovered this post, written on 4/22/2015, which includes a link to that song.  Apparently my need for "REST" is not new at all.  It appears that this is a recurring theme throughout the history of my blog posts through the years.  So, rather than write a new post for today, I thought you might like to go back in time with me and see how the Lord has been teaching me throughout the years.  When you get to the link for the song "Jesus, I Am Resting, Resting", please be sure to turn on your sound, click on the link and sit back and enjoy that song with the pictures... It is is very calming and "restful" .

Here is the original post:




"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

It is curious how often I come back to this verse in my thinking...in prayer time...in times of devotion and worship.  I don't believe it is ME doing the prompting in this process...it is coming from another source directly connected to me...God.  Yes, God is directly connected to me...by blood...the blood of His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, which was shed for me...and by Spirit...His Holy Spirit...Who came to live within my heart when Jesus left the earth and sent Him to dwell here in His place.

In case you've missed it somewhere along the way, my "business" IS working in God's Kingdom...as a Church Administrator for a large historic church in an active modern community...and also as a semi-retired minister's wife with many years of experience in varied types of ministry.  So I should KNOW about serving God...and I should KNOW God Himself up close and personal.

Sounds like a lot going on there...and yes, there is! All too often I get so caught up in the busyness of this world...and even in the business of working in God's Kingdom in this world...that I forget to listen to the prompting of God's Holy Spirit reminding me to "Be Still...and KNOW that I AM God!"

If you read my previous post "The Food That Satisfies", I talked about how we can get so fraught with running to and fro in search of more spiritual food that we are literally starving for the living "Bread of life",  in the person of Jesus Christ Himself, and missing that deeper personal walk with Him.  So many people in today's Christian society seem to have the "bigger is better" philosophy of worship and church ministry.  We get caught up in the hype of bright lights, loud music, multi-sensory activities that boggle our minds and create an emotional pseudo- spiritual experience that makes us "feel good", but may leave us feeling dissatisfied with those quiet moments of inner reflection.  We tend to forget how important it is to our personal spiritual growth to spend some quality AND quantity time alone with God away from the noise and clutter of corporate "worship".

Jesus invited His disciples to

"Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while,"
(Mark 6:31)

right when they were in the height of their new and exciting ministry...(you can read more about this in the whole sixth chapter of Mark)...

He had sent them out (vs. 7) "two by two, and gave them power over unclean spirits...", and they (vs. 13) "cast out many demons, and anointed with oil many who were sick, and healed them."

and it says in verse 31:
"For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat."

They were so caught up in the miracles and the excitement of their new-found ministry that they barely had time to eat or sleep...so Jesus Himself took them on a little "retreat" away from the crowds for a little while...so that they could set apart some time to
(Sign courtesy of Ben's Country Woodshop)

I am not trying to be critical of today's modern style of worship...but what does concern me is that I see so many trying so hard to be super spiritual that they lose sight of the One Who has it all...God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit...Three in One...Blessed Trinity...
We need to purposely set aside time to "Be Still...and KNOW that I AM God"....and to "Come aside and rest awhile..." with Jesus.

Here is a modern version of an old hymn that I love and seems to fit here: 

Take a few moments...or as long as you can...and rest in Him...Find out the greatness of His loving heart...and be at peace.  Amen.

Here is another post on a similar subject you might appreciate: My Open Window Wasn't Really Open

And Another: Driven Into The Wilderness.  

20 comments:

  1. Thank you for this Pam. This is the second time this verse has come before in the last two days. A christian counselor friend of mine just started her first blog and she wrote about using this verse in a contemplative way to calm down at the end of the day or when feeling anxiety. She suggested repeating the verse and each time leaving off one word at the end. Might sound kind of weird but I am open to any way to get scripture inside me rather than a prescription of some kind. Right?
    It would look like this:
    Be still and know that I am God.
    Be still and know that I am.
    Be still and know that I.
    Be still and know that.
    be still and know.
    Be still and.
    Be still.
    Be.

    Interesting huh?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. OH I LOVE THAT!! Thank you for adding that very appropriate addendum to this message! Beautiful. I love how it ends with just plain "BE". But that is after being still and knowing God...then we can just "be". Yes...be HIS, Be filled, Be still! LOVE it! Thank you my sweet partner in this ministry we have here...

      Delete
    2. Glad you liked it, didn't know if it might sound too mystical or new agey. Haha! here is my friends new blog....http://www.livefreeministry.org/blog/how-to-stop-the-monkey-chatter-of-your-mind

      Delete
    3. Sounds right on to me! I wish I'd thought of it first! LOL. I will check out her blog. Thank you again. You always have wonderful things to say. No mystic mystery there... :)

      Delete
  2. Pam: This is one of the verses that truly humbles me. As I read it, I put emphasis on "know that I am God;"because sometimes, in the past, I had to be reminded that I wasn't in control.Thank you for this reminder.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Oh yes! Don't we ALL need that reminder...more times than I care to admit? I tend to be a bit of a control freak, and when things don't go the way I think they should I get frustrated...and that is a definite time for me to "Be Still and KNOW that ....God is in control! Thank you for these thoughts tonight. Blessings to you today.

      Delete
  3. Hi Pam! It is such a mixed up thing. We are all so different and what connects me to God, may not connect you at all. Yet, I completely understand your point about services with lots of 'bells and whistles' and a God who waits patiently for us to just talk to Him.
    Being still takes a lot more effort than singing or being a part of a praise team. It takes discipline, a focused disciple, to try and conquer the noise and connect with Our Lord. In the end, being with God is everyone's goal. It's important that this point is not lost in the shuffle of planning and events.
    I want to rest in Him!
    Ceil

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, I realize this can be different for everyone, but we each need time to disconnect from the crowd and noise and reconnect with the Lord without the distraction of the world surrounding us. I'm not saying that corporate worship is bad or wrong in itself...it all has its place in our overall worship experience...but a steady diet of that can be like too much sugar and not enough protein for someone with hypoglycemia...Gives one a temporary lift, but later the bottom drops out leaving the person weak and shaky. Gotta have a balanced diet in all respects...

      Delete
  4. Oh, my friend! Such a special post. We do get caught up in the "serving" that we often forget the "being" in the Presence of the One as the most important part. I had to chuckle when I saw the first Scripture verse because it seems everywhere I am turning of late that He is reminding me to BE STILL and KNOW HIM. Hugs to you, my friend.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yeah, me too... "Be Still and Know that I am God"...He is calling out to us from in the midst of the chaos of the world...longing for us to draw near to Him and rest in Him...and not get so caught up in world events and even Christian service that we lose sight of Christ Himself. Thank you for your thoughts tonight. Blessings my friend.

      Delete
  5. Great post Pam and I too love that verse , be still and know that I'm God . Hugs and blessings , Cindy .

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. THank you Cindy. Now that I am retired... This is my goal for 2017...to learn to BE STILL and KNOW that God is present in ALL my life situations.

      Delete
  6. I am unfamiliar with the song you mentioned. I will definitely go and listen to it when I have a bit more time. I can certainly relate to your theme of rest (and quiet). God has been dealing with me for a long time on this one too ;-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you for stopping by today. I think you will enjoy the music and message of the song that I linked above. Please do take the time to sit back and rest while you listen. May the God of peace and REST be present in your life today.

      Delete
  7. One of the ways that I know I am needing more of Jesus...that time where I've drawn away from the noise of life is that I find myself uncomfortable with the quiet. I read in one of Elisabeth Elliot's books many years ago that the way we live out our lives is a form of worship and in that living out our lives should include that time of quiet and resting in Him. When life gets hectic and I start to worry He often speaks Be still and know that I am God to my heart. Amazing how those few words can bring immediate calming to my heart and spirit...because they are HIS words. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Pam,
    Being still...simply being...not doing, just being. I have to remind myself frequently that I'm a human BEING and NOT a human DOING. While I may be physically still, my mind isn't.

    Blessings!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. It is so difficult for us to allow ourselves to just BE and not DO. We feel guilty about that...but God wants us to BE STILL and know that HE is GOD...and stop trying so hard to do everything! I am one of the worst, but God is working on me!

      Delete
  9. We have a plaque hanging on the wall - "Be still and know that I am." I love that reminder, especially on days when I seem to be running around in circles. God's gentle reminder always helps me get my priorities straight.
    Blessings, Pamela!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Yes, we all need to be reminded when we think our business is so important...and God gets our attention and reminds us that we need to focus on HIM first...and then He'll help us take care of our business!

      Delete
  10. "I will be exalted among the nations"

    AMEN.

    ReplyDelete

Thank you for visiting here today. I would love for you to sign my guestbook and let me know you stopped by. I always enjoy reading your comments and words of encouragement! May you be blessed as you go on your way. Please come back and visit again soon.