RSS

Tag Archives: psalm 46

Get up and get God

22 Sep

Today is a really big day. I was asked to preach for the next three weeks at a small church. My heart lies in encouraging others to spend daily time with God; if that is done, they will move their lives to discipleship, what we are called to be in Christ. I looked back at one year ago today, and felt led to share this devotional; how God changed my life in this pursuit.

 

Get up and get God

22 Sep

Get up and get God

Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

Here where I live it used to be in the country. Our family farm was very large and the area was very rural. The only consistent noise was the low drone of air compressors in the milking barns. At night and early morning it was peaceful and still. Progress caught us the last 15 years and finding a quiet time is next to impossible. As I sit hear early each morn I get only rare moments when cars are not speeding down the road to destinations unknown. I am up early each day for my alone time with God; to seek that peace only early morning time brings; and with it intimacy.

1 Kings 19:11 Then He said, “Go out, and stand on the mountain before the Lord.” And behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind; and after the wind an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake; 12 and after the earthquake a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire; and after the fire a still small voice. The great prophet Elijah was fleeing for his life, running from the pressures of life, desperate to hear God. He got alone and God came to encourage him. God is not in the static of the world, but in the peace of it. He demands a heart that seeks Him wholly, not a heart of flippant prayer and petition. He demands your undivided attention and He is most likely using circumstances in your life to get your attention. They are not by chance, but by His allowance or design.

Jeremiah 29:13 And you will seek Me and find Me, when you search for Me with all your heart. All that noise and distractions in your life is like the speeding cars down the highway to nowhere. Satan provides all the daily distractions to keep your heart focus away from God. Do you rise late when all the distractions already have begun? Do you seek to find God in five minutes with the TV on; with the kids awake; with the cell phone at your side, etc? How can you hear the still small voice in the midst of all the winds, earthquakes, and fires? Be like Elijah and get alone and seek God. When you find Him, your ability to rise early will never be a problem again; but a expectant passion for your Creator to speak to you.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on September 22, 2013 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,

How can I unplug?

25 May

How can I unplug?

Psalm 46:10  Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

I expect if we were all to reflect, we would realize we were in a state of continual motion. At many times it would be bodily, but our society and the pressures of it have our minds constantly in high gear. Our world today is a place of constant contact, 4G immediate answers at our side that breed anxiety and stress on our inner selves. This “busyness” is one of Satan’s greatest weapons, for it keeps us from ever slowing down to seek or spend time with God. Even when I sit down here most mornings the pressures of the day invade and try to steal away my quiet time, and even prayer time with God. Resting is so important that God spent a day doing it after Creation, setting the example for us to follow. Genesis 2:3 Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.

We all live under these pressures and are expected to perform to these tasks before us in the marketplace of total contact. We never unplug; never disconnecting our minds from our responsibilities at work, or home, or family, or even recreation. We were not designed for this lack of rest by God’s creation; but even from the fall of man into sin we were told our punishment was going to be the toil of the land and labor that came. But the means of rest, God’s provision, is always there in Christ. The inner hope and faith that He brings, is unattainable by the world to be swept away into busyness. Matthew 11:28 Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Although every day will try to drag you away, you can always return to Him. Take the time when the pressures seem too great to slow down, breath deep, and go to God in prayer and His Word. These will lighten you load, for unknowingly you are casting your load on Him by your actions in these. He can carry the world, and even your world in His hand……..for He created it.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on May 25, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , ,

But God…..

27 Feb

I could write a book expounding on this, and all that is going on inside my head right now. Those of you close to me probably already know and understand, but please pray for me. God is pressing down on me, and I am humbly feeling the pressure.

 

 

 

But God….

Psalm 46:10     Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!

But God……how many times have we felt the command or conviction of God, and then followed it up with those words? We feel God speaking to us through His word, through prayer, through preaching, through those close to us He has place in our lives. But then ourselves step right in the way, into His way and add those words. They are usually fed from fear of many things, but all fear is fed from the enemy below. God did not instill fear into our DNA as 2 Timothy 1:7 For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind. God gives us the security of a sound mind and Satan tries to lead us into believing we can’t do whatever it is that we feel God speaking to us about. That is the spiritual war that rages within you, but you have assured victory in Christ alone.

Romans 8:31 What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? We have the power of God residing in us. God is the victor, and possesses the power to only let our enemy have what God allows. It all passes through Gods hands and serves His purposes, but the defeated foe does not acknowledge that he has already lost the war. The peace and security of what we face today is all under His control should allow you to rest in Psalm 46:10 Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth! I should have replaced every ‘we’ with an ‘I’ throughout this writing…..for it was for me.

 
Leave a comment

Posted by on February 27, 2012 in Daily Devotions

 

Tags: , , , , ,