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Category Archives: Characteristics of God

Jill Richard’s Musings on the Characteristics of God based on verses in the Bible

My God is…a Gift Giver (Part 2) Romans 6:23

21 Jun

My last post was about God as a Gift giver. That evening I had my women’s Bible study, and found quite a few more verses about God giving us a gift. I felt lead to talk about it again, thanks for reading!

Romans 6:23 – For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in[a] Christ Jesus our Lord.

Do you like getting gifts?

I have a friend who doesn’t like to receive gifts. I’m not sure why, but she doesn’t. I love receiving gifts. It’s one of my love languages. Coupled with quality time, receiving gifts makes me feel like the person giving it was thinking about me. They took their time to do something for me. It doesn’t matter the price or the size of the gift, one of my favorites is when my husband or my boys makes me a cup of tea without me asking for it.

Getting what I deserve

Have you ever watched those makeover shows? It doesn’t matter which one you watch, the people who are receiving the makeover are almost always described as deserving it. At least once in the episode you’re likely to hear “they deserve it” or “she deserves it” or “you deserve it”. This phrase has always rubbed me the wrong way. I always think to myself, “why do they deserve it?”. I’m pretty sure they don’t deserve it any more than anyone else. I’m sure if they got to know the person more, they would know that they don’t always treat everyone well, they aren’t always perfect. The wages of sin is death. Somehow, I let the generosity they were receiving get tainted by my need for justice.

I don’t get what I deserve

In the verse above, we’re told that the wages of sin are death. I deserve death. But like in those makeover shows, God doesn’t give me what I deserve, He gives me a gift of grace through His Son Jesus. I’m not destined for death, but life eternal because Jesus died on the cross to save me from my sins. I’m just like those people on the makeover show. I’m not any more special or important than any one else. But God says “You deserve it”, not because of something I’ve done, but because of what Jesus has done for me. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. – Ephesians 2:8-9. It’s not by what I’ve done but by who I am through Christ Jesus. What an amazing gift.

Do you deserve it?

 
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Posted by on June 21, 2012 in My God is a Gift Giver

 

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My God is…A Gift Giver Luke 11:11-13

19 Jun

Luke 11:11-13 Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

My Cousin is a great gift giver!

My cousin Rob is one of the best gift givers I know. I’ve been given a lot of great gifts in my day, but some of my most memorable came from my cousin Rob. We didn’t even exchange presents with him very often, but he sure did make the most of each opportunity. Rob puts a lot of thought and creativity into his gifts. My favorite? When I was in high school, I received a birthday (or was it graduation) card in the mail from Rob. Inside? A blank check. What???? That’s right, a blank check. Unless you’ve received a blank check from someone, you may not know the conflict this brings with it. On the one hand it showed that he valued me, a lot. That was extremely meaningful. Then I had to decide what amount to put on the check. How much did I value me? I’ll leave you to guess how much I put on there.

Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead?

Suppose your dad is dishing out ice cream, and he offers you chocolate or vanilla. You ask for vanilla, and he gives you vanilla. He doesn’t give you chocolate or strawberry. He gives you what you requested. Most parents really want to give kids what they want. God is no different.

If you then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him!

The Holy Spirit is the ultimate gift. Like the blank check that my cousin gave me, God giving me His Holy Spirit shows me how much He values me. He’s given me His Holy Spirit, through whom I am given even more gifts, like faith. If God values me enough to give me His Holy Spirit, now I’m faced with a dilemma. How much do I value myself. Do I value myself enough to ask for the gifts of the Holy Spirit that I want?

In 1 Corinthians 12: 7-11, we’re shown a look at some of the gifts of the Spirit.  “Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. To one there is given through the Spirit a message of wisdom, to another a message of knowledge by means of the same Spirit, to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by that one Spirit, to another miraculous powers, to another prophecy, to another distinguishing between spirits, to another speaking in different kinds of tongues, and to still another the interpretation of tongues. All these are the work of one and the same Spirit, and he distributes them to each one, just as he determines.”

If we ask for the Holy Spirit, God promises to give it to us.

Have you asked for the Holy Spirit? In our verse from Luke 11, God promises to give it to all who ask for it. Maybe you were given the Holy Spirit in your Baptism, maybe you were given the Holy Spirit through the Word of God in scriptures, or maybe the Lord came when you asked. Some might say if you can ask you already had the Holy Spirit. And that might be true too, but we can be sure from this scripture that if you do ask, he won’t refuse you.

 
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Posted by on June 19, 2012 in Luke, My God is a Gift Giver

 

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My God is…My Peace Ephesians 2:14-18

14 Jun

Ephesians 2:14-18 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations.His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.  For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit.

For He Himself is our Peace

In the verses above, we hear about how Jesus came and broke down the walls between Jews and Gentiles. The Law was set aside so that all could have the inheritance of eternal life. He created a new humanity that he reconciled through dying on the cross. That’s how He put to death their hostility. And now we have access to the Father by one Spirit.

The Trinity

This is a beautiful section of scripture that really points out the trinity (God is three in one – Not Three Gods – One God with three persons). All of the persons of God are present in this scripture, Jesus, God the Father and the Spirit.

He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near.

Jesus came to bring the Jews (the religious people of the day) together with those who had been worshiping other gods or no gods at all. Jesus came and went far and wide to spread the grace of His Gospel. He didn’t hold it back from anyone. Some people didn’t believe, but that wasn’t because He didn’t tell them.

God is our Peace 

Normally I think of peace as a spiritual state of being. Something we feel or don’t feel. In these verses in Ephesians, it is an interesting look at the fact that Jesus brought peace through reconciliation. He reconciled all people Jews and Gentiles by dying on the cross. He made amends. He worked peace, bringing people back together. Not just the peace in your heart, but the getting along with your neighbor kind of peace.

Every Conflict is an opportunity to witness

I went to a Women’s Leadership Institute conference a few months ago and one of the things I think about almost daily since I went is the idea of reconciliation. The last speaker of the conference was from the Ambassadors of reconciliation. One of the things the gentleman said that will likely stick with me for a long time  (yes there is more than one) is that for Christians, every conflict is an opportunity. It’s an opportunity to witness for Christ. To react as Christ would react, not as the world would react. In the verses above we get a sense of what that reaction might look like. It is a reaction of peace; bringing people together not pushing them apart.

How we respond says a lot about our God

Could you be like Gladys Staines? Gladys Staines had not heard from her husband, Graham, a respected missionary, or their two sons, Philip, 10, and Timothy, 6. They were at a religious retreat in a village four hours away. Had they been the ones killed by an anti-Christian mob, the ones burned beyond recognition in a jeep. She forgave the killers their deeds.

Could you be like the Amish in Pennsylvania? When their children were shot and killed by their milk delivery man, how did they respond? They responded with forgiveness. The media went crazy. Forgiveness in these difficult times points people to Christ. They wonder why and how Christians can forgive, and in these verses we see it is because that’s what Jesus does, he brings peace. Peace that surpasses all understanding.

What do you do when someone does something bad to you?

 
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Posted by on June 14, 2012 in God is the Prince of Peace, My God is Peace

 

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My God is…There 1 Corinthians 3:16

06 Jun

1 Corinthians 3:16 Don’t you know that you yourselves are God’s temple and that God’s Spirit dwells in yourYoung Woman Portrait midst?

Don’t you know?

Thanks Paul. Don’t you know you are God’s temple. Isn’t it amazing that we as humans can hear something over and over again and not hear it clearly. We may be taught math everyday of school and still not understand it. This leads to teachers, parents and friends to say, “Don’t you know…”. It can be frustrating when people don’t understand things that are perfectly clear to us. I think in this verse Paul was having one of those moments with the Corinthians (and probably me – though he didn’t know that at the time). He feels like it is really clear, but the people of Corinthians remember it one minute and the next they are behaving like it isn’t true.

You yourselves are God’s temple

God’s temple. I don’t know about you, but that sounds pretty important. It’s hard for me to actually value myself enough to think of myself as God’s temple. But God knows me better than I know myself. He values me and considers me His temple. If God dwells in me, what does that mean for who I am. If God were dwelling in my house (physically), would I not work to make sure He had what he needed? Wouldn’t I want to keep out things that would make my house less appealing? I would put clean sheets on the bed, use air freshener and clean the bathrooms. I would want to get rid of every trace of dirt that I could. Not because God was going to judge my home or look down on it, but because I want it to be a place worthy of Him.

So too, I should do this in my heart. I should be paying attention to my Godly Guest. I should clean out the cobwebs, dust and remove anything that isn’t needed so it doesn’t get in the way of my spending time with the Guest.

God’s Spirit dwells in your midst

dwell [dwel]

verb (used without object)

1. to live or stay as a permanent resident; reside.
2. to live or continue in a given condition or state: to dwell in happiness.
3. to linger over, emphasize, or ponder in thought, speech, or writing (often followed by on  or upon ): to dwell on a particular point in an argument.
God’s spirit is in me; dwelling in me. Looking at the definitions of dwell (minus the one I didn’t list about machinery), it’s amazing how rich the word is when you apply that to the idea of God’s Spirit dwelling in us.
God’s Spirit is going to stay as a permanent resident in you. Permanent. Amazing. He is with us always. We never will be alone, and we can always call on God’s Spirit to help us when confused, troubled, excited or happy. We always have someone who is on our side, at the ready. God is there (you should be pointing to your heart right now – at least I am). He’s PERMANENT! He’s not going anywhere – Praise God!
 
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Posted by on June 6, 2012 in God is There

 

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My God is…Immanuel Matthew 1:23

31 May

Matthew 1:23 – “The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel” (which means “God with us”).

Not just along for the ride

I hate going to the grocery store. It seems such an overwhelming task. I’m good at it though. I bring my list, and I stick to it. I work to get the best deals I can, using the internet and sometimes coupons as well. I put my list in the order I’ll find the items in the store, so there is as little back tracking as possible. I hate grocery shopping. It takes a long time, is followed by unloading the car, and because everyone else in my family hates it, a lonely job.

Why don’t you come with me?

I know it’s not a Bible verse, but I believe it’s almost a truth – greater love has no husband than this, that they go to the grocery store with you, and then even help you unload the car. I’m not sure, but for me, going to the grocery store with me may be one of my favorite ways my husband can show me he loves me. I’m sure it has to do with sacrifice, because we both know it is one!

Most of us want companionship.

Even the introverts among us are not so separatist that they don’t want to be around people sometimes. We need people. Our development as human being relies on having interactions with others. The importance of having another living breathing creature with us is the whole concept behind companion animals. Having someone to love who loves us back is important.

Immanuel – God with us

Our creator knows full well what we need. In fact He sent His Son to be with us; to live among us; to interact with us. He was our companion here on earth and still is in our hearts. His word provides us with a daily interaction with Him. We can also talk with Him at any time through prayer. He’s not merely with us in presence, but fully present. Interacting with us through scripture, communion and baptism with the Holy Spirit. We are blessed to have a creator and a God who wants to go to the grocery store with us. He’ll go with us where ever we are.

Are you looking for companionship?

 
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Posted by on May 31, 2012 in Matthew, My God is Immanuel

 

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My God is…a Communicator Matthew 10:18-20

29 May

Matthew 10:18-20 – On my account you will be brought before governors and kings as witnesses to them and to the Gentiles. But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it. At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

On my account you will be brought before governors and kings

What’s the likelihood of you or I actually being brought before governors and kings? How many of you have met a king? Maybe a homecoming king, but for most of us that’s the closest thing to a king we’ll likely meet on this earth. Most of us aren’t rubbing shoulders with royalty. Some of you might actually know your governor. You might even be friends with them, but again, most of us probably don’t hang out with our governor.

We may not have daily interaction with the government of our state or nation, but we have those who govern us. We have bosses, parents, teachers, friends and relatives. These people strongly influence what we do and say. They have expectations of us, and try to help us fit in the “norm” of our societies.

But when they arrest you, do not worry about what to say or how to say it

In America, we are blessed to have the freedom to say what we want and to believe what we want, for the most part. But in our places of business, in our schools and sometimes even in our families, we’re not permitted to say what we believe.

Imagine this. You’re at work, and someone rushes in to tell your co-worker that her spouse has been in an accident. Her daughter is on her way to pick her up and take her to the hospital. You instinctively go to your co-worker and ask if you can pray with her. She says yes. You pray together, and your words are received with the compassion they were given. But over in the corner your boss stands looking on. He comes over after your prayer and walks your co-worker out. On his return, he calls you into his office.

You’re nervous. You know your boss has teased you about your beliefs before, but you’ve never been this bold about your faith, and you don’t know how he’ll react. He asks, “What could you say to her in a time like this?”

At that time you will be given what to say, for it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

This is your opportunity. Your chance. Are you going to chicken out or are you going to witness about the one who saved you? Are you going to be more worried about your job, or your bosses faith? In the verse above it says, “when they arrest you”, but we can also think – when they call you into their office. When we’re asked about our faith, we don’t have to worry about the words we’re going to use or saying it perfectly. Instead we can trust that the Holy Spirit will be there helping us to communicate God’s word and heart when we’re witnessing about our faith.

God is still speaking. He’s speaking through you.

Every moment is an opportunity to witness for the Lord. In the grocery store, we can let the person with cranky children and a pile of coupons go in front of us. In our families, we can reconcile with those who are frustrating and have caused us harm. Forgiving them, not because they’re sorry, but because we have a chance to respond differently, because we have been given a gift of eternal life – even though we don’t deserve it. When our children frustrate us, we can respond with patience instead of fury even though they’ve done the same thing wrong everyday this month. We have an opportunity to have the Lord speak through us by His Holy Spirit. That is if we can hold our tongue long enough to turn our thoughts, voices and hearts over to His control.

1 Corinthians 12:3
Therefore I want you to know that no one who is speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus be cursed,” and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.

What are you saying about God?

 
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Posted by on May 29, 2012 in Matthew, my god is a communicator

 

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My God is…My Joy Psalm 43:3-5

24 Apr

My God is My Joy

Psalm 43: 3-5  Send me your light and your faithful care,
let them lead me;
let them bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
Then I will go to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and my delight.
I will praise you with the lyre,
O God, my God.

Why, my soul, are you downcast?
Why so disturbed within me?
Put your hope in God,
for I will yet praise him,
my Savior and my God.

Send me your light and your faithful care, let them lead me

I’m almost in a panic. Most people who know me would probably not think I’m shy. There’s something quite misleading about the loud shy ones. I am shy. I am nervous around people I don’t know. I get scared to break out of my comfort zone. I remember being told by someone I went to high school with that they had misread me. They thought I was a snob and wouldn’t talk to everyone. I wouldn’t talk to everyone, not because I was a snob, but because if I didn’t know you, it didn’t seem like it was worth the risk. I couldn’t handle the rejection. I’m not sure that much has changed.

Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? 

This weekend I’m going to be presenting a portion of Deb Burma’s “Beautiful Feet” retreat. I have wanted to have an opportunity to speak and get used to being in front of a crowd. I want to be confident, but then my cowardice and shy side starts to get the better of me. Thinking about it now nearly puts me in a panic. I feel called to be a writer and a speaker. A year ago I was doing neither. Now I’m writing two or more times a week. I am looking for opportunities to build my speaking skills and pray that soon both the writing and the speaking will used to the glory of God. I want nothing more than my whole life to be used for Him. (Did I really write that down – God can do some scary things when you give your life to Him – EEEK).

Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.

The Lord knows what He’s doing. He has given me opportunity and encouragement along these paths. I need to put my hope in Him and not rely on myself. I may not be the world’s best writer or speaker, but the Lord can make my speaking and my writing to be more than my words. Because I use scripture in my writing and speaking, the Holy Spirit is present, and His word will not return to Him void. I can trust and put my hope in Him. Most who know me would say I have the gift of speaking (or talking on and on and on). I hope that I do and that I put my hope in God and praise him with all that I do.

Then I will go to the altar of God, to God, my joy and my delight.

God is my Joy and my Delight. I’m amazed every time I come to write my blog how I’m given a new verse telling me about who my God is. He is so multifaceted. He’s everything we need. I do delight in Him. He is my joy. Each day I find there are things that He points to, flowers, friends, verses in scripture. I am amazed at how involved He is in my life. Everyone has at least one gift from God. Do you know what yours is? I believe that when you start using that gift to God’s glory, He will use it to draw you closer to Him, so that you might have joy and delight in Him. You may find yourself seeing God in the details of your life. Take joy that He is there, and put your hope in him.

Have you seen God in the details?

 
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Posted by on April 24, 2012 in God is My Joy, Psalm

 

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My God is…A Seal Ephesians 1:13

05 Apr

Ephesians 1:13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.

You were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit 

The promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession

I love sealed envelopes. Not just one that has been licked shut, but one with an actual wax seal on it. The seal shows the recipient that they are important to them, and says that what is inside is truly their words. When you believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross to take away your sins, your heart is then sealed, like a precious love letter. It is sealed so that all may know that your heart is God’s. That your heart is now given over to the truth of our salvation.

The promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance

When I was a kid, my mom drank a lot of diet soda. The soda generally came in glass bottles, six packs. We would buy a ton of six packs. We even had a bottle opener in our pantry attached to the wall to make it easier for us to open the sodas.

Every time we went to the grocery store, we would load the car up with our empty bottles. That’s because we had paid a deposit on the bottles. When we brought the bottles back, we would put the bottles in a big bin with all the other bottles people had brought in. The cashier gave us a slip of paper that would get us back the money we gave as a deposit.

When we believe in Jesus, we’re sealed with the Holy Spirit, and when we are returned, like soda bottles to the store, to God the Father (through our death or Jesus return), the presence of the seal of the Holy Spirit will ensure that we are given the inheritance that Jesus Christ won for us on the cross. We have been redeemed, bought back. He paid for it, and instead of keeping the rewards for Himself, Jesus shared his reward with us, that we might spend eternity with Him in Heaven. Praise God! We are given a guarantee that the deposit of the Holy Spirit will ensure that we are redeemed.

Deposit: to place especially for safekeeping or as a pledge;especially : to put in a bank

If you believe in Jesus Christ as your Savior, the Lord has put the Holy Spirit in you as a pledge. He will never leave you nor forsake you. (Deuteronomy 31:6). Acting as a Seal, the Holy Spirit marks you as one redeemed by Jesus Christ. Imagine the devil and his minions seeing that seal and knowing their work is in vain. Do they stop trying? No, because they want nothing more than to pull you away from Christ. But the seal shows them their work is in vain. Believe and receive the Seal, the Holy Spirit.

 
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Posted by on April 5, 2012 in My God is a Seal

 

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My God is … The Good Shepherd John 10:14

21 Mar

John 10:14 – I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me

John 10:14 - I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me

John 10:14 - I am the good shepherd; I know my sheep and my sheep know me

He knows me

So being called a sheep may not be the most flattering thing in the world. They’re not the brightest animal on the farm, and I’m not super in love with their smells either. I am grateful for the wool, and there’s almost nothing as sweet as seeing little lamb-i-kins bouncing across the British Countryside (Right Rachel?). But when being a sheep means that Jesus is your Shepherd  Good Shepherd, everything changes.

Not the brightest animal on the farm

We may not always make great decisions, say the right thing, or do the right thing, but like a Shepherd, God is watching over us, herding us back to safer ground. Ground filled with blessings and closeness to Him. When I’m in the midst of bad behavior (insert sin of choice here), I find myself lost, confused and unsure of myself. It’s in  weakness and insecurity that I’m no longer stubborn and going my own direction. I start looking around for a way out, a safe place to go, and I realize my Shepherd has been near by at all times, ready to lead me home.

Going my own direction

Have you ever made a wrong turn? You were sure you knew your way, but still ended up someplace other than where you wanted to be? In the song “The Good Shepherd” By Dave Horn (find it here #23 on the list), Dave sings about the Good Shepherd from the devil’s perspective. The devil says everything the Good Shepherd does; knowing their name and carrying their blame, shows how he, the devil, has lost this game. That’s a comforting thought.

God knows my name and carries me and my blame

The Good Shepherd lays down his life for His sheep. We are not in a relationship with a God who sets things in motion and then leaves us there floundering. He is there to help guide us out of trouble. He’s come to keep me from being separated from Him for eternity because of my sin. He’s laid down his life so that I can be free from blame. When we are weak, we find Him when no one else cares about us anymore. When we have burned all our bridges, Jesus became the Bridge to God the Father, allowing us a way to salvation, when all we deserve is utter destruction. Not only does he keep us from harm, keeping away the devil, but he also leads us towards His Father, while drawing us closer to Him. He seeks us out when we’re straying away from Him.

Embracing my Sheepishness

I said it earlier, I don’t think the description of us as sheep is very flattering, but it is accurate. I do make mistakes and end up taking the wrong path. Sometimes I don’t listen to my God and I end up in deep do-do. I find myself floundering, having separated myself from my support system, and ignoring the warnings of friends and family. I hear the devil trying to lie to me, telling me I’m not worthy of being used by the God I love, but like the Good Shepherd that He is, Jesus is right there to guide me back to safety in His arms, His word and His church.

Are you Sheepish?

 
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Posted by on March 21, 2012 in God is my Shepherd, John

 

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My God is … God Psalm 46:10

16 Mar

Psalm 46:10 He says, “Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth.”

Be Still

How often are you still? Do you stop? Ever? Many of my friends hardly ever stop. Even when they do stop physically, their minds are still racing, and they don’t truly get any rest from their hectic lives. Being still takes focus. It’s not easy at all. You can start to feel guilty, wiggling around thinking about all of the things not getting done while you’re “being still”.

What do we miss in our hectic lives

In Psalm 46:10, God says to “Be still and know that I am God”. What a blessing of being still! For many years I had worked a 40 hour a week job. I actually worked a lot more hours than that, because I had a virtual commute. It always sounds so wonderful. I got to work from home! But that has its pluses and minuses. Yes I could run and get my boys when I needed to, and if something came up I could take care of it. The truth is, usually those things didn’t come up, but instead I would be more likely to allow my work to impede on my family time. I would be doing fine, playing a game or watching a movie with the boys when I would think of one more thing that I could get done before tomorrow (so that day would be “easier”). I would work on that while I was “with” my boys. I would not be fully present in either, not accomplishing anything of value in the end. The next day was not easier, as I had plenty more to worry about that day.

Each day my minds raced. I wanted to be sure that my work was visible even though I wasn’t in the office. I wanted to make my work successful for the business, my bosses and myself. I wanted to do well, so I could feel good about my work. What really happened, because I never took down time for my brain is I was not my best. When I would over work myself, in the name of dedication, I would push myself beyond what was useful for any of us.

Clearing your mind

I don’t know about the other women out there, but clearing my mind is a foreign concept to me. Even when I am sitting still in a quiet room, my mind is not clear. I may be having 25 different thoughts in less than a minute. My mind is all over the place. Do you remember the scene in Ghostbusters when they’re told to pick what will destroy them by what they think, and their plan is to clear their minds so that nothing will destroy them? That was always such a ridiculous scene to me, because I couldn’t even conceptualize emptying my brain. Is that a man/woman thing, or just a problem I have? I’m not sure, but if it had been me out there, we would have had 20 or more things to fight off with our proton streams.

 

And Know that I am God

Being still, clearing our minds takes practice. One of the great benefits of having the hours you spend for work reduced is you have time to practice being still. Since I reduced my hours (and recently had them reduced again for me), I have been given the opportunity to work towards being still and knowing He is God. I have started to use the prayers I learned at the prayer retreat I went to (the Jesus Prayer and Lectio Divina) to get me closer to being still. Then I will sit after those prayers and just try to “be” in God’s presence. I’m not saying I’ve perfected it, but the promise to know God better is one worth doing.

Do you know how to be still?

 
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Posted by on March 16, 2012 in My God is God, Psalm

 

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