Be Still

 


Our pastor referenced this verse in the last sermon of his "Trust the Process" series. Truthfully, it was not the main verse of the message, but for me, it was one more reminder that God sees me. He knows my deepest pains, He knows my deepest desires, He knows my deepest fears, He knows my deepest anxieties, and He knows my deepest needs. When I really focus on this verse, I am reminded that those pains, desires, fears, anxieties, and needs are really not mine to worry about. God tells me to be still because I know that He is God. For a long time, I have said that this is my favorite verse. Now, it not only reminds me that I need to approach life's challenges calmly, but it also reminds me that I am not God. I am NOT the one to be exalted.

For most of my life, I have been a very easy-going person who doesn't let much worry me. I used to think of this verse as my kind of "motto" in life, explaining why I didn't worry about things--I was just being still. Over time, I have learned to become more anxious, and I am serious when I say that my anxiety has been learned. Somewhere along the way, I have become more aware of all these things that I perceive as being wrong in the world, and that awareness has become anxiousness.

I believe my worries stem from several places, but they pretty much all come down to one single fact: I am not in control of my world. When my life was going exactly like I thought it should, I became convinced that I was the one making it happen. I understand today that it has been necessary for God to remind me who is really in control, and I just need to be still. These last several months have been one long reminder that I am not God. (The fact that it has taken so long for me to be reminded of this understanding just shows how stupid and/or stubborn I am.)

Heavenly Father, thank you for the reminder, both in my circumstances and from Pastor Mike, that I have to be still and trust your process. I am truly sorry that it has taken me this long to see the reminder in the circumstances, and I pray you forgive me for forgetting that you are God. In the exalted name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

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