I don’t normally discuss with my husband what I’m writing about each week on my Life Posts (he’s been so busy!) but I was just telling him about how slow things are right now at MHM with summer arriving. It makes sense since school just finished and kids just want to go outside and enjoy the weather! At least, that’s what my kids want to do. Well, most of the time. OK, if I’m being honest, I have to kick them out to enjoy the weather but once they’re out there, they love it! Anyone else, or is it just my crazy family?
Choosing to be still
Anyway, my husband reminded me that right now, I just need to be still, and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10a). That was what I know I needed to be reminded of. I need to be still and know that this time in my life hasn’t taken God by surprise. He knew this is what our family needed, whether or not I agree or understand.
Although life remains busy (we still have 10 kids!), it feels like I’m in slow motion most days since I’ve been so used to life in warp speed. It’s sort of like being on the highway going 70, and then driving down a neighborhood street at 15 mph. It feels as if you could crawl faster! But it’s not that we are going slow, but that we’re going the appropriate speed for where we are.
How often do we get caught up in a situation where life is moving slower than we expect or want? We want to get to the next thing, which will hopefully be bigger and better. Whether it’s the next customer, or the next school year, or the next job, or the next whatever, it’s hard to not be in control and have to wait for the next thing. And that’s where the rest of the verse helps to put things in perspective:
I will be exalted among the nations,
Psalm 46:10b
I will be exalted in the earth.
What it’s all about
It’s humbling to think that this life is not all about us. Well, it is, but it isn’t. We are so loved by God, He sent His son to rescue us from our sin. So clearly we are His beloved children. But we are rescued so that we can honor and worship HIM.
We get to exalt Him among the nations. It’s not about us. We aren’t still, so that our sidekick God can come in clutch for us. That’s completely missing the point. We are still so that we get out of the way, and we can make much of Him.
Sunday sermon
This past Sunday was Father’s Day, and our son-in-law preached the sermon for his church (he’s the youth pastor). We traveled to be there for it and besides the fact that I absolutely LOVE when all of our family is together, I am so glad I was able to listen to his sermon.
His message was about King David, and his confrontation with Goliath. Essentially the fight was incredibly unfair and lopsided, and couldn’t have been won independently of God. But with God, the fight remained unfair and lopsided, but just with Goliath not having a chance.
Let’s think about this
How do we so easily forget Who we worship?? The God of angel armies, the almighty, powerful, and good God of the universe. And if anything, I’m under-representing Him. David knew that, even when everyone around him chose to forget. That made all the difference.
Of course, today we still may face similar giants and difficulties. We were never promised an easy life. We weren’t even promised victory in the immediate. But at the end of the day, or the end of the year, or the end of our lives, God wins and therefore we win with Him. Praise God, we know Who we serve and Whom we can trust. Besides, He has given us a million reasons and examples of why we should trust Him.
He knows
However, I think I’m not the only one who thinks being still is hard. It goes against our nature. We naturally naval gaze and think to ourselves, “What do I do now?” Instead, we should be shifting our focus and praying, “LORD, what do YOU want me to do now?”
Whether it’s a literal “be still” or more of a figurative “be still” (i.e. RELAX), putting our head on straight is key. God is sovereign. He knows what He is doing. But most importantly, He is good. We may not understand what He’s doing, or agree with how He’s doing things, but we can trust Him and praise Him in the process.
If you’d like some awesome examples of those who have gone before us who have trusted God and were “still” before him even when it didn’t make sense, Corrie Ten Boom, Bethany Hamilton, Elisabeth Elliot, Brother Yun, Angela Yuan, and Sheldon Vanauken are just a few names I can think of off the top of my head.
I hope you check them out and get yourself some great books! And Happy Father’s Day plus 1!
