One of my favorite Bible verses is 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 love just sitting and thinking about this verse. Often when I am fearful or worried about something, this is the first verse that comes to my mind.
How often do we actually do what this verse says though? The first two words are clear: be still. In my opinion, those words are easier said than done, especially in our high-paced, technology-filled culture. I know that I have very few moments when I am still. It seems that I am constantly busy with homework and studying, and if I'm not doing that, I'm usually with my friends, and if I'm not with my friends, then usually I am doing the most mind-numbing activities like watching TV shows or aimlessly surfing the Internet. In college, the closest I get to being still is right before I go to bed when I read my Bible.
I do have to say that deer season does provide me with an excellent opportunity to be still. When you are out sitting in the woods, waiting for a deer, you are trying to be as quiet as possible. Deer are very flighty animals, and even the smallest sound can send them running. For me, this is the perfect opportunity to talk to God and just spend time alone with Him with no distractions. Yes, the woods aren't always quiet - there's birds chirping, squirrels running around and leaves rustling. But all in all, being alone in the forest is so peaceful. It's probably the only time I am ever really still.
Stillness is rare and precious. We learn so many things when we stop and reflect. When we actually force ourselves to put aside all distractions and focus wholly on God, we learn so much about Him and His character. Like the verse says, we know that He is God. We understand it. We truly get it. It's such a powerful realization, too. He will be exalted in the nations. He will be exalted in the earth. It has nothing to do with us and everything to do with Him.
Another one of my favorite passages dealing with stillness is 1 Kings 19:9-12. This is when the Lord God appears to the prophet Elijah in the cave. Basically at this moment, Elijah is scared. He is telling God how Israelites have broken their covenant with God and they are killing the prophets and breaking down God's altars. Elijah says, "I am the only one left, and they are now trying to kill me too." I can almost hear the desperation and fear in his voice.
Then the Lord speaks. "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." If I were Elijah, I wouldn't know what to expect. But Elijah obeys. First there is a great and powerful wind. This wind is so powerful that the mountains shake and the rocks shatter. But God is not in the wind. Next comes a great earthquake. We have all seen how powerful earthquakes can be. It must have been terrifying for Elijah to witness. But we are told that God is not in the earthquake either. After the earthquake, comes a fire. Just this past summer, the western half of the United States dealt with terrible wildfires. Fire is dangerous and intense. However, God is not in this fire.
Then it comes. A soft whisper. The King James version calls it "a still small voice." You see, God is more powerful than the wind, the earthquake and the fire. However, He chose not to pass by Elijah in any of those. Instead, He spoke to Elijah softly, in a still small voice. In a gentle whisper. It was with this voice that the Lord Almighty reassured Elijah and calmed his fears.
I think too often we beg God for help, we pour out our fears to Him and ask Him to calm us, but then we miss hearing His still small voice. We get too caught up in the world around us that we miss Him. Oh sure, He could come roaring in like the powerful wind and reassure us and tell us that everything is fine. But He doesn't always do that. Sometimes He waits in the background, waiting for us to go find Him.
How many times have we tried to talk to someone who was distracted? Either they are listening to music or watching TV or reading a book. They give us maybe half of their attention or less. In fact, most of the time, they don't even catch what we are saying, and they often ask us to repeat ourselves. This is exactly how we treat God. We sing the worship songs, we listen to worship music, we listen to the pastor's sermon on Sunday... all of these are good things, and we can definitely grow closer to God through them, but I feel like there needs to be more. There needs to be that time when it's just you and God, alone in a silent environment, when you refuse to let your mind wander and you focus all of our attention on the Creator, your Father.
After all, Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:6 to go to a quiet room when we pray. We don't need to be out in front of people. We don't even need to pray out loud. "But when you pray, go into our room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Quietness, stillness.
The beautiful thing about being alone with God is understand that He desperately wants to have a one-to-one correspondence with you. Just you and Him! The Creator of the universe wants to have alone time with only you. That's a crazy, wonderful thought! God, who knows everything about you and who passionately loves and adores you, wants you to meet with Him in a quiet place.
In God's perfect stillness, we find God's perfect will.
"The sound of 'gentle stillness' after all the thunder and wind have passed will be the ultimate Word from God." ~ Jim Elliot
Sunday, March 17, 2013
Saturday, March 2, 2013
Matthew 25:40
What is poverty? I struggle to find one correct answer to this question. Poverty is different for everyone. In America, you can live in poverty and still own a house and have food on the table. In parts of Africa, to live in poverty often means you go days without food, you sleep on the ground, you can't afford an education.
I have been blessed. I live in the United States, which in itself provides many great opportunities. I have food on the table for every meal (and also food for in between meals). I drink clean water every day. I'm receiving an education from a great college. I have a house to go home to, I have enough clothes to get me through a couple weeks without wearing the same thing twice, I have a vehicle that gets me from place to place, I am healthy and happy. But sometimes I ask myself why?
Don't get me wrong. I am so incredibly thankful for all of this. It is only because of God that I enjoy these things. But when I think about it, I just don't understand why I live this blessed life when there are hundreds of thousands, even millions, of people who suffering every day from diseases and starvation. There are children who run around naked because they have no clothes or shoes. There are teenagers who are nothing but skin and bones because they have no food. There are mothers and fathers who lay awake at night because they don't know how they are going to feed their children the next day. Why do I have a surplus of food and clothing when they people have nothing?
It's not fair. I have done nothing to deserve what I have. I am no different from them. They are human, and I am human. They are intensely loved by God, and I am intensely loved by God. It just doesn't seem fair that they are dying of a disease when the medication in America can be bought for less than $10. It isn't right that they go long periods of time without a balanced meal, and here I am, throwing away perfectly good food in the cafeteria because either it didn't taste good or I've already stuffed myself too full and I can't finish it.
This bothers me so much. Sometimes I think about it so hard that it makes my head hurt. It simply isn't fair. The worst part is that so many Americans have no idea what is actually going on in other countries. We see commercials on TV about these children who run around in the dumps looking for food, and we say, "That's so sad! I wish I could help." Then we turn the channel as we take a sip of our soda or eat a little more of our popcorn.
I've seen poverty firsthand. I went to Peru this past summer, and I saw children playing in the mud with no shoes or pants on. I saw families living in shacks. I saw little boys and girls with bloated stomachs from parasites. My eyes were definitely opened to a different side of the world. Yet sometimes I forget these things that I saw. I complain about the food in college and how there is never anything I want to eat. I take for granted the fact that I even have food in the first place.
In some ways, I think Christians in America are failing these people. We hear stories from missionaries about their hardships, we donate money to their cause, and we are content to just sit in our pews on Sundays and listen. If we were to be approached by someone about an opportunity to serve in a third-world country, many of us would give excuses like we are too busy, we don't have time, we have families that we can't leave, etc. The list could go on and on.
I'm not saying that giving to missionaries isn't an effective way to help. That's not the point at all. Our missionaries are incredible people who are giving of themselves to serve the Lord and others. They need our support and prayers by all means. I'm just saying that we shouldn't be content to just stop there. We need to be willing to go to these places ourselves. We need to be willing to step out of our comfort zones and see the world through God's eyes. And most of all, when we do travel to other parts of the world, we need to remember that these people deserve our respect and our love. We cannot strip others of their dignity. They are hard-working people who love their families - this is no different from most of us.
Lastly, we need to remember to be continually thankful to God for each of the blessings He has given to us. I mean really be thankful. All of this could be stripped from us in an instant. It is only by God's grace and mercy that America is living in wealth - this could all change. If we were all suddenly plunged into extreme poverty, wouldn't we want the help of others from around the world? Wouldn't we look to our fellow humans to support us in our troubling times?
If nothing else, at least think about these things. You don't have to feel bad when you eat a bag of potato chips or a donut or whatever. I do those things all the time. Maybe, however, when do you allow yourself to indulge, say a prayer to God, asking Him how you might be able to help others. It may be something small - helping a local food bank, volunteering at a homeless shelter. Baby steps. You don't have to completely jump in right at the get-go. Start by putting your toe in the water. Quit standing on the sidelines and do something.
I have been blessed. I live in the United States, which in itself provides many great opportunities. I have food on the table for every meal (and also food for in between meals). I drink clean water every day. I'm receiving an education from a great college. I have a house to go home to, I have enough clothes to get me through a couple weeks without wearing the same thing twice, I have a vehicle that gets me from place to place, I am healthy and happy. But sometimes I ask myself why?
Don't get me wrong. I am so incredibly thankful for all of this. It is only because of God that I enjoy these things. But when I think about it, I just don't understand why I live this blessed life when there are hundreds of thousands, even millions, of people who suffering every day from diseases and starvation. There are children who run around naked because they have no clothes or shoes. There are teenagers who are nothing but skin and bones because they have no food. There are mothers and fathers who lay awake at night because they don't know how they are going to feed their children the next day. Why do I have a surplus of food and clothing when they people have nothing?
It's not fair. I have done nothing to deserve what I have. I am no different from them. They are human, and I am human. They are intensely loved by God, and I am intensely loved by God. It just doesn't seem fair that they are dying of a disease when the medication in America can be bought for less than $10. It isn't right that they go long periods of time without a balanced meal, and here I am, throwing away perfectly good food in the cafeteria because either it didn't taste good or I've already stuffed myself too full and I can't finish it.
This bothers me so much. Sometimes I think about it so hard that it makes my head hurt. It simply isn't fair. The worst part is that so many Americans have no idea what is actually going on in other countries. We see commercials on TV about these children who run around in the dumps looking for food, and we say, "That's so sad! I wish I could help." Then we turn the channel as we take a sip of our soda or eat a little more of our popcorn.
I've seen poverty firsthand. I went to Peru this past summer, and I saw children playing in the mud with no shoes or pants on. I saw families living in shacks. I saw little boys and girls with bloated stomachs from parasites. My eyes were definitely opened to a different side of the world. Yet sometimes I forget these things that I saw. I complain about the food in college and how there is never anything I want to eat. I take for granted the fact that I even have food in the first place.
In some ways, I think Christians in America are failing these people. We hear stories from missionaries about their hardships, we donate money to their cause, and we are content to just sit in our pews on Sundays and listen. If we were to be approached by someone about an opportunity to serve in a third-world country, many of us would give excuses like we are too busy, we don't have time, we have families that we can't leave, etc. The list could go on and on.
I'm not saying that giving to missionaries isn't an effective way to help. That's not the point at all. Our missionaries are incredible people who are giving of themselves to serve the Lord and others. They need our support and prayers by all means. I'm just saying that we shouldn't be content to just stop there. We need to be willing to go to these places ourselves. We need to be willing to step out of our comfort zones and see the world through God's eyes. And most of all, when we do travel to other parts of the world, we need to remember that these people deserve our respect and our love. We cannot strip others of their dignity. They are hard-working people who love their families - this is no different from most of us.
Lastly, we need to remember to be continually thankful to God for each of the blessings He has given to us. I mean really be thankful. All of this could be stripped from us in an instant. It is only by God's grace and mercy that America is living in wealth - this could all change. If we were all suddenly plunged into extreme poverty, wouldn't we want the help of others from around the world? Wouldn't we look to our fellow humans to support us in our troubling times?
If nothing else, at least think about these things. You don't have to feel bad when you eat a bag of potato chips or a donut or whatever. I do those things all the time. Maybe, however, when do you allow yourself to indulge, say a prayer to God, asking Him how you might be able to help others. It may be something small - helping a local food bank, volunteering at a homeless shelter. Baby steps. You don't have to completely jump in right at the get-go. Start by putting your toe in the water. Quit standing on the sidelines and do something.
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