What part of STOP don’t you understand?

 

Have you ever been so overwhelmed and exhausted that you find it hard to keep up with all of life’s demands? Have you ever just been tired? Like, really tired. Physically, emotionally, mentally?

But then when you finally take the time to stop, you feel guilty for resting? Maybe you feel like you’re letting everyone down. Including God.

You struggle on but you can’t remember the last time you felt properly rested.

I know the feeling well. I often wake up tired. Work needs me. My family needs me. My household chores need me. There’s another email that needs answering. Another text that needs replying to. Something else that needs attending to.

You keep telling yourself that you should be stronger. You should be able to cope with the workload. You should be able to handle it.

But what if you are placing on yourself more than God wants you to? What if you’re asking more of yourself than God is?

There was a man in the Bible who felt this way. We read about him in the book of 1 Kings, chapters 18 and 19.

Elijah, the great prophet of God, used mightily in so many ways found himself tired and soul weary.

There had been a severe drought and famine in the land of Israel for three years and the people couldn’t seem to make up their minds as to whether they would serve JEHOVAH God or Baal, the idol of the heathen nations.

Elijah realised that the people needed a very real, very tangible example of God’s power to prove once and for all that JEHOVAH God was the only, one and true God. And so, as I’m sure you know the story, Elijah challenged Ahab to a contest on Mount Carmel.

We read the story in verses 23 to 40 and as we know, God got the victory once again and proved himself mighty in the eyes of all who had gathered there.

Now, you would think that after so great a victory, Elijah would be overjoyed, exuberant and in the best of spirits. But then came Jezebel’s threat to have him killed and Elijah fled to the wilderness and found himself sitting in despair under a Juniper tree.

He had just experienced an incredible God moment, but after, his life was threatened, he was afraid and overwhelmed, and he just wanted to die.

And what happened next? He fell asleep.

And as he lay down to sleep and to rest his weary body and soul, an angel came and said those interesting words, “Arise and eat.” Wait, what?

1 Kings 19:5-8 KJV - And as he lay and slept under a juniper tree, behold, then an angel touched him, and said unto him, Arise and eat. And he looked, and, behold, there was a cake baken on the coals, and a cruse of water at his head. And he did eat and drink, and laid him down again.

Yes, you read that right. The angel of the Lord, a special manifestation of God himself, told Elijah to have a snack and take a nap.

Before Elijah did anything else, God gave him what he needed to keep going.

He had experienced great victory and yet he was exhausted, overwhelmed and afraid. There is something you need to hear.

You can be doing something good and still be doing too much if you are not taking time to rest. If you have been taught that to be faithful means always being available or being faithful means always saying yes, you need to remember this story of Elijah.

God cared about Elijah’s exhaustion. God knew he needed rest. And so, he encouraged it.

We can care deeply about people, we can enjoy serving others, but we can still reach a point where we have nothing left to give, if only for a short time.

Did you notice that when the angel woke Elijah, he didn’t tell him to get up and read his Bible? He didn’t tell him to get on his face in prayer. He didn’t even tell him to go and find himself the nearest church to listen to a rousing sermon. Although those are all good things, he wasn’t told to do them.

He was told to eat. Not once, but twice.

He needed a snack and a nap. Something physical that would give him the strength to go on.

God met Elijah in his exhaustion. He met him in the middle of his overwhelm.

Even when you have nothing left to give, you are worth caring for. God sees you in your tiredness.

Have you ever stopped to think about the importance of rest? Did you know that God, when he created the world, built into it a rhythm of rest?

Jesus himself had rhythms of rest in his daily life. The Sabbath didn’t just mean taking a day off, it meant ceasing from labour.

Jesus took times to rest. He went into an isolated place and took time to rest and pray. (Mark 1:35)

He urged his disciples to take time out to rest and refresh. (Mark 6:31)

And the well-known passage in Matthew 11:28-30 reminds us to come to Christ in order to find rest and renewal.

In today’s busy world, rest is sometimes seen as a sign of weakness. But God sees it as important and necessary.

Resting is not a form of weakness but of strength.

What I’m trying to get at is this. When you go through struggles and stress, when you find yourself exhausted and about to boil over, at the point of breaking, remember how important it is to align yourself with the rhythms of rest that God created for you so that you can endure the journey he has for you ahead.

God didn’t just give us food and sleep for our enjoyment and pleasure, but he gave it to us for nourishment for our bodies to help build the strength to keep going.

When we overlook rest, it will affect every area of our life. Our health, our mental and physical ability to function, our attitude, our relationships. All of it.

Elijah had been running and running, doing God’s work, it was good work, but he was wearing himself out in the process. He needed a time of rest.

God wants us to take time to rest.

I’m not talking about laziness here. There are many verses that talk about labour and the importance of diligence and faithfulness and hard work. But rest is paramount.

Our times of rest are not a one-off thing. We need to continually take times of rest. Don’t wait until you’re burnt before you stop. Don’t wait until you find yourself at breaking point.

Build into your life rhythms of rest. Make time for it.

And in case you are not sure what this looks like, let me tell you that rest looks different for everyone.

It may be sitting down with a good book. It may be going outside for a long walk. It may be listening to music while doing nothing. It may be sitting in complete silence and meditating on the Words of scripture. It may be playing a musical instrument. Or it may be as simple as a snack and a nap.

If you are running on empty today, I encourage you to find some time in your day to stop and rest. Even if it’s only for 5 minutes. Find what makes you feel rested and refreshed and work it into your busy schedule.

Rest is a Biblical mandate. Don’t overlook it.

What are you carrying that is not yours to carry?

What are you saying yes to that God wants you to say no to?

What is it that you need that you keep ignoring?

What part of God calling you to rest don’t you understand?

Matthew 11:28

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Take the next step

 

Have you ever had a pair of glasses that were smudged? Perhaps the rain had spattered them or cooking over a pot of oil had caused them to be speckled and hard to see through clearly.

Faith is often a lot like that. It rarely comes with full clarity.

It’s the part I don’t like. I want to know what is going to happen. I want to know how the situation will work out. I want the details, and I want them now!

But that’s not how God works. And it’s not how faith works.

As one author put it, “When you live a life of faith, there are going to be questions that have no answers, because for there to be faith, there has to be mystery. That’s just life in the deep end. It would be nice if we could have the safety of the shore and the potential of the open ocean at the same time, but that’s not how it works.”

What is faith? We all know the verse most quoted when looking for a Biblical definition. It is found in Hebrews 11:1 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith involves trust. It involves reliance and confidence in God and his promises which leads to a life of obedience and service, or at least, it should.

Faith is a trust in God’s character, confidence in his promises and obedience as evidence of our belief, trust and faith.

It is not blind or irrational. It is a reasoned confidence based on what God has revealed to us in his word. It is grounded in God’s proven character and promises. It is not blind belief.

It is not just a belief in facts. It’s not a feeling, because faith can operate even when our emotions are all over the place. It’s not just a general optimism, it’s a specific trust in God’s promises.

One of the best examples of faith in God’s Word is found in the book of Genesis.

There is this moment in Abraham’s life, where God speaks to him and tells him to leave his home. God tells Abraham to go. But he doesn’t hand him a road map. He doesn’t hand him a bullet point plan of action. He doesn’t even give him a direction!

Genesis 12:1 KJV – Now the LORD had said unto Abram, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:

How many of you could deal with a command like that without baulking? Or without questioning? Yeah, me neither.

We recently sold our house here in Katherine. (a big hip hip hooray celebration!) It was a tediously, long process of back and forth with buyers, conveyancers and the real estate etc and it took absolutely forever! I was so checked out and done by the end of it that I had given up all hope of the sale even going through.

When we put it on the market, we were full of faith and excitement that God would sell it quickly and it would all be over in a matter of months. We thought we could see the way clear ahead. But no. Our glasses soon became smudged and scratched and our sight dimmed. Faith became something we had to hold tight to. We had to trust in God’s character and perfect will. We had to keep believing that he had a plan.

And as always, God came through.

I wonder what was going through Abraham’s mind when God gave the onward, forward command? I wonder what went through Sarah’s (Abraham’s wife) mind? I’m sure it was a huge test of faith and also submission to her husband to follow him into the unknown. God simply said ‘go’. And they went.

The Hebrew word we see here in this verse, for ‘get’ (or go) is yalak. It simply means to walk. Not figure everything out. Not map out the whole journey. Not work out a plan. Simply walk. Just walk.

Which sounds simple. Until it’s your life. And your instruction. Until it becomes personal.

So, God told Abraham to go. And Abraham just goes. God pronounces a blessing upon him and he goes.

Genesis 12:4 KJV – So Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him; and Lot went with him: and Abram was seventy and five years old when he departed out of Haran.

And that bit gets me. Because I don’t do that. I want more detail. I want more confirmation. I want an itinerary. I want something that will make me feel safer. I want assurance. But that’s not how faith works, is it?

Faith really isn’t having everything sorted. Faith isn’t having a 5-year plan laid out tidily. Faith is just being willing to take the next step.

Even when the glasses are smudged. Even when it’s unclear. Even when it’s uncomfortable. Oh, how we like our comfort.

Abraham is mentioned in the great hall of faith in the book of Hebrews.

Hebrews 11:8 KJV – By faith Abraham, when he was called to go out into a place which he should after receive for an inheritance, obeyed; and he went out, not knowing whither he went.

This verse reminds us of his obedience. A connection to faith. But it also gives us a little more detail to the story. It tells us that he went out, not even knowing where he was going.

In Genesis, it says he departed. He left. Same Hebrew word, yalak, go, walk. But in Hebrews it elaborates by saying he had no clue where God was calling him to go. Not knowing. That word knowing has to do with understanding. So, he had no understanding of the situation.

And yet, he went. He left blindly. All he had to go on was his trust in God’s character and faithfulness in the past. And that was enough.

Is it enough for us?

What is it that you already know God is asking you to do that you haven’t done yet?

What step of faith do you need to take?

 

2 Timothy 1:7 KJV 

For God hath not given us the spirit of fear;

 but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

 

 

But what about Mondays?

 

Trusting in the Lord is not always easy. Honestly, trusting in general is often hard. People let us down. Times are hard. We put our faith in things that disappoint us. In people that fall short.

Thankfully, God is totally trustworthy. Do you believe that?

If you’re unsure, look at a few verses with me.

Numbers 23:19 KJV - God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent: hath he said, and shall he not do it? or hath he spoken, and shall he not make it good?

Deuteronomy 7:9 KJV - Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations;

Psalm 9:10 KJV - And they that know thy name will put their trust in thee: for thou, LORD, hast not forsaken them that seek thee.

Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV - Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.

Are you convinced yet?

“Oh, but that’s Old Testament, you say.” Okay. Let’s jump into the New Testament then.

Hebrews 10:23 KJV - Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;

Philippians 4:19 KJV - But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

1 Thessalonians 5:24 KJV - Faithful is he that calleth you, who also will do it.

Need I go on?

The trustworthiness of God is revealed all throughout the pages of scripture. Countless stories reveal his perfect character and prove God keeps his promises.

If you have put your faith in Christ Jesus and call yourself one of his children, then you have proved that you trust him with your eternal destiny. This shows that you believe he will do what he has promised. You believe that you have a home in Heaven. You believe that he forgives sins. You believe that you have been justified, redeemed, chosen, loved and bought with a price.

Why is it then, that we so readily trust him with our lives and yet we don’t trust him with our Mondays?

What do I mean?

Well, we say we trust him. But when Monday rolls around, we begin to fret and to worry. We’re concerned we won’t be able to pay our bills. We worry about our health. We worry about what will happen if we lose our job or our house or the car breaks down for the 4^th time.

How is it that we trust him in the big things like where we’ll go when we die, and then we don’t trust him to enough to provide for us. We worry about how we’ll make our paycheck stretch to afford the grocery bill? We don’t trust him quite enough to supply the small things.

Hands up if you’re guilty. Me too. Me too.

Just today I’ve been struggling with some disappointing news. Something I thought was finally an answer to prayer. Long prayed for and finally coming to fruition and then a spanner was thrown in the works yet again. And instantly my mood began to change. A cloud began to form over my head and the doubts arose.

How was this going to work? And why would God let it happen? And what was the solution? And sadly, I confess, the question arose in my head, not exactly worded like this but it was basically what we all do, “how can I help God out with this problem?”.

Stupid, right? Who do I think I am that I think I would even begin to be able to ‘help’ him out? As if the creator of all the earth and sky needs my help.

I am reminded of a well-known verse found in Proverbs.

Proverbs 3:5,6 KJV - Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

We know this verse so well, some of us having had it memorized since early childhood. But do we actually put it into practice?

That word ‘lean’ is not a casual leaning. In Hebrew, it actually means ‘to put your whole weight on’. So, we can put all our weight, all our cares, all our fears on God with all our hearts and as we acknowledge his greatness and his ability, he will direct our path.

And sometimes, directing our path means allowing things to go dark for a bit so we can see his light. So, we can follow his leading.

I became a Christian at an early age and over the years I have grown to love the Lord more and more as he has proved himself faithful and trustworthy. I have never yet doubted that he died for me on that cross. I have never doubted that he has all power and all authority and will swing wide heaven’s doors so I can enter in. Washed. Cleansed. Seen as righteous.

But all too often I doubt he can do the small things. I worry he won’t provide. I worry he won’t work out the problem I’m facing.

What about Mondays?

Are you trusting him with the everyday? With the little things. With the mundane. With the minor annoyances. With the unpaid bill. With the broken-down car. With the job rejection.

How often do we read on to verse 7 in Proverbs chapter 3?

Proverbs 3:7 KJV - Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Do you see what it says there? Don’t be wise in your own eyes. Don’t think your understanding is best. Don’t think that you have it all figured out. God has ways of showing us very clearly that we don’t!

The Bible tells us we are like a fool if we follow our own wisdom instead of God’s.

Proverbs 26:12 KJV - Seest thou a man wise in his own conceit? there is more hope of a fool than of him.

Today, I needed the reminder that the God who holds the universe in his hands, can handle my Mondays, or Tuesdays or any day for that matter.

If it matters to me, it matters to him.

Big or small. Whatever it is. He knew about it before time began and he is able to take care of it. Without our help, I might add!

Our job is to trust. To wait. To submit. To obey.

He is able to do more than we ask or even think.

Ephesians 3:20 KJV - Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,

What an awesome God!                   

 

When the Enemy Attacks, 

Fly Higher

 

(Sometimes I find myself in need of a sermon preached to myself. This is the case today. The enemy is rearing his ugly head and trying to thwart God's plans, and in light of that, I was reminded of something I wrote a couple of years ago that needed revisiting)

I read something really interesting the other day regarding eagles and crows. There’s a reason a group of crows is called a “murder of crows”. Not a very complimentary name, is it?

Crows are often called the ‘gangsters of the sky’ and the reason they’re given this title is because their attacks are cunning, crafty and overwhelming to their unsuspecting victims.

They may be smaller in size in comparison to other birds, but their sense of entitlement pushes them to lay claim to anything appealing and they don’t have a preference as to what or who stands in their way.

Not only are crows cunning and crafty, but they are also thieves. Hunting takes a lot of energy, and so they resort to theft of another’s food.

Individually, they are small, but together, they are a powerful force. They are intelligent and they are fast. Doing a little research, I found that the jury is still out on a correct number, but it seems that crows can fly at speeds of up to 100 km per hour!

Crows don’t ‘fight fair’. They will use their numbers to intimidate and confuse their victims, with their incessant cries and their tag-team tactics, they slowly wear down their victim.

But there is an interesting scenario that has been witnessed and photographed many times. A lone crow will choose an eagle to torment. An eagle! One of the largest of birds, powerful, grand, and the strongest bird of prey.

The crow will dive bomb an eagle, peck at it, pull its feathers and sometimes land on its back. It’s hard to imagine that the eagle, an undisputed king of the air, predatory and powerful, would be so tormented by a common crow.

They do this for many reasons. Sometimes it’s simply the fact that crows are territorial and are not keen on sharing spaces. Another reason is for protection of their young, they often keep in groups to keep predators from getting too close to their nests. And as I mentioned before, they are thieves. Hunting for food is time consuming and difficult, so if a crow can steal another’s birds’ eggs or food, they will gladly do so. By using numbers to their advantage, they can often distract a larger bird and catch them unaware.

If a ‘murder’ of crows begins to torment an eagle, or a brave lone crow decides to take on an eagle on its own, the eagle does something very clever.

Before I tell you what that is, remember, that although the eagle is more powerful, the crows are incessant and don’t give up easily. They will chase their opponent for miles and miles. Pecking, dive-bombing, using their loud cry ‘caw-caw’ to drive their victim into a state of confusion and frustration which leads to mistakes being made and harm being done, or food being stolen.

So, what is this clever, ingenious way the eagle has to defeat the crow? Keep in mind that despite the eagle being one of the deadliest birds of prey, they are not eager to get hurt as this could damage their hunting prowess and cause a food shortage.

When a crow or many crows attack, the eagle does what it does best. It climbs higher. It turns its focus upwards and heads for heights that a crow cannot reach.

The eagle can fly to heights of 10 000 feet, while a crow can only reach 7000 feet. Anything above that and the crow will become dizzy and faint due to their lung capacity being so much smaller than an eagles.

When a crow is on its tail, its only option is to fly higher. It can only really be safe when it reaches an altitude that the crow can no longer reach, which causes him to give up on the fight.

Okay, so what to do with all this information about eagles and crows.

Did all this talk of cunning, craftiness, theft, incessant cries and torment remind you of anyone?

The Devil.

We are told that our enemy, the Devil is a thief and a liar, he prowls around seeking to devour us. He desires to bring us down, to defeat us. He wants to intimidate us, rob us, hurt us.

When God is about to bless us, the Devil is close by, ready to snatch it out of our grasp. He is relentless, and his whispers of lies, negativity and accusations hope to wear us down, pecking at our minds, pulling at us from every angle.

So, what are we to do when the Devil hops on our back and begins his persistent attack? We turn our gaze upward and climb higher.

We don’t stick around, dwelling on the negative and harmful thoughts. We don’t focus on the attack, listening to the voices. We focus our attention upward.

We have to forget what the enemy is doing and remember what God has already done. Satan is already a defeated foe. Christ has already won the victory.

We have to go where the enemy can’t follow. Higher. Upwards. Into the presence of God.

Easy to say, but how do we do that practically? Where is God’s presence?

Look at this verse in the Psalms.

Psalm 22:3 KJV - But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

This verse tells us that God inhabits the praises of his people. In other words, one way we can defeat the enemy is with our praise and worship of God!

If you’re still unconvinced, let me give you some examples in scripture where an act of praise and worship caused bonds to break and victories to be won.

David’s worship caused an evil spirit to flee from Saul (1 Samuel 16:23)

Paul and Silas’ worship broke their chains and freed them from prison (Acts 16:24-26)

Jehosaphat and the people of Israel praised God and God fought the battle for them (2 Chronicles 20:19-22)

Don’t ever underestimate the power of thanksgiving, praise and worship. When the enemy is attacking and you make the choice to praise God and focus your attention on what he has done in the past and what he will do in the future, the Devil has no choice but to fall back.

We have to focus our attention on getting higher. We have to rise above the circumstance, the depression, the hurt, the fear, the doubt. We have to draw closer to God.

The closer you draw to God, the less the enemy can stand it. The air will get too thin for him, he won’t be able to breathe, he won’t be able to stand your praise of God, and he will drop off his attack.

But don’t be fooled that he’s given up completely, he will rise to fight another day, so you have to be on your guard. Keep your spiritual armour on (Ephesians 6) and be watchful.

As you meditate on God’s goodness, his love, his mercy, his compassion, his almighty, unchanging power, the enemy will begin to seem small and insignificant in comparison.

Keep in mind this promise to claim and praise God with all your heart, soul and mind.

Psalm 121:1-2 KJV - I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth.

When the enemy attacks, use worship and praise and thanksgiving to put wind under your wings and lift you higher, out of reach.

Fly higher!

 

 

Whose voice is loudest and 

which one are you listening to?

 

Be still. What picture comes to mind when you read those two words? Be still.

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

I have written about this verse before, but today it is in my thoughts again.

Being still is something I have great difficulty in doing. I don’t have any trouble being busy, crowding my days with activities, running back and forth from task to task. But being still? Not so easy.

It’s so difficult to be still in such a restless world. It’s such a challenge to stop and be still in a world that calls us to busyness, that pulls us along in its current of always needing to ‘do’ something or ‘be’ someone.

This year has been a very busy year for us. In February we made some changes in the direction of our transport business. Just after that, we had a local flood in our little town of Katherine. In June we had the wedding of our daughter, and now yet another wedding is in the planning phase for our youngest daughter. Another daughter is due to have baby number six any day, and another daughter is expecting her sixth in December. I have a Ladies Conference in just over 2 weeks that our church is hosting, and I am speaking for and that only begins to scratch the surface.

As you can imagine, I have felt like I’ve been pulled in a hundred different directions, and I feel like a dog chasing its tail. Running around in circles, not really accomplishing a whole lot except working up a sweat and panting in frustration. I just finish one task when another one hijacks my time.

Everything in me screams to keep busy, keep running, don’t stop, don’t rest.

Can anyone relate? Does this sound like your life at times?

What does God call us to do in this verse in Psalms? To be still.

Yes, there is definitely a need to be busy and get things done, but there is also a need for stillness. For quietness. For solitude. For focused meditation on God and his Word.

The being still in this precious verse, has to do with surrender, letting go, forsaking and striving no more.

”The word used here - from raphah - means properly to cast down; to let fall; to let hang down; then, to be relaxed, slackened, especially the hands: It is also employed in the sense of not making an effort; not putting forth exertion; and then would express the idea of leaving matters with God, or of being without anxiety about the issue.” Barnes.

Being still carries the idea of being quiet and easy, not fretful and impatient or restless, but resigned to the will of God. It doesn’t mean to be inactive and unconcerned, but quiet. A quietening of the heart.

My word for the year, that I chose in December of last year, is REST. And this ‘being still’ really reinforces the lessons I am trying to learn in this area. Surrender. Letting go. Taking time to breathe. And more importantly, taking time to sit in God’s presence, in stillness and with a heart of submission, eager to hear what he wants to say to me.

It’s been harder than ever to make time for quiet meditation and study of God’s word. The devil is very busy trying to thwart the plans of a time set aside for study, learning, connection and spiritual growth. But as one of God’s children, I need to make time for stillness.

To be still is a choice. And often it’s a hard choice. We are all carried along by the tides of busyness, and we all have important things to do, but there is a time to just sit, and be still. And more importantly, to be still and know that God is God. To take time to tune out of the world and into God. To listen for that still small voice.

It’s so hard to hear God speak when we are letting the world scream in our ears. God speaks in the stillness. The devil screams in our busyness.

We find this phrase ‘be still’ in another place in the Bible that is worth mentioning. Look how it is used here.

Mark 4:39 And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still.  And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.

The difference here though is that in the Greek, these words, be still, mean to be silent or be dumb. So, in essence, hush or shut up. The Lord told the waves and wind to shut up! And I think sometimes, we need to just shut up, be silent and listen.

We fill our lives with so much ‘doing’ and not a lot of ‘listening’. We dart from one task to the next, always on the move, never resting, never stopping to catch our breath. But God requires us to come into His presence and just be still. To quieten our minds and our bodies and listen to what He has for us.

I think of Mary and Martha and the ‘encumbrance’ of Martha in contrast to the ‘quietness’ of Mary as she sat at Jesus feet. Mary chose the one thing that was needful. And that was to sit and be still and listen to the Lord. (Luke 10:42)

Sometimes we are intimidated by silence. It forces us to address issues we might be running from. It makes us stop and think. It causes us to focus on other things. But silence can be a great healer. It can be a time of communion with the Lord and gleaning guidance and wisdom from Him, without the distraction of a noise-filled world.

This is something I have been learning to do over the past few years. Sitting in the silence and letting God speak to me. I am becoming comfortable with stillness. I have begun to crave moments of solitude and times to sit and let God’s peace wash over my soul.

It has been said that we have upwards of 50 000 thoughts a day! And a lot of those thoughts are not healthy. They are anxious or fearful thoughts. We have to tell our minds to be still. To hush. To shut up! But quieting the mind takes practice. And it takes God’s help. We have to renew our minds and be transformed. (Romans 12:2)

Every day is a struggle. A battle of sorts. To keep our minds focused on God while we go about our crazy and hectic days. A constant renewing of our minds. A conscious effort of quieting our hearts and letting God speak to us. Of listening in the stillness.

If I can just force myself to stop and take the time to be still and surrender my will to God’s perfect will and sit down in body and spirit and really focus in on what He has for me, I find that the ‘noise’ quiets for a time and I am able to learn more about God’s purposes for my life and I find precious promises in His word that help me as I go about my day.

Sometimes I think that our being still is more like a little child that is sitting down on the outside but standing up on the inside. They’ve been told to sit, but there is rebellion in their heart as they only outwardly obey.

We sit still, we ‘look’ like we are quietly spending time in prayer and study, but on the inside, we are anything but still. Our mind is distracted; we are not focused on the words in front of us or the prayer on our lips. Our to do list is running endlessly through our mind.

Being still is not just an outward appearance. It is a matter of the heart. It is an attitude of stillness. If we are not going to quiet our hearts and minds, we might as well keep running. God sees us through and through and He knows whether we are truly being still.

And so, here I sit. At my computer. Quiet music playing from the speaker on my phone. The air conditioner whirring softly above me.

And it’s not because I have nothing else to do. If I could only explain what I am neglecting in these quiet moments, your mind might explode. The morning has been very busy attending to the admin side of the business, babysitting precious grandchildren, fielding phone calls, doing household chores and the list goes on.

But in a moment of quiet, with little ones off home and the dishes and washing now done, I felt the pull of my to do list, I heard its call loud and clear, but something else was calling me. Or should I say, someone else was calling me.

God was calling me to be still. He was calling me to lay it down and rest for a moment. Not sit and scroll but sit in his presence. Meditating on the Words of scripture. Listening for his voice. He was calling me to commune with him.

Can I encourage you to let God’s voice be the one you listen to? Busyness will scream at you. Your to do list shouts. And often God’s voice is quiet. But it is there. And he longs for you to make time for him.

Stop thinking about your to do lists, put down your phone, just for a moment. Sit before the Lord. Dwell on his holiness. Listen to his whispers to your heart. Ask for a heavenly perspective on whatever it is you are facing. Focus on his presence. Set your mind on things above. Take time to worship him. Read your Bible. And don’t just read it, study it. Learn from it. Write it down.

If we want to hear God speak to us, we must sit still before him and read his Word. We need to take time to cry out to him, laying all our cares at his feet and let his peace flood our soul as we soak in his mercy and love and goodness, bringing the much-needed rest we crave. 

Give yourself a piece of quiet. Give yourself a moment’s peace. Take time to be still. Do whatever it takes to make time to spend in God’s presence. It’s not only our bodies that need rest. We have to give our souls time to catch up. We need soul refreshing. We need renewal. And the only way we will get it is to get with God. Alone. In the stillness. Surrender your lists. Take a long, deep breath. Let God speak to you.

Stillness is not a lack of noise. It’s a time to pause and reflect on God’s presence in our lives and his goodness to us as his children.

Isaiah 26:3 KJV - Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Are you letting him make you into His Bijar?

(Anxiety was a gift)

Often, I don't know why God puts something on my heart to share, but I know that if he puts it there, I'm supposed to listen. And so, I am reposting something I wrote a couple of years ago, with the confidence that someone out there reading this, needs to hear it today. 

God bless xx

 

Have you ever seen a Persian rug? I mean a ‘real’ Persian rug. Not a knock off version you might find at your local cheap shop. I’m talking about the real deal. The world renowned Bijar rugs that are woven in the city of Bijar, located in the northeast of Iran, in the Kurdish province.

Bijar has been famous for its rugs since the time of the first Persian Empire in 5^th Century BC.

A genuine Bijar rug is a hand-woven Oriental rug, woven by Kurdish weavers in the city of Bijar, Iran using time honoured weaving techniques that are unique to this particular area.

They have often been dubbed the “Iron Rugs of Persia” because of their remarkable durability, able to withstand up to 200 years or more, of heavy use.

The reason for their amazing robustness is found in the way the rugs are made. The Bijar rugs are made using a technique called “wet weaving”, a technique not used anywhere else.

This technique involves compressing the strands of wool tightly between rows of knots. After each row of knots have been tied, the weaver then inserts a weft. The weft strands are the horizontal threads that are interlaced with the vertical warp threads that form the foundation of the rug.

The wet weaving process requires dampening the wool as it is woven, giving it a pliability it wouldn’t normally have.

After the weft has been inserted horizontally, a heavy metal comb or hammer is used to beat down the weft strands and the knots, creating a dense, tightly woven fabric that as it dries, shrinks somewhat, leaving a very compact, firmly constructed, strong, durable and long-lasting rug.

The dampening, the tightly formed knots and the heavy pounding are what gives the rugs their extreme durability and longevity.

So, how does any of this apply to us and our Christian walk?

God wants to turn us into his Bijars.

Yes, you read that right. God wants to use the poundings in our lives, the trials, the difficult seasons, the job losses, the cancer, the grief, the unexplained anxiety, the debilitating depression – to weave a divine strength into our hearts.

Just 8 years ago, I was a different person than I am today.

For 6 months I fought an internal battle. An unexplained battle with depression, anxiety and panic attacks that literally took my breath away, threatening to take me out completely. It had made itself at home and nothing I could do seemed to shake it. Everything I tried failed.

But as I struggled along, fighting attacks of the devil, fighting within myself, crying out to God, letting my emotions overwhelm me, I began to let the Word of God wash over my soul. I began to read my Bible more. I began to pray like never before. I wrote out countless verses on little note cards and plastered them all over the place. I cried through more worship songs than I can count, I played the piano for our church through tears, eyes closed, the turmoil raging inside of me.

But while I was being pounded by waves of fear, while I struggled through days where I didn’t want to get out of bed, while I neglected friendships and often tried to put on a brave face hoping others wouldn’t notice, God was working. God was weaving threads of strength through my pain.

God was weaving a divine strength in my heart that would stand the test of time. He was using his iron tool to beat me down, but not with the intent of crushing me and rendering me useless. He was doing a purifying work, a work that would see me rise up stronger, more reliant on him, more compassionate towards others, more useful in his work and with a heart that desired him more than anything else.

By God’s grace, I did come through my period of trial. I had victory over anxiety. I had victory over fear.

With each day, I became increasingly stronger. My faith grew. God’s hammer of anxiety began to add a row of knots into the tapestry of my life, dampened with my many tears, the weft he wove added strength to my inmost being. And eventually, I realized that anxiety had no power over Christ. Fear had no hold on God. It couldn’t hold God and it couldn’t hold me.

I recognized that no matter what, Jesus would hold me. He wouldn’t let me go. He would continue to love me. To defend me. To keep me. He wouldn’t forsake me, and all my emotional needs were met in him. He was enough.

The fear that paralyzed me no longer held a deathly grip on me.

The depression that threw me into the dark abyss no longer overwhelmed me.

The cloud of anxiety that hung overhead was no longer there.

John 16:33 These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.

But just because I was able to make it through this difficult season of my life, doesn’t mean I don’t find myself struggling with anxiety every now and then. It no longer has a hold on me, but I do feel its sting from time to time.

The difference is that the fear no longer paralyzes me. It doesn’t dictate to me my course of life. The peace that Jesus gave me then, I still have access to now.

All the verses of Scripture that I read over and over and the promises I clung to are still found in the pages of my Bible and they still apply.

I have more ammunition in my tool belt to fight off Satan’s attacks and I have a strength woven into my being that wasn’t there before.

So, when those moments of fear come upon me and I feel like I might go under, I rise up and hold onto what I learnt in those dark days. I cry out to God and remind him of his promises. I remember my past victories, and I open my lips and praise him.

God wants to make us his Bijars. His rugs that stand the test of time. Durable. Strong. Still vibrant and useful after years of use. Beautiful works of art.

You may be in a season of pounding right now. God may be using things in your life to build strength and resilience and reliance on him.

You may be facing things in your life that make you wonder if you can even last another day.

You may be hammered by trials, by fear, by rejection, by insecurities.

Don’t resist his iron tools, his wetting of the fabric of your life, his tying of knots and weaving in and out. He is working to create a masterpiece. A work of art.

His pounding can bring new strength.

Romans 5:3-4 And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope:

I never realised at the time that my anxiety was a gift. It felt like a cruel cross that I had to bear. But God used it to purify me and help draw me closer to him. He developed in me a love for him and his Word. He gave me a hunger and thirst for the Words of Scripture and a desire to study and grow in my relationship with him. He helped me to build a stockpile of promises I could cling to when times got rough.

He helped me to see the needs of others with a heart of compassion. He began to stir my heart to be sensitive to those around me and reach out and love others that needed a friend. He brought a peace to my heart that I had never known and a peace that could be a testimony to others of God’s goodness.

I am not the same person I was back then. I am being made more like Christ. Slowly but surely, through the trials God allows in my life, I am growing. I am far from perfect, but God is doing a work only he can do. He is cleaning out the things in my life that shouldn’t be there and replacing them with threads of various colours. Each line of weaving tells a different story. Each knot another tale. And the more I resist his workings, the uglier my tapestry becomes.

If I lay still under his hand, allowing his work to go on unhindered by my attitude and actions, he is able to create a masterpiece. Something that can show his glory and reflect his love. Oh, how I pray that I wouldn’t resist his workings and that I would submit to the hand of the master weaver.

Job 23:10 But he knoweth the way that I take: 

when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold.

Psalm 51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; 

and renew a right spirit within me.

 

 

 

You can ask Him for it

 

After a conversation with a friend this morning, I have begun diving down a rabbit hole to try and make more sense of a verse I’ve never fully looked at. So, if you’re interested, put on your head lamp and climb down with me.

Psalm 86:17 KJV - Shew me a token for good; that they which hate me may see it, and be ashamed: because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me.

It’s this idea of a ‘token for good’. What does it even mean? Maybe you’ve already got it all figured out, if so, feel free to scroll on. But for those of you who want to learn more about what David was talking about when he penned this particular Psalm, stay with me.

Let’s start at the beginning.

The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 Hebrew poems, songs, and prayers that express praise, lament, thanksgiving and trust in God. It was written by multiple authors over a period of approximately 900 years beginning with the time of Moses. It is divided into 5 books, so scholars tell us, and this particular Psalm is part of book 3.

It is the only Psalm in this part of the book that is labelled ‘a prayer of David’.

We are drawn straight into the Psalm with a cry for help. Psalm 86:1 Bow down thine ear, O LORD, hear me: for I am poor and needy. David paints a picture of prayer and urgency and emotionally charged fears.

This Psalm was written during a time of persecution for David. Either Saul’s pursuit (1 Samuel 19-26) or Absalom’s revolt (2 Samuel 15-18). David was in distress, surrounded by his enemies and he knew his limitations and that he couldn’t fight his battles on his own.

We see David asking for mercy. For help. For God to listen to his cries. But we also see praise. We see him speaking of God’s goodness, his mercy, his greatness and for his ability to listen, answer and forgive.

So, when we come to the last verse of the Psalm, we see David asking for a ‘token for good’. Interestingly, he is not only asking it for himself, but also so that God may be revealed to his enemies as a God that is stedfast and loving. He wants God to be seen for who he really is. He wants others to see the goodness and greatness of God.

I’ve often quoted the phrase that we read in this verse, ‘token for good’, but not really thought too much about it. So, I decided it was time to think on it.

The word token is derived from the Hebrew term ‘ot’ which simply means a sign, or a proof of God’s favour. This particular word is used 79 times in the Hebrew, sometimes as token, sometimes as sign, miracle or mark.

“Tokens in biblical times held significant cultural importance. They were often used to signify agreements, treaties, or divine promises. The Israelites understood tokens not only as physical reminders but also as assurances of God’s presence.

In ancient Near Eastern cultures, covenants were often sealed with tokens or signs. These symbols served to remind both parties of their commitments. Similarly, in the Bible, tokens are often presented as divine assurances to reinforce the faithfulness of God in His covenants with His people.”

One of the most well-known mentions of a token in the Bible is found in the book of Genesis (9:12) when God gives a rainbow as a token of his favour and a sign that he will never flood the earth again. It is a token of hope.

We see it again in Exodus (12:13). Here the token is blood. The blood of the Passover Lamb is a token of God’s protection and deliverance to the Israelite people.

When David asks for a token of good, he is asking for a sign from God that he is working on his behalf. He wants to receive clear evidence of God’s goodness. He wants a reminder of God’s faithfulness.

And I believe that we are well within our rights as a child of God, to ask of him, a token for good.

Sometimes, when the waves rise above us, when the clouds are dark and the pathway before us becomes hazy and unsure, we need a token. We need a reminder of God’s goodness.

David didn’t just cry out for help. He asked for a clear sign that he was not abandoned. He was honest about how he was feeling. He laid it all out, but he held onto hope, kept praising in the storm, and waited in expectation for deliverance, asking for a sign to help him keep the faith.

It wasn’t so much that he doubted God’s goodness, but that he needed tangible evidence that God was still working, so that he could keep believing.

I don’t know what token it is that you need today that will speak to you. I don’t know what evidence it is that you need to keep you from letting go. I can only speak from personal experience.

Sometimes for me a token for good is the sound of a butcher bird singing his song on a quiet morning. Sometimes it’s a cool breeze. Sometimes it’s a cloud in the sky. Sometimes it comes in the form of a verse of scripture given at the exact moment it is needed. Other times it is a text from a friend. An encouraging word. A song or a moment of silence in an all too noisy world.

Whatever it is, it is yours to ask for. Ask God to give you a token for good. Ask him to reveal himself in a way that speaks to you.

It’s okay to ask for reassurance. We can ask for a sign of God’s presence in our lives. These assurances help to strengthen our faith during difficult times. It’s okay to ask. It is part of the faith journey we are walking.

Whatever it is that you are dealing with today, be open and honest with God about it. Don’t ever feel guilty about pouring your heart out to God. Be raw. Be vulnerable. Be real. Let the tears flow if need be. Let the words of frustration come out. Lay it all out. Give it to God. And ask him to give you a sign. A message of hope. In whatever form he sees fit. And then, watch for it.

What is the token for good that you can hold on to?

Remember don’t ask only for yourself. Remember that David asked also that God would be revealed to his enemies. He wanted God’s greatness to be shown. We need our tokens for good to show to a lost world that God is faithful. That he keeps his promises. That he is good even when things are not good in our lives.

And lastly, have confidence in God that he will do what he says. David ends the Psalm with these words:

…………….because thou, LORD, hast holpen me, and comforted me. He closes with a note of confidence. David had seen God work before, and he knew that he could do it again. God had a history of support and care in David’s life. God had actively intervened in his circumstances before, and David reminded himself of the fact.

Remind yourself of past victories and keep praising him in the storm. Ask him to show you a token for good.

Matthew 7:7,8 - Ask, (keep asking) and it shall be given you; seek, (keep seeking) and ye shall find; knock, (keep knocking) and it shall be opened unto you:

For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.