Keeping your Mouth Shut 

when it Matters the Most

 

“When someone is drowning, it is not the time to teach them how to swim”

I recently read this quote, and it popped up again today and hit me hard. It reminded me of something I had written a year ago on the importance of sitting in silence and just being present with someone in need. In the post I break down the verse found in Proverbs 25:20 that speaks of singing songs to a heavy heart. I recommend you read through it before reading this one. (click on the link to read it - sitting in silence)

This quote was the reminder I needed today. But not just in relation to how I deal with others, but also how I deal with myself in difficult times.

“When someone is drowning, it is not the time to teach them how to swim”

Let me unpack this a little.

Let’s say someone is overwhelmed and so you start giving them productivity tips, or maybe someone is going through heartbreak and you tell them, ‘you’re going to find someone better’, or maybe someone is anxious and so you begin to give them all the reasons they shouldn’t be. “God is in control”. “Think of all the things God has done for you.”

And often, the advice we give, with the best of intentions, isn’t wrong. It may be good advice and helpful, but it’s not the right time. It’s not time to teach them to swim. They’re drowning. They don’t need a lesson. They need someone who is willing to jump in the water with them.

Sometimes the best thing you can do for someone is not give them words of wisdom, or Christian platitudes or handy tips or a 5-step plan. Sometimes the best thing you can do for them is give them the gift of your presence. Maybe like the trials of Job in the Old Testament, you need to be the friend that just sits in silence. (Job 2:13)

Just letting them know that you’re there for them. Empathizing with them. Feeling their pain. Listening to them. Letting them know you’re not going anywhere. Maybe you don’t have all the answers or the perfect thing to say, but letting them know that they don’t have to carry it alone might be just the breath of air they need.

They need your presence. Not a lesson.

Sometimes you just need to sit and listen to their heartache and agree that yes, life is hard. Bad things happen. Sickness is not fun. Grief is painful.

If I’m being honest, I often try and teach myself to swim while frantically trying to keep my head above water. I try to fix myself. Solve myself. Rescue myself. I treat my difficulty as a problem to be managed, instead of an experience to be lived through. But maybe I need to get comfortable with just sitting with it.

Crying over it. Thinking on it. Praying about it. Sitting in the silence with it. And more importantly, handing it over to God to carry. Not preaching to myself. Not trying to analyse it.

Not every season, not every difficulty needs a strategy, or a plan, some seasons just need compassion.

Sometimes you have to give yourself some grace. Let yourself lament, as the Psalmist David often did.

“How wonderful it is that when we are blinded by tears, we can nevertheless see our God. In fact, our tears become crystal lenses through which he is magnified: and in the midst of suffering, we realize the greatness of his power and the tenderness of his love.”

Tears are a language that God understands.

So, before you try to teach that lesson, to someone or to yourself, make sure that you have made it to the surface first and your feet are on solid ground. Once the hard time is over, once the emergency has been averted, then it’s time to start learning how to swim, in readiness for the next wave that will inevitably come.

Don’t try and teach the lesson too early.

I am the absolute worst when it comes to helping someone by sitting in silence. My whole being screams, “FIX IT!” “Say something”. But I am learning slowly that often the best thing I can do is keep my mouth shut! There will be a time for speaking later.

Here are a few practical tips that may help you the next time someone is drowning in what they’re going through.

*Be present. Be physically present. Don’t just text or call.

*Avoid interrupting. Let them express their pain and their feelings uninterrupted.

*Listen actively. Make eye contact. Show empathy. Body language speaks volumes. Resist the urge to speak.

*Avoid discussing their pain. Let them process their pain without your input.

*Encourage them to reach out and ask for help when they are ready. Let them decide when that time is.

And if it is you that is drowning and you don’t have anyone that can sit in silence with you, remember that God is always present. If you are one of his children, you can rest assured that he sees your tears, he knows your pain and you can sit in his presence without fear of him leaving you where you’re at. He will listen to your cries of lament. He hears the words that come from your heart before they’ve ever crossed your lips.

Psalm 34:18

The LORD is nigh unto them that are of a broken heart;

 and saveth such as be of a contrite spirit.

 

God, work in me the ability to weep with those who weep and rejoice with those who rejoice. Enable me to sit in silence and just be present with those who hurt. Help me to know when to speak and when to refrain from speaking. Teach me how to listen and how to show compassion. Help me to resist the urge to try to teach a lesson while someone is drowning. Amen.

 

 

Don’t be a Spiritual Freeloader

 

Where are the visitors?

Where is the warm welcome?

Where is the comforting hug?

Where is the atmosphere of praise?

Where is the joy?

Where is the love?

Where is the connection?

Where is the community?

Have you ever asked any of these questions of your local church?

Do you want to know a sad reality? It is this:

All too often we come to church expecting something to be there that we ourselves are unwilling to bring.

We become spiritual freeloaders!

We ask these questions about our church and yet we are unwilling to be part of the answer.

We want all of the above.

We expect all of the above.

We sometimes demand all of the above.

And sadly, we often criticize all of the above.

But here is the million-dollar question.

Did YOU bring anyone?

Did YOU greet anyone?

Did YOU hug anyone?

Did YOU worship with praise on your lips?

Did YOU enter God’s house with thanksgiving and joy?

Did YOU go out of your way to connect with others?

We’re not supposed to just come to church. We’re not supposed to go to the church with the mindset, “What can it give me?”. “How can it support me?”

We’re not supposed to just attend church.

We are supposed to BE the church!

To be the church means that we as the church (Grk. Ekklesia – an assembly; called-out ones) are to live out our faith.

We are to carry the mission through worship, love, service, teaching and discipling, sharing the gospel, fellowship, unity and daily faithfulness. Loving the unlovable. Practicing forgiveness. Serving in our communities. Living out the gospel in our everyday lives and reflecting the heart of Jesus in all we say and do.

We’re not supposed to just sit in the pew week after week, taking it all in but never sharing it with others.

We are supposed to contribute. Not just consume.

A contributor gives more than he takes, using his or her talents and abilities, time and energy to positively impact others. A consumer focuses on what they can get often taking more than they give.

Who comes to mind when you hear those two words?

Consumers are spectators. Contributors are participants.

A consumer may sit in church week after week, taking in the truths told from the pulpit, benefiting from the fellowship, the music, the prayers and yet they are like the Dead Sea. It has no outlets. Water flows in but doesn’t flow out again. It is stagnant. It just sits there. They are spiritual freeloaders.

A contributor, on the other hand, is more like the Nile River. The longest river in the world. Flowing through 11 countries and a vital source of life for people throughout history. An active body of water. Moving. Not stagnant but life-giving. A contributor uses what they learn to benefit others.

Consumers often have the gift of ‘constructive criticism’. They love to point out all the problems, but they don’t want to be part of the solution. Quick to criticize, slow to put their hand to the plough.

They want to sit and get. But a contributor wants to go and serve.

Look around you. Better still, look inside of yourself and see where you fit? Is it time you became a contributor? Pouring into other’s lives. Actively serving, loving, giving.

Do you want to be welcomed? Well, make it a point to be welcoming to others.

Do you want to see visitors come along? Well, bring some of your own.

Do you want the church to be more joyful? Well, then stop coming in the door with a long face and a bad attitude!

Do you want the church to feel more connected? Then reach out and get to know the people that sit in the pews. Don’t leave it until Sunday to say hello. Get together during the week. Catch up for coffee. Go and help someone move house. Send that text. Make that phone call.

It really is a sad state of affairs and such hypocrisy when we expect something to be there that we are ourselves not willing to bring.

It’s not just the Pastor’s job to be welcoming, happy, inviting visitors, setting the atmosphere. We all have a duty to contribute to the local church. God has given each one of us talents and abilities. We are all members of the body and whether we’re a hand or foot, we all play a part in building God’s kingdom. (1 Corinthians 12:14)

Too many church members need to stop sitting on the bench whingeing about how the game is being played when they’re not willing to put on the jersey and throw the ball.

It’s easy to settle into being a spiritual freeloader. All take and no give. But it doesn’t really benefit anyone. You could argue that it benefits you. But does it really? How satisfying is it to never help anyone? What satisfaction do you really get by being a taker?

The Word of God is full of instruction on serving and loving others. We are exhorted to be sharing the gospel, teaching what we have learnt, living out our faith in very tangible ways.

So, if we are a spiritual freeloader, we are living contrary to God’s Word.

Give back what you’ve been given. If you are shown love, then reflect it back. God blesses those who strive to imitate him. Those who desire to grow more like Christ. (Luke 6:38)

God loves a cheerful giver. Not one that gives out of necessity, out of a sense of duty or grudgingly. (2 Corinthians 9:7)

Start being a contributor instead of a consumer. And watch how your perspective grows and your love for the brethren increases.

Heb 10:24-25 And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works: Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

1Pet 4:8-10 And above all things have fervent charity among yourselves: for charity shall cover the multitude of sins. Use hospitality one to another without grudging. As every man hath received the gift, even so minister the same one to another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God.

 

 

 

 

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.