It's been a long time since I've blogged but I thought I'd try to pick it back up again. And since I've got over 8 years' of stuff on this one, I don't really want to delete it. I created another one, Life in the Grace Lane, so that is the one I'll most likely use from this point on, without deleting Mercy Grace. Just FYI.... :) Have a great 2014!!
"Be still and know that I am God." - (Psalm 46:10a) This is just a little portion of the psalm that is sometimes quoted when one doesn't know what to say or do. Perhaps in their "busy-ness" or anxiety, they feel that positioning themself before the Lord is the better alternative to trying to handle things on their own, that "calming down" or "ceasing activity" will bring about a desired result.
But to be still doesn't just simply imply inactivity; quite to the contrary. To be still before the Lord means to also meditate on Him, to focus one's attention on the One who knows all things and is in complete control of every single thing.
God calls us to rest in Him. He desires that we know Him, not just know of Him, and there is a difference.
I love Psalm 46, and not just the first part of verse 10, but the entire verse as well as verse 11:
Be still, and know that I am God;
I will be exalted among the nations,
I will be exalted in the earth!
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
The God of Jacob is our refuge.
If you’re feeling down and out
And filled with much self pity
Just stop and take a look around
The hurting in this city
Some have no place to lay their head
Or many clothes to wear
They huddle close just to keep warm
While passersby all stare
Then there’s the single mom of three
Who struggles every day
She frets and worries about their food
As she picks which bills to pay
See the lonely, older gentleman
With no family to his name
He prays for folks to visit him
Amid his deepening pain
There are families scattered here and there
Who live from day to day
With sorrow in their wounded hearts
To them, there seems no way
So as we gather ‘round the tree
With warmth, good food and friends
Remember the Gift the Father gave
That never, ever ends!
The Gift of Jesus Christ our Lord
Our Savior and our King
The One who gives eternal life
The reason why we sing!
So stretch your hands to heaven
In this season full and bright
And bow your heads in thankfulness
For that blessed Christmas night
It’s not the toys, the gifts, the “stuff”
To which we dearly cling
But unto Christ, our Blessed Hope
Our Righteous, Loving King!
So take your eyes off of this world
And what it claims to give
And gaze upon the precious Lord
Surrender now, and live!
And as your focus redirects
Unto the One above
You’ll then reach out to those you see
With heartfelt Christian love!
(I copied/pasted from my post on FB but it wouldn't format correctly!)
Paul articulated well the struggle between flesh & spirit that we all battle. I look, I see, I feel that horrible man of flesh rise up in me from time to time. I hate it. I don't like to be like that, but the fact remains that until the day we see Jesus face to face, we'll constantly be at war within ourselves.
Oh how I love the Lord! Oh how I love to be in His presence, alone & then with His people-my family. Yet this wicked man tries to stand up to reclaim his once important place, only to find, hallelulia, that the Spirit of the Living God wars for me.
As Paul stated, so do I: "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!" (Romans 7:24, 25). Because of HIS power, I can also say with Paul: "There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death." (Romans 8:1,2)
GREAT NEWS!! Praise the Lord!!!!!
We will never forget what happened here....
Despite the evils in this world, the cold and callous actions of others, the pain and sorrow that we experience, God is always faithful, and He can always be trusted. May we keep our eyes on the Prize, for He is truly the Pearl of Great Price!
There's always going to be opportunities for the flesh to rise up, to get offended, to demand its own way. That's easy. Submitting to the Lordship of Christ & walking in love towards ALL people can only be done by the power of the Holy Spirit. It's not about me; it's not about you. It's about Christ & Him crucified; about living & breathing the Gospel to the praise of His glory, by His power alone.