Be Still… – Page 485 – Relevant Reflections to Let God's Word Back Into Your Hands and Heart

Psalm 121 – I Need You

As I write this, I am actually looking at the mountains that surround our home. Beautiful. Majestic. Listen to this song based on this psalm from Brian Doerksen, HERE.

We do need you Lord, more than we even know ourselves. And there should be no question where our help comes from – it comes from the Lord. We may try and fool ourselves that we can overcome on our own, or we have the answers, but we need our Lord. He is our problem solver.

It’s like calling customer service. How many times have you gotten stuck with an appliance, with a product you’ve just purchased, or even a new service on the internet. I know I’m always happy to have a 24 hour customer service number to call. Too many times I’ll get a recording only to realize that I’ve missed the hours of operation by only a few minutes. God isn’t like that. He is available to us 24/7.

What an assurance to know that our God, creator of the universe, has our backs and is ready to help us when we call. I love this psalm and the picture of God watching out for us. That doesn’t mean nothing bad will ever happen because there is evil running rampant in this world. But God is watching and there to protect.

Let’s pray. Father, thank you for your watchful eye that never rests. Thank you for the protection you offer and the reassurance your presence affords. Help me today to rest in that blessing. I pray for those around me who may not know that reassurance. Open up doors and conversations to allow your name to be glorified. Give me your wisdom today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 120 – Peace or War?

Read Psalm 120

The psalmist is crying out to the Lord for rescue, and his prayer was answered. There is no greater joy than experiencing answered prayer. Especially when the answer is what you were hoping for. Unanswered prayer may really be answered prayer, just not the outcome we were hoping for.

I don’t know about you, but I have found myself telling God how he should answer my prayers. When I catch myself doing that, I correct myself and claim it as my desire, but that the will of God is what I truly long for. God knows best. God has a better plan in store for us. We need to trust him.

I had to smile to myself as I read verses 6-7. Peace vs. War. This is a struggle that is as old as the hills. And we all know people who seem more content when they are picking a fight or stirring the pot,, so to speak. Do you have someone in mind, too? I want everyone to be happy all the time; I am a people pleaser. I avoid confrontation at all costs. I would not have been a good trial lawyer, even though I was an amazing paralegal getting ready for trial. So I can identify with the psalmist.

In the bigger picture, in our world today, peace is hard to find. There are so many countries at war with each other. Over what? Some battles have been raging for decades. Can those fighting even remember what they are fighting for? Even within the same country you’ll find tension, differences of opinion, and evil words are being bantered around like a tennis ball. While not full blown warfare, there are casualties, hurt feelings, and broken hearts. What happened to peace? Are there any peacekeepers left in the world?

Let’s pray. Father, stir in our hearts the desire for peace. Help us to love each other despite our differences. You have created each one of us, and we are all special to you. Thank you for how you have made us. Give the leaders of countries wisdom and a desire for peace and not war. Reveal yourself to me today. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Philemon 1:8-25

Read Philemon 1:8-25

Such a short and poignant letter. What a personal touch for a specific moment in time, involving one single individual. The first seven verses, that were in the last post, really set the stage and soften up Philemon for what Paul was going to request, don’t you think?

So who is Onesimus? He’s not a common character that we remember, but perhaps we should. I did a little research. Whether or not Wikipedia is reliable, Philemon was a slave master, and Onesimus was a slave that had run away from him. At some point, Onesimus crossed paths with Paul and became a follower of Jesus.

We see from Paul’s words to Philemon that Onesimus is now coming back with Paul’s “own heart”. Onesimus is now a “beloved brother”. Paul believes Onesimus will be helpful to Philemon and encourages him to welcome Onesimus as more than a slave. This will mean that Philemon will first need to forgive Onesimus for running away. Paul is intervening on Onesimus’ behalf, much like Jesus will intervene for us.

Forgiveness can be difficult. Is there someone in your life that has hurt you or someone you love? Have you been able to forgive them? Forgiveness is not condoning the hurt or forgetting that it ever happened. Forgiveness is deeper than that and frees us from a bondage to the memory. We may see the person or we may just cleanse our self of the of hurt without face to face contact. Most importantly, we must forgive as our Father in heaven forgives.

You’ve probably heard it said that a hurt we feel from what someone else has done to us only hurts us. The person who hurt us is not wallowing or struggling. They may not even remember hurting us. We have to release the power of the hurt and be free. Forgiveness. It’s hard but so worth it.

The book of Philemon really illustrates the importance of forgiveness in our faithful living. It also strikes me as very special. God is a very big God, yet he works his miracles and changes the lives of the common people, one at a time. He cares for all of us.

Let’s pray. Lord thank you for Onesimus’ heart. As he sought after something different for his life, he found you. His heart was open and you orchestrated his redemption. May we have a hungry heart like Onesimus that searches for you. Find us Lord where we are. Cleanse us of the hurts we are holding on to. Help us to forgive those who have hurt us and who keep us in bondage. Refresh us today and fill us with your perfect peace. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Philemon 1:1-7

Read Philemon 1:1-7

Philemon is the shortest book of the Bible having only one chapter. We’ll go ahead and break this chapter into two readings. While it is a short letter, there are gems of wisdom we can glean from it. Amidst his chains, Paul writes with love and encouragement to Philemon. We should all show our gratefulness to our friends and family.

It is obvious from his greeting that Paul loves and admires Philemon for his work. Philemon was a slave owner and only recently became a follower of Jesus during Paul’s missionary journey to Ephesus. It is Paul’s prayer that Philemon will put into action the generosity that comes from our faith.

What would it look like if we were to take this hope and apply it to our life. How are we being generous because of our faithfulness? Think on that for a moment. We, by all that we have been given, should be the most generous of all.

Our faith gives us the assurance that we will have all that we need. It also gives us a grateful heart that prompts us into action. We need to be in communication and fellowship with other believers and non-believers. That is crucial. We support each other, we complement each other, we give generously to each other, and we share the truth of Jesus.

But what about the times when we struggle? We need to be like Paul and forge on despite our chains and rely on God’s provision. We have confidence in our God, and he will never leave us or forsake us. I feel sad for people who don’t have that assurance, especially when trials come.

Let’s pray. Lord you have given me so much. My time, my talents and abilities, and treasures are yours. Give me a generous heart. Chip away at my hard heart that I may see others like you do and love them despite their issues.Walk beside me today, give me the eyes to see and ears to hear. May I be bold and unafraid like Paul and ready for action. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 119:137-176 – Revive Me

Read Psalm 119:137-176

This psalm was really something, wasn’t it? I am not certain we could have done the same thing in English. Imagine 26 sections, and each phrase of each section would start with the same letter of that section. That’s how I understand this acrostic psalm was written. Genius!

Psalm 119 has been a tremendous reminder of the importance of relying on God’s word for our lives. It is the longest chapter of the Bible for a reason. It’s just that important. It is my hope that you have been revived and renewed in your devotion to God’s perfect word.

We all have stuff going on in our lives. Sometimes that stuff crowds our head and we can’t think of anything else but “that” stuff. Sometimes we want more and more stuff thinking that is what is going to take the pain away or make us happier. Sometimes our stuff gets us into trouble. Remember, our stuff doesn’t last, and we can’t take our stuff with us when we die.

So why the importance on stuff? We are yearning for revival and for an awakening in our spirit. We are misreading our desires, and when we feed our desires with stuff, we are left unsatisfied. Psalm 119 would help ground us to remember that we need to rely on God and his promises. There is no other way.

Let’s look at some of the great reminders of God’s word: your laws are perfect; they are true; they will last forever. The psalmist’s response to these laws include: I love them so much; I don’t forget them; I find joy in them; I will obey; I put my hope in them; my heart trembles;

Don’t let these reminders overwhelm you. Even the psalmist had to ask God for assistance. A couple examples, “Help me to understand so I may live,” and “Give me the discerning mind you promised.” It should be our prayer to God each day when we open the Bible that he enlighten our hearts and minds and ask for our souls to be quiet enough to listen.

I like how the psalm ends, “I have wandered away like a lost sheep; come and find me, for I have not forgotten your commands.” What do you think the psalmist means by this? Why it speaks to me is that it is easy to fall prey to distraction and the snares of the evil one. Many people who I have known over the years have indeed wandered away, led astray by the lies of the world. I pray for them. I pray that they have not forgotten the commands they once learned, and that God will find and rescue them.

Let’s pray. Father I am on my knees in reverence to you. Revive my soul to be the open vessel I want to be to be filled with you and your truth. Help me set aside all worries, struggles and distractions. May I be still and feel you today. Lift up those people who are separated from you. Use me and others to bring them back to you. Thank you that we can know you and have relationship with you. Thank you for what you are doing in my heart. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

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