Be Still… – Page 489 – Relevant Reflections to Let God's Word Back Into Your Hands and Heart

Psalm 122 – Be Glad

I like how David starts this psalm, “I was glad when they said to me, “Let us go to the house of the Lord!” He was glad. When is the last time you felt “glad” about something?

David’s heart was so in tune with God. The very thought of going to God’s house, in this case the temple in Jerusalem, made him glad. He was happy to go. Do we have that same excitement about going to worship in our own church? If not, what is holding us back from unleashing pure joy at being in God’s presence?

Did you notice his word choice here, “let us go”, not just “go”. That would seem to infer the privilege of being able to worship our God. That is a freedom we often take for granted. Many people around the world do not have that freedom to be open about their allegiance to Jesus. You may even know someone that is currently hiding their faith. How they must wish they were able to go and worship publicly. That would certainly make them glad.

We often lose sight of what is important. It is not so much the “where” we worship, but it is certainly about the “who”. Who are we worshiping? What does our worship look like? Have we lost that joy that comes with the privilege of being in God’s presence together with other believers? Search your heart today for a true answer to these questions.

Let’s pray. Lord, you are a mighty God. It is such a privilege to know you and sing praise to you. I do get giddy when it’s time to lead worship. To feel your spirit coursing through my veins is a feeling of contentment and joy I can’t put into words. It is the perfect time of communion with you, our hearts are as one. I thank you for letting me have those times and look forward to the next opportunity. I pray for those who do not know you. May my life be such a reflection of you that those lost souls see you and can be rescued by you. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Psalm 121 – I Need You

Read Psalm 121

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.

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