Greetings to you! Did you notice the date…4 months until Christmas! or 121 days-15 hours-45 minutes at this moment! It is going to be a good day! I trust that you had a great weekend and Monday…and that you are excited about the week ahead. Today I will be praying for you, asking Father to surround your family with an awareness of His presence that will create – health and strength and happy hearts!
I had started to read a Bible verse at the beginning of a devotional and started to jump ahead because I knew the verse but I was ‘caught’ when realized it was not the verses I thought it was. Here is how it begins..Be still..and did you start to say…and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10…that is what I did when I realized the verse was…Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret …Psalm 37:7a NIV. In fact, the command to “do not fret” appears 3 times in the first 8 verses (1, 7, 8) and reference people problems in unjust situations. In the midst of life’s injustice we are told to “Be Still” and “wait patiently”. This reminds me of a hymn – “Trust and obey” except I would have to add “and wait – Trust and obey and wait patiently.”
The devotional reminded me of things I already knew…Trusting is leaning on God in the midst of trials and injustice — Waiting is accepting God’s timing as you go through the difficult seasons of life. However, the writer gave two little thoughts…Trusting without waiting is striving – Waiting without trusting is worrying – Trusting and waiting have to go together…James MacDonald.
Be still = trust and wait. I really like that. An interesting tidbit – as I finished reading the devotional, along with some other email messages, I turned to my Canada Post mail and there was a letter from the ministry I get the Devotional Day Planners from. I opened the information page/order form and the title/topic for 2016…“Be still…and know that I an God” . I guess that I had better get my order in quickly. Imagine every day, picking up the planner and being told…”Be still” and understanding that means “trust and wait”!
Something to think about…have a blessed day!