Psalm 46:10 “Be still, and know that I am God”. How well do I really know my heavenly Father, Almighty God? In the midst of doubt, confusion, adverse circumstances, when things don’t go my way, these are the times to meditate on this scripture – Be still, and know that I am God. This is the time to worship God, as God. It is very easy to put another ‘o’ in His name and only see Him as good when everything in life, circumstances, relationships etc. are pleasing to me. It is easy to praise God and thank Him for His goodness when I judge that all is going well, but what about the other side of the coin when adversity occurs in it’s many varied forms? These are the opportunities to be still and prove that God is God of the circumstance, and ruling over it. In our humanity, the most natural reaction is negative, but these are the times when it is vital to seek God, to see God is still in control, to be still and trust that His unseen hand is at work behind the scene. The trials of our faith are many and varied. A pure heart sees God in all, not just the good. Matthew 5:8 declares “Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God”. Heart purity is seeing God in all things, not just some.
It is so easy to put God in my good box. Instead of being under Him, I put myself over Him by judging life with my natural judgement of good and evil. Genesis 3 records the fall of mankind when Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Prior to that fateful day, they only knew God in fellowship with Him and in harmony with all creation. Once they had partaken of the forbidden fruit, the experienced it’s curse. When we eat from that forbidden tree, we judge things to be good or evil. In adverse circumstances, God requires us not to eat from that same accursed tree, but to seek Him and what He is saying through the circumstance. When we have quietened our heart we will hear His voice either to be still and trust, or to receive a proceeding word to take the right steps. Jesus said, “It is written, man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God”, Matthew 4: 4. A new proceeding word negates the previous one when God dictates the new move.
Problems arise when I try and bring God down to my logic and put Him in my box. I have to surrrender my thoughts and get into God’s box and live by His proceeding word, not how I think. Then I will see God as He really is, and not how I think He is. His ways, thoughts and plans are far superior to those of men, (Isaiah 55:8). I have to stop eating from the tree and judging life from that angle – resulting in a mouth full of splinters!
Romans 8:14 “For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God”. Our birthright is to live as sons, not orphans! Sons/daughters of the Living God, march forward!
Photo by Gilly Stewart on Unsplash
