Be Still and Know!

God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging. There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day. Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts. The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Come and see what the Lord has done, the desolations he has brought on the earth. He makes cease to the ends of the earth. He breaks the bow and shatters the spear;  he burns the shields with fire. He says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Psalm 46 NIV

I know there are many people out there right now who disdain the use of “God” or “Jesus” and they feel justified in doing so, but I’m reminding those who believe in His plan for their lives to remember His promises and be still and know, He has not forgotten you.

In the midst of crisis, it’s difficult for any of us to stay focused on God’s promises when we feel our lives are at risk. Believing God does not mean we do stupid things or act unwisely in the midst of a crisis, but we seek His wisdom and hold fast to our faith that He will make a way.

Hurricanes are an act of nature and God saves in the midst of hurricanes, tornadoes, floods, and all manner of situations in which we have no control. But if we act wisely, trusting our dependence on Him, He will see us through what nature tends to throw our way.

Yes, bad things happen to good people and only God knows why He allows certain things to happen to some people and not others. I’m not God, so I’m not going to pretend I have all the answers, but I trust Him. “In all our getting, get wisdom.” “Wisdom is the principal thing.” Solomon repeatedly refers to the wisdom being the utmost importance. When we things through and act wisely, we could avoid certain devastations. And though we get upset over the loss of things, we must remember things can be replaced–lives won’t be. So the wisdom we must exercise is about saving lives, not things.

Even though Harvey was predicted in enough time for people to make provisions to move out of the way of danger, most people could not have imagined the rain that would proceed in the aftermath. This is not an act of God–it is an act of nature and if anyone wants to attribute the storm to being an act of God, and attempt to claim it is retribution for the people who live there–they make a mockery of who God is.

For the religious-right who have said John McCain’s cancer is God’s retribution because of a vote–shame on them. They obviously have no knowledge of God and how He functions in the earth. But the rub here is–some of those same folks would “never” say the storm is retribution for the wrongs they have done against the poor and the needy. God doesn’t get into our politics because what we do–who we vote for and put into positions of authority are on us–and when we don’t act wisely, we don’t get wise leadership in those positions of authority.

In the coming days, it will be extremely difficult for some to hold onto their faith and know that in the end, everything will be all right. I’m confident that acting wisely, seeing to the needs of others and taking care of self will result in lives being saved. I encourage everyone who can to make donations to American Red Cross so they will have adequate resources to meet the needs of the people. Donations can be made online (with a minimum of $10). I made my contribution and would love to see as many people as possible do the same–especially those who recently won lotteries. Now is a good time to help others in need.

My heart and thoughts are embedded in the crisis in Texas and I will continue praying for their safety and for the rains to abate. God knows what it is He wants to accomplish in the hearts of men and women everywhere and I’m sure it will be as He has determined.  Stay safe!

 

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Prayer For The Nation!

“When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” (2 Chronicles 7:13,14 NIV)

Father,

I humbly seek You now,

In the midst of chaos and confusion in these times,

Stirred up in the minds of those led by Satan,

To destroy all that You love, hear my prayer, O Lord

Guard and protect our minds from the influence of evil,

Open our eyes so we might see, in the spirit, lurking danger.

Since I pray not just for myself, but for a nation that’s lost,

Because they forgot to count up the cost–of sin,

Before Your wrath is poured out upon the land,

In every crevice and corner, wreaking havoc

Raining down on the just as well as the unjust.

Examine my heart to know my motives are sincere,

And if You find no fault in me, hear and answer my prayer.

Speak to the hearts of the unrepentant, revealing who You are,

Remind them of the Foundation on which this country

Was established, survived and thrived, using Your Word for the laws of the land.

Speak to the heart of the President, reminding him

Of the path, You established, but which he has strayed.

Speak to the hearts of the lawmakers, showing them

How apathy results in solving nothing, but creating more problems.

Speak to the hearts of the appointed ones, the judges and others,

Who swear on Your Word for installation ceremonies, but by their actions,

Prove they don’t know who You are and their symbolism means nothing.

Speak to the hearts of those who continue to rebel against what is right,

Changing, perverting, Your Word, instilling in many the will to fight,

But not on their terms, realizing this war is not carnal, but spiritual,

And can only be won, if You’re in the lead, paralyzing all in the path

Of rebellion inspired by witchcraft and demons.

Speak to the hearts of Believers everywhere, remind them

Of Your Word–blessed for obedience, cursed for rebellion;

Their role, promoting Truth, is not finished, until You return to gather us all unto You.

Encourage them to stand tall and firm on Your Word,

Your Word that guides, corrects, instructs, and trains us to be

Victorious in the army of God, confronting the confusion

Whose author creates the rhetorical delusion that Your love,

Erases all need to obey Your Word, spoken by Your Son, The Word,

When He came in Your name, to give Himself as a sacrifice to save

Us all from ourselves–in a sin-ridden world–who loved us enough

To die for us, now we have a chance to love Him enough to live for Him,

Loving You enough to obey Your command to love–You and others,

And enough to know we cannot take Your grace and mercy in vain,

Allowing sin to continue to reign, encouraging others to do likewise,

Knowing that one day, we will stand before You and give an account,

Of all we have done in ourselves and those things we promoted or condoned in others.

Speak to the hearts of parents everywhere,

Reminding them how to parent according to Your Word,

Loving them, providing for them, instructing them in Your ways,

Correcting them and punishing them, when they don’t always obey.

Speak to the hearts of the children, both the young and the old,

Reminding them that long life and happiness are the result of obedience.

Speak to the hearts of teachers all over the land,

Reminding them they are to teach the children, not abuse or misuse them.

Speak to our hearts, Lord. Remind us of Your Holy Word,

Give us direction as we offer ourselves up for Your correction,

Giving up greed with speed to stop sickness and disease in its tracks,

Using Wisdom from above, as we pray on our knees

Asking forgiveness for all our wrong, distorted, rebellious deeds.

Obeying You in all things so we will have long life and prosperity,

Giving the devil no place in our lives, no victory for him as we thrive.

So when You return and position us before You,

We’ll have no need to fear or be ashamed of the Victory we’ve won,

In living for You and all we’ll hear is, “Well done, my child.”

All this we ask and thank You for doing,

In Jesus’ name and we count it done!