God is our refuge and strength,
a very present help in trouble.
Therefore we will not fear though the earth gives way,
though the mountains be moved into the heart of the sea,
though its waters roar and foam,
though the mountains tremble at its swelling.
[Psalm 46:1-3]
That says it all.
The Pastor -|—
This pastor so needed the devotion from yesterday; to be still and know that God is God. To be still and listen to the voice of God. To be still and be at peace. I so needed that, but that is not what happened.
———————
My little girl woke up this morning at 5:30 a.m. crying,
“I want my daddy! I want my daddy!”
Tired, and a little cranky that I was getting up earlier than planned, I acquiesced to my little girl’s cry. We rocked for a while and then I laid her back down when she seemed to be sleeping, but immediately she started crying for me again. I returned to her room and sat in the rocking chair next to her crib. I then reached my hand through the crib and caressed her head; and she calmed down. Whenever I tried to leave she would cry. Eventually I fell asleep in the rocking chair…
[I’m not sure why she wanted this snoring beast next to her]
…and woke up just after 8 a.m. (I had a 9 a.m.baptism meeting). This was not how my morning was supposed to start. I bolted out of her room: showered, made coffee, ate (all the while my little girl is screaming for me) and got dressed. My wife woke up and help her but she still wanted daddy.
Be still and know that I am God. (Psalm 46:10)
All I wanted was to be still and know that God is God.
All I wanted was time alone with God before I started my day.
All I wanted was to hear God’s voice.
All I wanted was some encouragement as I prepared to finish two sermons today.
All I wanted was God.
And God did acquiesce to my request. God gave me a beautiful moment this morning and all I could think about was that it wasn’t what I planned. As a pastor friend of mine told me yesterday in a blog post comment,
“God made the time and gave it to you”
God definitely made the time for me this morning but I missed it.
Oh God, please forgive me for being so selfish and short-sighted.
Definitely carve out moments to get away and enjoy the fact that God is God, but don’t miss the moments that God carves out for you. Don’t be so short-sighted and selfish like I was this morning but rather…
Be still and know that God is God.
…and then actually pay attention and listen.
Holy Father, thank you for the holy moments that you create. May I have the eyes of faith to see them.
Praise be to God and Amen.
The Pastor -|—
Another day off for this pastor; drinking coffee, enjoying the laughter of my children and now some quiet time as my wife bathes the oldest and the youngest sleeps on my chest. A beautiful morning to enjoy the wonderful blessings in my life. God is indeed great.
And in the quietness of my living room now, I’m reminded of Psalm 46:10, “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” What a wonderful reminder to take advantage of every quiet moment to listen for God and to reflect on His promises. Sometimes we get so busy that we forget about God but God will not be denied. God will be exalted. God will be glorified. If not by us then the rocks will cry out.
So remember to create quiet time throughout your day and don’t just wait for it because it may never come otherwise. Carve out moments to get away and don’t feel guilty about it, thinking you’re being lazy. Reflecting and “day dreaming” about God is time well spent. So listen for and to the voice of God. Worship His Holy name and reflect on his promises.
May God bless your day and happy day dreaming 🙂
The Pastor -|—
The pastor’s heart goes out to those being affected by Sandy; that massive storm hitting the east coast. I have bee watching the Weather Channel this morning and seeing reports of what is going on and then the reporters saying the worst is yet to come.
Scary
High winds
Flooding
Rain and snow
Power outages
Storm surge
So many people are going to be affected; not just on the coast but way into the mainland; as far in as Ohio. A large mass of area feeling the effects of Mother Nature’s fury. And in the midst of such chaos it is easy to lose perspective and become despondent.
I believe Satan uses such weather events in an attempt to drive a wedge between people and God as every year Mother Nature proves to be a formidable foe. But not even Hurricane Sandy can stand up to the sovereignty of God.
So…
Please be in prayer for those being effected.
Please be in prayer for those relief workers.
Consider giving to relief organizations.
Don’t lose faith.
Don’t stop praying once the storm passes.
And remember…
Psalm 62:1
Truly my soul finds rest in God;
my salvation comes from him. Truly he is my rock and my salvation;
he is my fortress, I will never be shaken.
I have never experienced an earthquake before but from what I have heard from others it is an unsettling experience. Something that is supposed to be firm, stable and safe is all of a sudden shaky, unstable and dangerous. The ground is supposed to be a safe haven.
This same mentality is true in other areas of our lives where we put our ultimate trust in people or things.
–Financial markets
–Relationships
–Career
–Talents
–Family
–Intelligence
…and the list could go on.
I am reminded of the verses from 1 Corinthians 10:12 that reads, “So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you do not fall!” Paul goes on to talk about temptation and how God won’t allow us to be tempted beyond what we can handle; always providing a way out for us. But the problem comes when we become over-confident in our so-called firm standing. A firm standing that is outside any relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
There are many well meaning people who think they are standing firm based on their worldly success and material possessions. But as we have seen in this fragile economy, worldly success can come crashing down very quickly.
–People of high social standing can succumb to temptation and fall.
–The strongest of relationships can be torn apart.
–Careers can come to an end in a blink of an eye.
–A pop of the knee can end a promising athletic future.
Earthquakes of all kinds happen…and they happen everyday. People we never thought would fall have fallen.
Maybe even you.
But…
When we find refuge in God.
When we place our future in God.
When we stand on God’s promises.
When we trust in God’s faithfulness.
When we find our treasure in God’s love.
When God is our fortress…
…then we will not be shaken. As Psalm 46 says, “…though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging…” we will stand firm.
In the midst of a shaky world, find your rest in God through Jesus Christ. Find stable footing on the promises of our faithful God; for the foundation of God is the only thing that will ultimately stand.
-edh-
The Heart of a Pastor 