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Be Still and Know That I Am God (Psa 46:8-11) Today, Tom Ridge issued another warning to elevate the

terror alert to high alert to put the nation in a state of readiness for another attack by terrorists. We live at time of high alert when anxiety seems to be running at a fever pitch and yet God gives us a great assurance in our passage today. Even though war and destruction are all around us as seen daily on TV the Lord will ultimately be victorious. God is telling us that despite the seeming instabiity of the times all we have to do is be stand quietly and watch how the Almighty displays His glorious power. Quote: The early church leader Augustine was once accosted by a heathen who showed him his idol and said, "Here is my god; where is thine?" Augustine replied, "I cannot show you my God; not because there is no God to show but because you have no eyes to see Him." Quote: Be still my soul. The Lord is on your side. Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain. Leave to your God to order and provide. In every change He faithful will remain. Be still my soul. Your best, your heavenly Friend. Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end. (Jean Sibelius) Song sung by Elisabeth Elliot Leach, author of Through Gates of Splendor, when she learned of the death of her husband Jim Elliot, matryed while trying to reach the Auca Indians in Ecuador in 1956.

David wrote this 46th Psalm at a time of the Assryrian invasion of Judah, so it gave the people of Israel needed assurance of Gods deliverance. He invites them: "The Lord Almighty is here among us; the God of Israel is our fortress. come see the glorious works of the Lord See how he brings destruction upon the world and causes wars to end thorughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear in two; he burns the shields with fire. Be still and know that I am God! I will be exalted in the nations. I will be honored through the earth." (Psa 46:811) In light of the assurance of our Almighty Gods triumphs we should take time throughout the day to be still and reverently honor him as the God of power, love and sovereign control of all things. Illustration: GODs Omnipotence: A young boy traveling by airplane to visit his grandparents sat beside a man who happened to be a seminary professor. The boy was reading a Sunday school take-home paper when the professor thought he would have some fun with the lad. "Young man," said the professor, "If you can tell me something God can do, I"ll give you a big, shiny apple." The boy thought for a moment and then replied, "Mister, if you can tell me something God cant do, I"ll give you a whole barrel of apples!" Today in the Word, April, 1989, p. 43.

The following are several characteristics of God that we can honor if we will take time to be still and know Him as God: 1. REFUGE - We can praise God that He constantly offers reassurance during troubled times. David gives us emphatic declaration of Gods Almighty power to overcome any calamity that may befall us. Perhaps the most famous verse in Psalm 46 is "God is our refuge and strength a very present help in the time of trouble." A refuge is a shelter that provides protection from all kinds of danger. When we seek refuge in God we are trusting Him to deliver us from danger and trouble. Too many people are seek refuge in their homes, possessions or in their abilities. Let us take the attitude of the song writer: Quote: Other refuge have I none. Hangs my helpless soul on Thee. Leave Oh leave me not alone. Still support and comfort me. All my hope on Thee is stayed. All my hope on Thee I pin. Cover my defenseless head. And receive my soul at last. 2. REASSURER - We can praise God that He constantly reassures us with His mighty power, presence and promise.

Take time to thank God for the fact that He reassures you with rock solid guarantees regarding your security. People who do not get reassurance or think they do not need it are setting themselves up for deep distress. God alone is able to make wars cease. He alone is able to give us the confidence to move ahead with His will for our lives despite the outward circumstances or our personal feelings of fear. We can ensure the fact that He will bring to pass His will and way for our life if we take Abrahams attitude toward our challenge, "He staggered not through unbelief but grew strong in faith, being fully assured that what He had promised, He was able also to perform." (Rom. 4:20,21) Illustration: Stress-free Amoeba Too much comfort is dangerous. Literally. Researchers at the University of California at Berkeley did an experiment sometime ago that involved introducing an amoeba into a perfectly stress-free environment. Ideal temperature, optimal concentration of moisture, constant food supply-the amoeba had an environment to which it had to make no adjustment whatsoever. So you would guess that would make a happy little amoeba. Whatever it is that gives amoebas ulcers and high blood pressure was gone. Yet, oddly enough, it died. Apparently there is something about all living creatures, even amoebas, that demands challenge. We require change, adaptation, and challenge the way we require food and air. Comfort alone will kill us. When teachers want students to grow, they dont give them answers-they give them problems! ("If a train leaves Cleveland at 3:00 going 50 m.p.h....") It is only in the process of accepting and solving problems that our ability to think creatively is enhanced, our persistence is strengthened, and our self-confidence is deepened. If someone gives me the answers, I may get a good score on a test, but I will not have grown. Just as our bodies simply will not grow stronger without being challenged to the point of exertion, so it is with our mind and spirit. Comfort is not an adequate excuse for an unopened gift. Ortberg, John. If you Want to Walk on Water, youve got to Get Out of the Boat.. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 2001, p. 47.

3. RESOLVER OF CONFLICT - We can be still and praise God that He has the power to resolve any conflict we may be experiencing. Not only does He have the power to resolve major conflicts between nations, but also in all our relationships. Nothing is too difficult for God. (Jer 32:17) God converts discord into concord. He repairs broken relationships and causes them to be stronger as a result of His reconciliations. Only the Lord is able to bring resonance where there is disharmony. Allow the Lord to bring resolution to the conflicts in your mind. Be still and take time to praise God for His characteristics. Illustration: Jesus said to the howling winds and waves, "Peace, be still and the winds died down and they became perfectly calm." (Mark 4:34-37) God may not take you out of the storm, but He will give you peace in the storms of life. 4. RESETTER - God is infinitely above all of the enemies who seek to steal, slaughter, kill and destroy those who are His own. God resets the order in His favor when we call upon Him for deliverance. Inspite of the malice of Gods opponents He is never rattled by their threats. "Nations are in an uproar, kingdoms falls, he lifts us voice and the earth melts." (Psa 46:6) Gods voice resets all things in their proper position, place and perspective. People will try to set themselves in positions of power, prestige or popularity but let them know that God alone will be exalted above all and He alone will receive glory. Illustration: Occasionally I have to reset my computer when it starts to run slowly or inefficiently. If a virus gets on my computer I have to refer to an expert programmer to reset everything in the system to make it operate like new. Allow the Lord to reset your mind, will and emotions every morning in your personal devotions before engagin in your daily activities. Otherwise, you may be operating with something that will eventually cause your system great harm. 5. REVEALER - We can praise God that He tells us ahead of time what will happen in the future. Without a doubt, God will be exalted in all the nations and He will be exalted in the whole earth. Therefore, we should not fear but

work to bring every people group and nation to a saving faith relationship with Jesus Christ. Jesus said it best. "He who has my commands and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by My Father and I will love them and will reveal myself (disclose, manifest) to him. (I will let myself be clearly seen by him and make Myself real to him.) John 14:21 Let us learn to trust and obey God in all things and at all times so we can gain a greater intimate knowledge of God. Increasing intimacy with the Lord allows one to experience greater power, perspective and problem-solving capacities that are done through the enabling guidance of the Holy Spirit. People who do not have this intimate knowledge of God operate on a few cylinders that render them ineffective or low on power. 6. REPROGRAMMER - We can praise God that He can reprogram our mind so that we do not react with fear, anger or panic when adversity strikes. We can set our hearts securely on Jehovah and know that He will fight the battles for us. Paul wrote, "If God is for us who can be against us." (Rom. 8:31)We can be assured that we do not have to be overcome by evil, but can overcome evil with good." (Rom. 12:21)We can program our mind, emotions and will to know that "He who spared not HIs own Son but delivered Him up for us all will He not freely give us all things." (Rom 8:32) We can give God greater praise as we program our minds with His promises that He is able to help us with whatever challenge we are facing. He is greater than all our problems, predicaments or people who oppose us. 7. RESOURCE PROVIDER - We can praise God that He has limitless resources available to win every good fight we fight. Many people hesitate to move forward until they believe they have all the resources in place, but we can trust God to provide all we need according to His riches in glory through Christ Jesus. (Phil. 4:19) The Sovereign God not only controls all things, He owns everything. When an army is at war, they need to constantly resupply the troups, machinery and armaments to continue the advance on the enemy. Quote: Hudson Taylor, the famous founder of the China Inland Mission wrote, "Gods will done in Gods way will not lack Gods support." 8. REBUILDER - We can praise God that He will build His church so that His name will be known throughout the whole earth. The Lord reorders everything for the fulfillment of His will to be exalted in all the nations on the earth. Everything else, takes a lower priority in His mind. Presently, two-thirds of the world are yet to hear a clear presentation of the gospel of Christ. Yet, Jesus told His disciples, "I will build my church and the gates of hell, (all evil forces) will not prevail against it." (Matt 16:18) Let invest our resources, talents and energies to planting and growing of Christs church through all 24,000 people groups on the earth. It is to this chief priority that God is most concerned about today. As long as we are seeking for the advancement of His kingdom and righteousness in greater quantity and quality in all the ethnic groups of the earth, then we are assured that He take care of all our needs. Many people lack and suffer needlessly because they are not focusing their energies on participating in the expansion of Christs church in all the people groups of the earth. Failure to obey the great commission of Christ is disobedience. Ask God to help you become more involved with the reaching the lost for Christ. Application: Let us ask the Lord to help us do whatever we can to be facilitators of declaring His glory throughout all the nations, tribes and people groups on the earth. Illustration: A little boy was eagerly looking forward to the birthday party of a friend who lived only a few blocks away. When the day finally arrived, a blizzard made the sidewalks and roads nearly impassable. The lads father, sensing the danger, hesitated to let his son go. The youngster reacted tearfully. "But Dad," he pleaded, "all the other kids will be there. Their parents are letting them go." The father thought for a moment, then replied softly, "All right, you may go." Surprised but overjoyed, the boy bundled up and plunged into the raging storm. The driving snow made visibility almost impossible, and it took him more than half an hour to trudge the short distance to the party. As he rang the doorbell, he turned briefly to look out into the storm. His eye caught the shadow of a retreating figure. It was his father. He had followed his sons every step to make sure he arrived safely.

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