1 Psalm 46:10
"Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Psalm 46:10
This is one of my favorite verses. Just as I often told my children to "Be still" when we were sitting in church, God is telling us to "Be still." How much do we really want to know God? Here is the secret... "Be still and know that I am God." We pray and ask God to speak to us and guide us, but do we sit still and quietly listen for His answers? We live such busy lives, it is good to take time and "Be still" from time to time and listen for God to speak to us. We can do this as we pray and read His Word. Turn off the noises of this world and quietly listen for God. When we know God, we will exalt His Holy Name.
2 Be Filled With The Fulness of God
"And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Ephesians 3:19
I walked to the front of our church, and sitting on the third row were two empty bowls. The owner had no doubt taken food to someone in them and they were being returned. There they sat. Quiet and still... waiting to be used again. Empty... waiting to be filled. Is that how we come to church? Do we empty our mind of the cares and troubles of this world? Do we pray that God will fill us with His Holy Spirit? Are we waiting on the Lord to use us? We often say we want the Lord to use us, but we don't give Him any of our time. We pray for God to fill us, but our lives are filled with the things of this world. Our verse above exhorts us to know the love of Christ and be filled with the fulness of God. When we are filled with the things of the Lord we will have a song in our heart and peace in our soul, as we read in Ephesians 5:18-20, "And be not drunk with wine, wherein is excess; but be filled with the Spirit; Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."
3 Bearing Fruits Of The Spirit
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law." Galatians 5:22-23
Yesterday we talked about emptying ourselves of the things of this world and waiting for the Lord to fill us with the Spirit. When we are filled with the Spirit we will bear fruits of a Christian life and those around us will be able to see Christ living through us. Can the world see Jesus in you? Do you have the perfect love, joy, and peace that only God can give? Are you longsuffering, gentle and good to others? Do you exercise your faith, meekness and self-control? When we are filled with the Spirit, all of these attributes will be apparent in our lives. Trees are known by their fruits. Christians should also be known by their fruits. Are you living a fruitful life?
4 Still Small Voice
"And he came thither unto a cave, and lodged there; and, behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and he said unto him, What doest thou here, Elijah? And he said, I have been very jealous for the LORD God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken thy covenant, thrown down thine altars, and slain thy prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left; and they seek my life, to take it away. And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the LORD; but the LORD was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?" I Kings 19:9-13
After the great victory against the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel, Jezebel threatened to kill Elijah so he ran and hid in the wilderness. As he was hiding in a cave God spoke to him. Maybe Elijah was looking for God to speak in some great, miraculous way. But God was not in the great wind, the earthquake, or the fire. God spoke to Elijah in a still small voice. Many in our churches today are looking for God to speak to us through a great movement. We are looking for God to do great and mighty things, and He can, if He chooses to do so. But it may be that God is speaking to us in a still small voice, and we are too busy to listen. Psalm 46:10 tells us, "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." Sometimes we need to "Be still" and listen as God speaks to us in "a still small voice" and He will be exalted.
5 Wait On The Lord
"But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." Isaiah 40:31
The young people at church made a graduation banner for Susanna with this verse on it. She will soon walk across the stage and receive the diploma she has been working for and waiting for, during the last thirteen years. Think of the things we wait for everyday. We wait for our lunch to be served. We wait at stop lights. We wait in line at checkout counters. We are put on hold on the phone. And during those necessary doctor and dentist visits we wait most impatiently. Sometimes we just get tired of waiting. When life gets hard and we grow weary, we can turn to the Lord and wait on God. "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding. He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength. Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall: But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." (Isaiah 40:28-31) Just as Susanna's friends gave this verse as encouragement and hope to her, let me also give this message to you today. There may be troubled times ahead... wait on the Lord. You may grow tired and weary... wait on the Lord. When you sink down low, wait on the Lord and let Him lift you up with wings as eagles.
6 Be Of Good Courage
"Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." Psalm 27:14
I know that we talked about waiting on the Lord yesterday, but this was too good a verse to pass over. Sometimes when we wait we begin to worry. We worry that the Lord has not heard our prayer. We worry that the answer will not be in the right time frame for our needs. We start to feel like we should do something to work our problems out on our own. Be of good courage and trust in the Lord. Let's look at some of the encouraging verses from this chapter. "The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? the LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?... For in the time of trouble he shall hide me... Hear, O LORD, when I cry with my voice: have mercy also upon me, and answer me. When thou saidst, Seek ye my face; my heart said unto thee, Thy face, LORD, will I seek... Teach me thy way, O LORD, and lead me in a plain path... I had fainted, unless I had believed to see the goodness of the LORD in the land of the living. Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD." (Portions of Psalm 27:1-14)
7 Mary Sat Still
"And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary, to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house. Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. But I know, that even now, whatsoever thou wilt ask of God, God will give it thee. Jesus saith unto her, Thy brother shall rise again. Martha saith unto him, I know that he shall rise again in the resurrection at the last day. Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this? She said unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee." John 11:19-28
Our verse for this series begins, "Be still and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:10) Today I want to look at Mary. This was a sad time for Mary and Martha, because their brother, Lazarus, had died. When Jesus came, Martha ran to meet Him, "but Mary sat still in the house." Jesus sent for her. "Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled." (John 11:32-33) Mary sat still, waiting until Jesus called to her, then she ran and fell at His feet. Look at the other references we have of Mary, beginning with Luke 10:39, "And she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus' feet, and heard his word." Jesus told Martha, "...Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her." (Luke 10:42) Even in our description of Mary in this same chapter we see, "(It was that Mary which anointed the Lord with ointment, and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was sick.)" (John 11:2) People murmured against Mary for breaking the alabaster box of precious ointment "And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a good work on me... She hath done what she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of her." (Mark 14:6-9) Mary did what she could. She listened to the Lord. She waited for the Lord. And she gave the very best that she had as she worshipped the Lord.
8 When The Sun Stood Still
"Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day. And there was no day like that before it or after it, that the LORD hearkened unto the voice of a man: for the LORD fought for Israel." Joshua 10:12-14
We have been focusing on the word "still" this past week and this story came to my mind yesterday. No other time since the beginning of creation did the sun stand for man as it did for Joshua and the children of Israel. My oldest son started school in 1986, and for the past 22 years I have been making trips back and forth to school. It all ended yesterday with the graduation of my youngest daughter. Our little town had a record breaking day with temperatures reaching 98 degrees F. As we sat on the concrete and metal bleachers in the football stadium we kept hoping it would be cooler once the sun started going down. I remembered this story in the book of Joshua and how he had prayed for the sun to stand still. The Lord answered his prayer and gave him another day of daylight and the children of Israel shouted the victory. Yesterday evening, as the sun began to lower in the sky in front of us, many people shouted the victory as those last graduating seniors marched across the stadium, closing this chapter of their lives with the passing of another day.
9 Beside The Still Waters
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters." Psalm 23:1-2
This wonderful Psalm was written by the shepherd, David, about the Good Shepherd. David knew the Good Shepherd and followed Him just as his sheep followed him day by day. We can also know the Good Shepherd and follow Him. Jesus tells us, "I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep" and "I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine." "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me:" (John 10:11, 14, & 27) We live in a troubled time. We can only find those peaceful, clear, still waters when we follow the Good Shepherd. Lets read that old, familiar Psalm once again.
"The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever." Psalm 23
10 Stand Still And See The Salvation Of The Lord
"And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them. And the LORD hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, and he pursued after the children of Israel: and the children of Israel went out with an high hand. But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea... And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." Exodus 14:5-9 & 13
The children of Israel fled from the Egyptians and came to a halt at the Red Sea. The Egyptians were driving furiously, not only with the 600 chariots of war, but with all the other chariots, too. What could the Israelites do? The Red Sea was in front of them and the Egyptians were behind them, gaining ground. Look at what Moses said. "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD..." This is a good lesson for us. When our enemies are hard on our trail, and we come face to face with the Red Seas of this world, "stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD." When it seems as though the whole world has come against you, turn to the One who created the heavens and the earth. God separated the Red Sea and the children of Israel went through on dry ground. "And it came to pass, that in the morning watch the LORD looked unto the host of the Egyptians through the pillar of fire and of the cloud, and troubled the host of the Egyptians, And took off their chariot wheels, that they drave them heavily: so that the Egyptians said, Let us flee from the face of Israel; for the LORD fighteth for them against the Egyptians. And the LORD said unto Moses, Stretch out thine hand over the sea, that the waters may come again upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen... And the waters returned, and covered the chariots, and the horsemen, and all the host of Pharaoh that came into the sea after them; there remained not so much as one of them." (Expdus 14:24-28) Remember these words of encouragement when troubles come, "Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD."
11 The following poem was written by a dear Christian friend, Jewel.
Be Still and Know that I AM God
Beautiful weather drew me like a magnet to the outside
picnic table when it was midday time to dine.
Eating in the warmth of the sunshine was inspirational,
causing me to cherish all of Gods’ riches divine.
Silence was broken by the singing of the birds; the sight
of a few of them perched on a bird feeder nearby
Tested my ability to be still and observe as they
cautiously fed from the available seeds then proceeded to fly.
It reminded me how I’m hindered often by fear & prevented
from enjoying the many blessings God has in store;
Lingering there in the midst of His creation I became
thankful for simple pleasures I’d taken for granted before.
Listening to the melody created by numerous birds reminded
me that Gods’ children need to work in unity,
And use the personal gifts and talents we’ve been given to
bless others and experience joy more abundantly.
Nice intentions often are neglected due to something else
that is appealing and draws away our attention,
Distractions prevent us from encouraging others with a
letter, visit or other ways to numerous to mention.
Kind words from a distant friend or relative sometimes
soothes a broken heart like salve applied to a wound,
Not taking the opportunity to carry out our mission leaves
a discouraged soul feeling somewhat marooned.
Often I’ve procrastinated doing a deed for someone
thinking I’d be given another chance at a later date,
When all of a sudden I hear about something drastic
happening to that person then realize I’ve waited to late.
It’s enough to make me want to change my bad habit and
also warn others not to delay and make the same mistake.
Although I can’t always convince everyone to do any
different I still should learn from the mistakes I make.
Maybe if I’d pause and listen more closely to what the
Lord is expressing upon my heart to always do or say,
Good would come from my actions and be the added boost
someone else needs to keep them from going astray.
Obedience is important to be carried out at the time
instructions are given in order to fullfill Gods’ will.
Daily we should take time out to talk to the Lord and be
mindful of the times He commands us to just be still.
JMBRK(Jewel)
12 Peace, Be Still
"And the same day, when the even was come, he saith unto them, Let us pass over unto the other side. And when they had sent away the multitude, they took him even as he was in the ship. And there were also with him other little ships. And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? And they feared exceedingly, and said one to another, What manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?" Mark 4:35-41
This chapter begins, "And he began again to teach by the sea side: and there was gathered unto him a great multitude, so that he entered into a ship, and sat in the sea; and the whole multitude was by the sea on the land." (Mark 4:1) Jesus taught the parable of the sower, as well as many other parables to the people and when the evening was near he stayed in the ship and they began to cross over the sea. There are many lessons we can learn from this story, but I want us to notice three points. 1) "And there were also with him other little ships." As I go along on life's journey, I want the Lord in my ship. I don't want to be out away from the Lord when troubles come. Which brings me to my second point, 2) "And there arose a great storm..." Just because Jesus is in our ship, doesn't mean we won't have storms. Jesus was in the ship with them, but the wind blew strong against the boat and the waves nearly filled the ship with water. Lesson 3) "They awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?" Does Jesus care? Yes, He cares. He rules the wind and the waves, yet He cares for a small, little child like me. Invite the Lord into your life and let Him sail with you. I can't promise that you won't go through the storms, but I can promise that He cares for you and He can give you peace in the midst of the storms.
13 "I Am Still With Thee"
"O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me. Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off. Thou compassest my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways. For there is not a word in my tongue, but, lo, O LORD, thou knowest it altogether. Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thine hand upon me. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me; it is high, I cannot attain it... I will praise thee; for I am fearfullly and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well... How precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them! If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee." Psalm 139:1-6, 14, & 17-18
Yesterday we asked the question, "Does Jesus care?" This Psalm is a beautiful illustration of how much God cares for us. God knows everything we do and say. He knows our thoughts and our ways. He made us and continually thinks of us. David reminds us that God's thoughts of us are more in number than the sand. We can go to sleep in peace, knowing that God is with us, and that He never sleeps. We can waken each morning, knowing that God is still with us and that we are still with Him in His thoughts of us. What a wonderful God we serve!
14 I AM THAT I AM
"And Moses said unto God, Behold, when I come unto the children of Israel, and shall say unto them, The God of your fathers hath sent me unto you; and they shall say to me, What is his name? what shall I say unto them? And God said unto Moses, I AM THAT I AM: and he said, Thus shalt thou say unto the children of Israel, I AM hath sent me unto you." Exodus 3:13-14
We have looked at several verses on being still. Let's continue with the next thought in our verse, "Be still and know that I am God: and I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." (Psalm 46:10) The next few words are, "...know that I am God..." This verse tells us that we can know God. When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush He told Moses that His name is "I AM". God didn't say, "I WAS", although He was in the very beginning. "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth." (Genesis 1:1) God didn't say, "I WILL BE", even though He is the alpha and omega, the beginning and the end. But, God said, I AM. This covers all time, from everlasting to everlasting and everything in between. God is God for us yesterday, and God is God today, and God will still be God tomorrow. He never changes. That can be a great comfort to our souls. We serve a God who loves us today, and will always love us. When I wake up each morning I know that God is with me. When I go to bed each night I know that He is still with me. Praise the Lord, that we serve the great I AM.
15 God Is The Only God
"Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them. Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any." Isaiah 44:6-8
We believe that God is the great I AM. We believe that He is the beginning and the end, the first and the last. In these verses, from the book of Isaiah, we see that He is the only God. During the times in which the Bible was written it was common for people to serve many Gods. They made idols and worshipped them. This is shown in the next verse. "They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed." God warned His people against idol worship with the first commandment. "I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God,..." (Exodus 20:2-5) Knowing God is also knowing that He is the only God, and we can only serve God when we serve Him only.
Father's Day
16 God The Father
"Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. Thomas saith unto him, Lord, we know not whither thou goest; and how can we know the way? Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. If ye had known me, ye should have known my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him." John 14:1-7
We made reservations to fly up north to spend some time with our son, his wife, and our granddaughter. They will prepare a place for us to stay while we are there. Before Jesus left this earth, He told the disciples that He was going home to the Father and will prepare a place for us. Isn't that wonderful! God wants us to come, not just for a visit, but He wants us to come live with Him. Jesus also made the way for us to go. He gave His life on the cruel cross, to be the sacrifice for my sins and your sins. He is the way, the only way, to go to the Father. When we believe that Jesus died to pay our sin-debt and we confess our sins to Him we can become children of God. "For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God. For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the Spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father. The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together." (Romans 8:14-17) When we are saved, God adopts us to be His children. As you think about Father's Day today, be sure to thank God for allowing you to be in His family. If you don't know God the Father, today would be the perfect day to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as your Saviour. "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him shuold not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)
17 God Is A Holy God
"For I am the LORD your God: ye shall therefore sanctify yourselves, and ye shall be holy; for I am holy: neither shall ye defile yourselves with any manner of creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. For I am the LORD that bringeth you up out of the land of Egypt, to be your God: ye shall therefore be holy, for I am holy." Leviticus 11:44-45
I was reading in Leviticus this morning and when I came to these verses I thought about the holiness of God. God commanded us to be holy because He is holy. God is a holy God. When God spoke to Moses from the burning bush, He told Moses to remove his shoes because he was standing on holy ground. "And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." Exodus 3:2-6 As we look into the scriptures about knowing God, we see His holiness. If we ever see how holy God is, we will bow down in reverence to His holy name. There are four beasts in the book of Revelation who "rest not day and night, saying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, which was, and is, and is to come." (Revelation 4:8) We need to be like them and praise the holiness of God. We are also told in I Peter 1:15-17, "But as he which hath called you is holy, so be ye holy in all manner of conversation: Because it is written, Be ye holy; for I am holy. And if ye call on the Father, who without respect of persons judgeth according to every man's work, pass the time of your sojourning here in fear:" There are many wonderful attributes of God that we are not expected to have, such as His power, and knowledge, but here we are told "Be ye holy, for I am holy." We serve an awesome God!
18 God Is Love
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." John 3:16
John 3:16 may be the most well-known verse in the Bible. Many learn this verse as children and remember it as adults. It teaches the important concept that God loved us so much He gave His only begotten Son to die for us. We also read in I John 4:8 that "God is love." "Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God: and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God. He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love. In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him. Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another." God loved us and gave us the greatest gift, the gift of salvation, and all we have to do to receive it is to believe on Him. When we begin our journey of knowing God, we quickly learn that God is love.
19 God Is Good
"And when he was gone forth into the way, there came one running, and kneeled to him, and asked him, Good Master, what shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? there is none good but one, that is, God." Mark 10:17 & 18
One of the first prayers taught to children is, "God is great, God is good, Let us thank Him, for our food. Amen." With this simple blessing we learn that God is good. But as people grow older and things happen in their lives, some doubt the goodness of God. While some people turn to God in times of trouble, others blame God for bad things that happen in their lives and turn away from God. They don't believe this simple truth, "God is good." If we believe that God is good, we can also believe Romans 8:28, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." This does not mean that everything that happens in our lives is good, but the scripture says that everything works together for good to them that love God. "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" (Romans 8:31 & 32) How are we to respond to the goodness of God? "I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." (Romans 12:1 & 2) God is good.
20 A Giving God
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." Psalm 68:19
Our Preacher Jeff Woods used this chapter in his sermon Wednesday night. The sermon was in praise to our loving God "who daily loadeth us with benefits". We see a Loving Father in verses 5 & 6, "A father of the fatherless, and a judge of the widows, is God in his holy habitation. God setteth the solitary in families..." We see God as our Mighty Leader in verse 7, "O God, when thou wentest forth before thy people, when thou didst march through the wilderness; Selah:" Verse 9 shows us a Concerned Helper, "Thou, O God, didst send a plentiful rain, whereby thou didst confirm thine inheritance, when it was weary." Psalm 46:1 also tells us "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble." My mom's favorite Bible verses are Psalm 121:1&2, "I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth." Then we see God as our Merciful Friend as we once again look at our verse above. "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." God is merciful in extending to us His great gift of salvation.
21 God Loads Us Daily With Benefits
"Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah." Psalm 68:19
As we continue our thoughts from Psalm 68, let's look at some of the benefits that God gives to us daily. In verse 8 we see His presence. "The earth shook, the heavens also dropped at the presence of God: even Sinai itself was moved at the presence of God, the God of Israel." God is continually with us as we read in Hebrews 13:5, "...I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Another benefit we have from God is His pardon. "Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits, even the God of our salvation. Selah. He that is our God is the God of salvation; and unto GOD the Lord belong the issues from death." (Psalm 68:19 & 20) The gift of salvation is the most amazing gift ever given. He also loads us with benefits, which include strength, grace, mercy, love, and our needs. "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19) In verses 17 & 18 we see that He loads us daily with His protection. "The chariots of God are twenty thousand, even thousands of angels: the Lord is among them, as in Sinai, in the holy place. Thou hast ascended on high, thou hast led captivity captive..." With all the blessings that God sends our way everyday, we have nothing to offer, but ourselves and our praise. "The singers went before, the players on instruments followed after; among them were the damsels playing iwth timbrels. Bless ye God in the congregations, even the Lord, from the fountain of Israel." (Psalm 68:25 & 26) Praise the Lord!
22 God Is Rich In Mercy And Grace
"But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast." Ephesians 2:4-9
Even the richest man on earth can not buy his way into heaven. God, who is rich in mercy and grace, gave His Son, Christ Jesus, to pay our sin debt. Salvation cost Jesus His life, but it is free to all who believe. And just as God commanded Moses to put a mercy seat in the tabernacle, we can fall on our knees and cry out for mercy to our Lord and Savior, who hears and answers prayers. "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4:14-16) We can pray with David, "Be merciful unto me, O Lord: for I cry unto thee daily. Rejoice the soul of thy servant: for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul. For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee." (Psalm 86:3-7)
23 God Is Great
"And now, Israel, what doth the LORD thy God require of thee, but to fear the LORD thy God, to walk in all his ways, and to love him, and to serve the LORD thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, To keep the commandments of the LORD, and his statutes, which I command thee this day for thy good? Behold, the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is... For the LORD your God is God of gods, and Lord of lords, a great God, a mighty, and a terrible, which regardeth not persons, nor taketh reward:" Deuteronomy 10:12-14 & 17
Many people have thought themselves to be great. Alexander the Great conquered most of the known world about 325 years BC. However, he could not conquer death, for he died mysteriously of a high fever before he reached the age of 33 years. There have been great minds which made many inventions, but God created the heavens and the earth out of nothing. There are many men and women who have great wealth and can afford to buy houses in different countries. But "the heaven and the heaven of heavens is the LORD'S thy God, the earth also, with all that therein is..." Some people live to be a "great old age", but we read in Job 36:26, "Behold, God is great, and we know him not, neither can the number of his years be searched out." Finally, let me say with King David, "Wherefore thou art great, O LORD God: for there is none like thee, neither is there any God beside thee, according to all that we have heard with our ears." (II Samuel 7:23)
24 He Is A Just God
"Because I will publish the name of the LORD: ascribe ye greatness unto our God. He is the Rock, his work is perfect: for all his ways are judgment: a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he." Deuteronomy 32:3 & 4
Many of the adjectives we have used to describe our Heavenly Father are accepted by most people. They agree that God is love, and God is good, even great. Most agree that God is merciful and God is holy. Today I want to look at an attribute of God that is not popular in the world. God is just and righteous. He does what is right and is the Judge of the earth. Look at these verses in Isaiah 45:21-23. "Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together; who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear." We also read this in the New Testament, "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14:11 & 12) "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:16-19) God is just, and He is the righteous Judge. "Let the sea roar, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein. Let the floods clap their hands: let the hills be joyful together Before the LORD; for he cometh to judge the earth: with righteousness shall he judge the world, and the people with equity." (Psalm 98:7-9)
25 God The Creator
"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day." Genesis 1:1-5
We can look at the very first verse in the Bible and see God, the Creator. With the teachings of Darwin and the theory of evolution many have come to doubt that God created the heaven and the earth as recorded in Genesis. God created a beautiful world as we are reminded in Ecclesiastes 3:11, "He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end." Many of the Psalms praise God, the Creator, and our maker. "Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture." (Psalm 100:3) We can only imagine how the earth was in the beginning of creation, and how wonderful life must have been in the Garden of Eden before Adam and Eve sinned. If we go from the first book of Genesis to the last book of Revelation we can read about the wonders of the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God. Chapter 21 tells us of the walls of jasper and the gates of pearl. Are you one of His sheep? Do you know that you will one day walk on streets of gold? Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior and have that assurance that you can spend eternity in heaven with God your creator.
26 I Know God Hears And Answers Prayer
"But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him." Psalm 4:3
We began this series with Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." We looked at the first part, "Be still" as we talked about waiting on the Lord and listening for Him. We then moved on to the next phrase, "...and know that I am God..." With those words in mind, we looked at several attributes of God, such as His love, His holiness, and His mercy and grace. There are many more verses in the Bible that tell us about our God and we could go on for weeks. But, for the next few days I would like to tell you some of the things that I know about my God. Today, I want to tell you that I know that my God hears and answers prayer. I can read about the great men of the Bible who prayed like Daniel, and Elijah. But, more than that, I can tell you that God has given us the privilege to pray through the name of His blessed Son, Jesus Christ. Yesterday, I had a special burden and I kept sending up prayers to heaven throughout the morning, and before I went to bed last night God had answered my prayer. Again today, a special friend needed prayer for surgery, and God heard and answered prayer. I saw God answer the prayers of my children when they were very young. I also have faithful Christian friends who seem to know when I need prayer, even before I tell them. I can go to God in prayer anytime and anywhere. God heard my prayer as a lost sinner forty years ago, and He saved me by His marvelous grace. Through the years, He has shown me time and time again that He cares for me, through the countless prayers He has answered for me. You can also know the power of prayer. Look at our verse above. "But know that the LORD hath set apart him that is godly for himself: the LORD will hear when I call unto him." (Psalm 4:3) If you don't know the Lord as your Saviour, then this would be a great time to learn about prayer. Believe that you are a sinner and that Jesus gave Himself to pay for your sins as He died on the cross. He rose again the third day as we read in Romans 8:34. "Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us." He is at the right hand of God, praying for us. Trust in Him and then you can know that He hears and answers your prayers too!
27 I Know Whom I Have Believed
"For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." II Timothy 1:12
Today I want to tell you, as Paul told young Timothy, "I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day." Do you know God? Paul spoke to the men of Athens about their altar "TO THE UNKNOWN GOD". (Acts 17:23) There are many people today who don't know God. They may practice a religion, or they may feel like there is a god somewhere, such as those men of Athens, but they don't know the one and only, true and living God. You can know God. You can know that you are saved. Let's follow the steps of salvation in the Romans road. (A) Admit that you are a sinner. "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God." (Romans 3:23) "For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 6:23) (B) Believe and (C) Confess. "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation... For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." (Romans 10:9, 10, & 13) Believe on the Lord today and you can know God.
28 I Know God Loves Me
"That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that ye, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge, that ye might be filled with all the fulness of God." Ephesians 3:17-19
Yesterday we talked about knowing God's great gift of salvation. We know that God loves us. We know this through the very familiar scripture, John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." Only through Christ can we comprehend, or understand, "the breadth, and length, and depth, and height" of His great love. Christ loved us so much He was willing to give His life on the cruel cross for my sin. This is the ultimate gift of love and sacrifice ever given. "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." (John 15:13) How can we not give Him our love?
29 I Know That God Supplies All My Needs
"But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
I know that God shall supply all my needs. I know because the Bible tells me so. I also know from experience. When my children were small my husband and I agreed that I would stay home with them until they were all in school. We made some sacrifices and did without some trivial things, but God always provided our needs. We were never hungry and always had clothes to wear and a car to drive. Down through the years God has proven over and over again that He could take our paycheck and stretch it out to cover our needs. There are verses in Romans 8:31 & 32 that speak very clearly on this subject. "What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us? He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?" We also have the blessed words of our Lord, "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you: For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened." (Matthew 7:7 & 8) We read again in Psalms 37:4 "Delight thyself also in the LORD; and he shall give thee the desires of thine heart." Over and over in the Word of God we see His promises, and over and over in my life I felt His blessings on my life as He continued to provide. I know that He will continue to supply my needs "according to his riches in glory", and that's much more than I will ever need.
30 I Know That Nothing Can Separate Me From God's Love
"Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?... Nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him that loved us. For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:35 & 37-39
Many things can separate us from the people we love. We learn separation at an early age when our parents put us in our own bed. When we begin school we learn that separation often lasts for a short time. Distance can also bring separation. My son and his wife and baby live a thousand miles away and I cherish the moments I get to spend with them. Death can bring an even greater separation from those we love. But I know that nothing can separate me from God's love. Time can't do it because God is from everlasting to everlasting, the beginning and the end. Distance can't separate me from God's love because the Lord Jesus Christ lives in my heart. I can pray to my heavenly Father anyplace and anytime. Death won't bring separation, but it will bring us together as I rise to live with God in heaven. There is no power that can come between us because God Almighty is all-powerful. God loves me. God loves you. And there is nothing that can separate us from that great love. Isn't that a wonderful thing to know!
31 I Know That All Things Work Together For Good
"And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28
I know that sometimes bad things happen. And just because we are Christians, and God's children, that doesn't make all our sorrow, and pain, and suffering go away. Paul suffered great persecution, but he still wrote these words to the church in Rome. We can read some of the hardships he faced in II Corinthians 11:24-29. "Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in cold and nakedness. Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches. Who is weak, and I am not weak? who is offended, and I burn not?" Even through all these hardships, Paul was able to say, "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." We have to realize that there is a purpose. I am a firm believer that nothing happens by chance. I don't believe in "luck". Everything that happens in our lives is for a purpose. We don't understand why we have to go through these trials on earth, but we can be sure that if we love God, all these things are according to His purpose. These can be comforting words when we are in the midst of storms. Just remember that your life is in His hands, and everything is working out for His purpose. Individual things in our lives don't seem good, but God sees the whole picture, He sees "all things" and it all works together for good.
32 Holy Ground
"And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt. And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I. And he said, Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet, for the place whereon thou standest is holy ground. Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." Exodus 3:2-6
Let's continue with the next phrase of our theme verse Psalm 46:10. "Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." "...I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth." When we slow our pace down enough and "be still" enough to "know God" then we will see His holiness and we will have a holy fear of reverence. When God spoke to Moses, He told him to take off his shoes because he was standing on "holy ground". And Moses "hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God." Many people today use the Lord's name in vain and they mock God. Movies and television shows make fun of God, and Christians are shown as crazy people. Songs speak of God lightly as "the man upstairs". We have already talked about the holiness of God. When we see just how holy and awesome God is, we will see how small and weak we are. When we see how small and weak we are, we will exalt the name of the Lord. God spoke to Moses from the burning bush and told him to go back to Egypt "And I am sure that the king of Egypt will not let you go, no, not by a mighty hand." (Exodus 3:19) Moses and Aaron went to Pharaoh and told him that God said "Let my people go." Pharaoh would not let the children of Israel go, just as God told Moses. Look at the reason God sent all the plagues on Egypt. "But Pharaoh shall not hearken unto you, that I may lay my hand upon Egypt, and bring forth mine armies, and my people the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt by great judgments. And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I stretch forth my hand upon Egypt, and bring out the children of Israel from among them." (Exodus 7:4-5) God's name was exalted among the heathen, the Egyptians.
33 God Is Still On His Throne
"In the year that king Uzziah died I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims: each one had six wings; with twain he covered his face, and with twain he covered his feet, and with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another, and said, Holy, holy, holy, is the LORD of hosts: the whole earth is full of his glory. And the posts of the door moved at the voice of him that cried, and the house was filled with smoke. Then said I, Woe is me! for I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts." Isaiah 6:1-5
II Chronicles 26:4 tells us that King Uzziah "did that which was right in the sight of the LORD". Isaiah must have wondered if the next king would lead the people in the way of the Lord. He may have been mourning the death of the king. But God let him see The King, The LORD of hosts. And when he saw the holiness of God, he saw how low he was. When we see God, high and lifted up, we will see how small and lowly we are. That is not popular in today's world. People go to great expense to lift themselves up above their friends and neighbors. Humility is old-fashioned. But we will all bow to God, The King of Kings. "For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14:11 & 12) Exalt the name of the Lord our God and remember I Peter 5:7, "Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him: for he careth for you."
34 Love The Lord With All Your Heart
"Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." Matthew 22:35-37
My son gave me a Wii Fit for my birthday and I have enjoyed using it. The "training" began with demos and instructions to "Mirror my movements". I copied the "trainer" as I stood on one leg with my hands raised high in the air during the "Tree" pose. Only a few seconds had passed when I heard, "You're getting a little shaky." A few seconds more, and, "You put your foot down, didn't you?" I tried to "mirror" the movements, as I went through the motions of each pose. I thought about this during my drive to work this morning and I realized that there are many things in my life that I "go through the motions" to get them done. Some of our daily activities, such as washing dishes, can seem to be trivial as we go through the movements. That is normal in the everyday cares of our lives, as long as we don't carry this attitude into our worship of the Lord our God. We go to church and stand when the leader says stand, then turn to the correct page in our song book and sing when we are told to sing, and we all sit at the right time, and pray at the right time. We need to be careful that we don't get in a routine and only go through the motions of our worship. Jesus told us to "love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." When we put God first in our lives and love Him with all our heart, soul, and mind, our worship will be sincere. Take time today to really pray when you bow your head. Talk to the Lord. Listen for His still small voice in your heart and mind. The next time you go to church really worship the Lord and don't just "mirror" the movements of your choir leader, or pastor.
35 Psalm 8
"O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens... When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained; What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him? For thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with glory and honour... O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!" Psalm 8:1, 3, 4-5, & 9
I could not end our thoughts of Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth" without including these verses from Psalm 8. This is one of my favorite Psalms and I often bow my heart and ask the Lord, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" Why would God give His only begotten Son to die for my sins? It was His great love. I can imagine David, a young shepherd boy, on a hillside looking up into the vast night sky. He saw the moon and stars and how great and mighty God is, and how small and insignificant he was and asked the question, "What is man, that thou art mindful of him?" If you watch the firecrackers tonight as you celebrate the Fourth of July, look at the moon and stars of God's creation and say with David, "O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth!"
36 Psalm 100
"Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands. Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing. Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations." Psalm 100
Let's look at Psalm 46:10 once more as we close this study. "Be still and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth" We began our path through the Bible scriptures on being still, turning away from the noise and distractions of this world, and listening for His "still small voice". Then we moved on to Bible truths about knowing God. We must have a personal relationship and accept God's free gift of salvation through Jesus Christ, His only begotten Son. Only then can we know God's love, His care and mercy, and His forgiveness. Finally, we have come to a close with exalting the Lord God Almighty. Psalm 100 is a wonderful chapter that encourages us to sing praises to the Lord, and serve the Lord with gladness. We are to show our gratitude and be thankful to God for His blessings on our lives, His guidance, and protection. God is our Father, and our Creator, and deserves all our praise, now, and forevermore.
"Be Still And Know That I Am God" Psalm 46:10
