Be still, and know that I am God.
Psalm 46:10
Many people seem to be stressed out these days, and more so than usual...
Psalm 46:10
Many people seem to be stressed out these days, and more so than usual...
I see this in some of my friends on the outside. While the guys I'm doing time with are saying the same thing about their families and friends. Lots of people are under increasing degrees of stress, especially as the cost of food, rent, bills and gas are all going up. This definitely puts a strain on families.
In our fellowship group we've been talking about the pressures and stresses of life because we feel it in here as well. There are things that go on in the world which we as individuals have no control over. But what I do know is that such situations and events should not control me.
This was reinforced to me this morning during my time alone with the Lord. I was reading the 46th Psalm. It was talking about being still. In other words, the Lord was saying to me via the Scriptures to always be at peace, and never allow problems and circumstances to cause me to experience inner stress and conflict.
We all know how stress kills. High blood pressure. Hardening of the arteries. Nights filled with sleeplessness from the constant tossing and turning of a mind weighed down with worries, and so much more.
Thinking about all this was when verse ten of Psalm 46 seemed to jump off the page. It's a Scripture that I am very familiar with. But today it took on a more personal and soul-comforting meaning.
"Be still." It was as if the Holy Spirit was speaking directly to my spirit, which He was. "Relax and don't stress over things. God has everything under control, and nothing could happen that He doesn't already know about," the Holy Spirit seemed to say.
I like how the verse is translated in the Contemporary English Version, "Our God says, 'Calm down, and learn that I am God!'" It then goes on to say, "The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress" (Psalm 46:10-11).
D.B.
In our fellowship group we've been talking about the pressures and stresses of life because we feel it in here as well. There are things that go on in the world which we as individuals have no control over. But what I do know is that such situations and events should not control me.
This was reinforced to me this morning during my time alone with the Lord. I was reading the 46th Psalm. It was talking about being still. In other words, the Lord was saying to me via the Scriptures to always be at peace, and never allow problems and circumstances to cause me to experience inner stress and conflict.
We all know how stress kills. High blood pressure. Hardening of the arteries. Nights filled with sleeplessness from the constant tossing and turning of a mind weighed down with worries, and so much more.
Thinking about all this was when verse ten of Psalm 46 seemed to jump off the page. It's a Scripture that I am very familiar with. But today it took on a more personal and soul-comforting meaning.
"Be still." It was as if the Holy Spirit was speaking directly to my spirit, which He was. "Relax and don't stress over things. God has everything under control, and nothing could happen that He doesn't already know about," the Holy Spirit seemed to say.
I like how the verse is translated in the Contemporary English Version, "Our God says, 'Calm down, and learn that I am God!'" It then goes on to say, "The Lord All-Powerful is with us. The God of Jacob is our fortress" (Psalm 46:10-11).
D.B.