Let us work to exercise each day, strengthening our faith walk and patience to trust in Him
A Lesson from Sister
In today’s message the writer speaks of his childhood days and when his seventh grade teacher would ask him to “Be still” and not just “Be quiet”. He explains, “‘Be still’ implies not only a lack of noise but a lack of movement as well, a quietude of the whole person.” We are encouraged today to pick a few moments to sit down, be still, and pay attention.
Now one of my favorite verses is Psalms 46:10 which says, “‘Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.’” However, there is another verse in Psalms that reads, “Be still before the Lord, and wait patiently for him; do not fret over those who prosper in their way, over those who carry out evil devices.” These two give us simple but powerful instructions for our good; 1) know that He is God; and 2) wait patiently for Him. It’s the second one that we struggle with in life, because we get impatient. But why do we get impatient? It’s because we want what we want instead of waiting for what is God’s plan. As we learned yesterday, let’s be obedient and wait well.
How do you wait well? When I searched the Bible app for “wait well”, I found Psalms 27:14 which gives instructions. “Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord!” Waiting isn’t going to necessarily be easy because a timeframe is not always provided. In those instances we have to work to be strong. Strength comes from resistance training. We have to resist the temptation to do things in our own, and make things happen on our own. One also must pay attention to nutrition, and what is being fed. Let us work to feed ourselves with the Word, and rest. Remember the focus from today; that means be still.
FMBC Weekly Reading:Luke 3:1-6 NRSV
A word from John the Baptist, a warning is sufficient
“In the fifteenth year of the reign of Emperor Tiberius, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was ruler of Galilee, and his brother Philip ruler of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias ruler of Abilene, during the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. He went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet Isaiah, “The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be made low, and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways made smooth; and all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’”
As the message conveys, it is important for God’s people to repent and seek forgiveness of sins, and when we do so, we shall be saved. Let us always recognize our wrongdoings and seek His grace and mercy along life’s journey.
Youversion Verse of the Day: Matthew 13:44
“The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which someone found and hid; then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field.
May we all discover the hidden treasure in following the Word and ways of Christ so that we may reap the eternal and everlasting rewards.
Let us work to exercise each day, strengthening our faith walk and patience to trust in Him, my friend.🙏🏽💚🦋🌈
