BE STILL : GOD WILL BE EXALTED
BE STILL, GOD WILL BE EXALTED!
Lili was not a fan of social media though she had to use it for some of her businesses and also to communicate with family and friends. Still she was never one to hurry and click on a breaking news item or anything that was termed “shocking” or any such sensational heading. Then one evening while relaxing at home she came accross a heading in one of the platforms to which she belonged. It said something about her country being pillaged of it’s natural resources and nothing was being done to stop it. Without even reading the article Lili’s heart sank.
That night Lili went to bed with a very heavy heart. “How much more can my country take LORD? Just how much more can the citizens take before they break?” These were her musings and she finally fell into a troubled sleep.
At some point in the midnight hour, Lili awoke with her mind whirling around the words “Be Still, and know I am God.” And she thought “Yes I know that scripture in Psalm 46:10. And thus she opened her bible and began to read.” “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;” Psalms 46:1 – 2 KJV And Lili said “God are you saying that more things will still happen to make us afraid? What more could possibly happen now?” And then her eyes skimmed the page and stopped on verse 7 “The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Selah” Psalms 46:7 KJV And as she pondered on those very words a measure of peace came over her and she thought to herself “The word of God is alive! The word of God is living!”
The noun refuge, according to the Oxford Dictionaries means the state of being safe or sheltered from pursuit, danger, or difficulty. That was enough to calm Lili down. And she continued in her thoughts, “so God is not unaware of all the unpleasant things going on around us but He promises us that He is with us through all the difficult times shielding, protecting and making sure that we are safe and secure.” And finally Lili made her way to verse 10 of the same Psalm 46 “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. The LORD of Hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our refuge.” Selah” Psalms 46:10-11 KJV And she knew everything would be alright.
Dear friends, like Lili most of us see or hear things that are disturbing from time to time. We must learn to guard what we listen to and what we watch. As good as social media is to help disseminate information, it can actually cause untold harm if screen time is not limited to what adds value to us. Every breaking news does not have to be spread around by you. Some of these breaking news just mess with peoples minds and mental health too.
But we have a fortress. He is the LORD Almighty. He is asking us to come to Him. Verse 7 is repeated in verse 11, so that if you missed it before you can ponder on it again.
GOD is telling us in this Psalm 46:
Do not fear.
Do not fret.
Do not panic.
Do not be anxious.
Do not be moved. I am your fortress.
Let us stop allowing people to come and dump all kinds of sad news on us. We are not all the same. I melt at the sight of blood in action movies. So I never watch them. I do not like any kind of suspense. I remember watching The Sound of Music over the Easter holidays and was subconsciously closing my eyes when the young officer was calling out to the Lieutenant that the VonTrapp family was there hiding in the Abbey. Even after so many years and that knowing that they escaped. It still made me feel a bit sad.
But others can watch live shootings and all kinds of dastardly things and not be moved.
Please be careful and guard your mental space seriously. God has assured us that He is with us
Personalise that the LORD of Hosts is your refuge ; to shield, to protect and to make sure you are secure. Do not fear.
GOD WILL BE EXALTED! JUST WATCH!
OLUYINKA EGO-MARTINS ©