‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!’
This verse is applicable to our lives whenever we become anxious because of the uncertainties that come our way on a day-to-day basis.
Let’s face it, we have all come to that place where we get worried because of a situation that in most cases is beyond our control. For instance,
· It may be that you finished your college or university studies long ago, but you are yet to secure a job. Now you are wondering whether it will ever happen or not;
· Maybe you have been waiting for someone to ask for your hand in marriage, but it seems not to be happening;
· Maybe you have been diagnosed with a terminal illness, and you are worried about your future as to whether you will make it or not;
· Maybe you have lost a dear one and don’t know how you will cope without them, etcetera.
These are just but a few examples of the many concerns that trigger great anxiety in the hearts of many people, causing them to wonder whether life is worth living for!
The good news is that we need not remain at the place of anxiety and worry anymore. God knows all that we are going through as His children and has assured us of His ever-present help till the end. We read this in Psalms 46:1, which says
‘God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.’
God instructs us to call Him at any time, and He will answer us. This is according to 33:2-3 that says:
‘Thus says the LORD who made it, the LORD who formed it to establish it (the LORD is His name): “Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do not know.”’
He tells us to be calm and wait on Him, because He will surely show up and do us good. We read this in Psalm 27:14, which says
‘Wait on the LORD; be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart; wait, I say, on the LORD!’
For us to be still, we must learn to pray to God and surrender all that concerns us to Him. This is the instruction Apostle Paul gives us in Philippians 4:6-7. The scriptures say
‘Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.’
No matter how grim your situation seems, never allow worry and anxiety to get the better of you. This is because worrying can never change the situation; only God can. No wonder Jesus instructed His disciples never to be too consumed with the matters of the present life. Instead, He directed to always begin by seeking the Kingdom of God and His righteousness. This is recorded in Matthew 6:31-34 as follows:
‘Therefore do not worry, saying, “What shall we eat?” or “What shall we drink?” or “What shall we wear?” For after all these things the Gentiles seek, for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. ‘But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.’’
The most comforting words in this passage are ‘for your heavenly Father KNOWS that you need all these things!’. This means that God knows that you need a job, He knows that you need rent, He knows your need for a spouse, He knows that you need healing, and He knows that you need a breakthrough in whatever situation you find yourself in! Just surrender everything to Him, and He’ll come through for you if you’ll wait patiently.
Imagine how Joseph felt while in prison in Egypt for a crime he never committed. He must have gone through the most difficult time of his life wondering about all the dreams he had experienced while still at home. Even after interpreting the dream of Pharaoh’s baker and cupbearer correctly, the latter still forgot about Joseph after being set free. So Joseph had to wait till God’s appointed time for him to be set free. This demanded a lot of patience from Joseph.
This means that God only follows His calendar of events and not ours. We may have the best of plans, strategies, formulas, etcetera, but only God’s plan and purpose for our lives will carry the day. This will demand a lot of patience and calmness from us; otherwise, anxiety may end up killing us.
When we learn to be still, we will avoid making costly mistakes that we will regret for the remainder of our lives. For instance, Sarah patience regarding the son of Promise ran out, and she came up with a plan B. This involved getting Abraham to sire a child with her maid, Hagar. This is how Ishmael appeared on the scene (Genesis 16:1-4).
Later on, when God’s time had finally come, Sarah bore a son to Abraham. At this juncture, the same Sarah who had engineered the coming of Ishmael demanded that the boy and his mother be banished! Can you imagine the pain that Abraham felt? Sending away a child who called him father? It is only the intervention of God that made Abraham let go of the boy and his mother; otherwise, he felt so discouraged by the turn of events. All this drama would have been avoided if only Sarah had learned to wait! (Genesis 21:10-21)
Most of us usually rush into opportunities, projects, relationships, etc., without giving them a second thought. Because of the rush, we throw caution to the wind and ignore every red flag and warning from those who know better. So we dive headlong into the so-called opportunities, projects, and relationships without reservation. Of course the outcome is usually a lot of disappointment, heartache, and untold suffering. This can be avoided if we only learn to be still.
The Apostle James gives us advice on how to conduct ourselves when we are going through moments of anxiety in our lives. This is what the scriptures say in James 1:2-4.
‘My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing.’
God wants you to learn patience so as to become mature and complete. There is no one in the Bible whom God used and did not demand their patience. Dear brethren, we are no different from them. In order for God to use us, we must learn to be still. The sooner we understand this, the better for us.
Prophet Isaiah gives us the benefits of waiting on God’s time in Isaiah 40:30-31, which says
‘Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall, but those who wait on the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, and they shall walk and not faint.’
May this be your portion in Jesus Christ mighty name. Say Amen.
‘Grace to you and peace from him who is and who was and who is to come, and from the seven spirits who are before his throne, and from Jesus Christ, the faithful witness, the firstborn from the dead, and the ruler over the kings of the earth. To him who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood and has made us kings and priests to his God and Father, to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.’ (Revelation 1:4-6)
Source: https://www.biblegateway.com/
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