Be Still and Know
Griffith Baptist Church – 2/22/09
P.M. Service
Text: Psalm 46
Key verse: Psalms 46:10 - Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.
Premise: Even as Christians, we can find ourselves struggling against God at times. We need to stop and consider. It is far better to travel with the current than against it.
The Introduction
We live in a culture where speed is king. I find myself in a hurry even if there is no reason. People get uptight today if they miss a revolution in a revolving door. We are an uptight generation of compulsive activists. There are ten times more things to do in a day than anyone can do, and so we feel we are always behind and failing to do all that we could. All we do is respond, respond, respond to stimuli. We want peace but it just does not fit into our agenda. Peace calls for doing nothing sometimes, and we can’t handle that. Pascal the great Christian philosopher and scientist said, "Most of man’s troubles come from his inability to be still." SOURCE: Glenn Pease in THE FRUIT OF PEACE. http://www.intohisword.net/pauline/galatians13.shtml
In our key verse, God is telling us to “Cease striving and know that I am God”
What does He mean, Be still . . .; cease striving . . .
You might say, “I’m not striving with God. I love Him and I am faithful to Him.”
But we struggle with God in so many ways we don’t think about:
o When God tells us what to do and we ignore it
o When God tells us how to do something and we want to do it our way or modify it a bit
o When sin knocks on our hearts door and we answer it and invite it in
o When we try to change others in our own power and image
o When His will takes a back seat to ours.
There are four aspects of God in this Psalm we would do well to note and keep in mind to keep ourselves in sync with God and not struggling with Him.
Body
1. God Is A Protector – 1-3
A. A little boy went with his fisherman father for a first trip on a lake. Fear gripped his little heart, and he held on so tight his little knuckles were white. "Is the water over my head?" he asked. "Yes, son," said the father. "Is it over your head?" the boy asked as the land grew farther and farther away. "Yes, son, I’m afraid it is," replied the father. Tears rolled down the boy’s cheeks, and then he asked, "Is the water over God’s head?" The father grew very sympathetic and told him that it was not over God’s head! Our troubles may seem to be above our heads, but God is able to help. Gary Bowell p. 178
B. We put too much confidence in false security:
i. We feel safe in our homes – but they can be broken into
ii. We feel our money is safe – there is no adequate protection for our finances
iii. We feel that our job is secure – even the best employees are let go
iv. We feel safe with our family and friends – but even they cannot keep us safe, no matter how much they have good intentions to do so.
C. Our only hope for true security in this life is God
i. Psalms 91:1-5 – 1He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. 2I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. 3Surely he shall deliver thee from the snare of the fowler, and from the noisome pestilence. 4He shall cover thee with his feathers, and under his wings shalt thou trust: his truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 5Thou shalt not be afraid for the terror by night; nor for the arrow that flieth by day;
ii. He is:
a. A place of protection – refuge - 1
b. A source of power – strength – 1
c. An available rescue – present help in trouble – 1
d. A rock of courage in a dangerous world – 2-3
2. God Is A Provider – 4-5
A. Missionary statesman Hudson Taylor had complete trust in God’s faithfulness. In his journal he wrote: Our heavenly Father is a very experienced One. He knows very well that His children wake up with a good appetite every morning… He sustained 3 million Israelites in the wilderness for 40 years. We do not expect He will send 3 million missionaries to China; but if He did, He would have ample means to sustain them all… Depend on it, God’s work done in God’s way will never lack God’s supply. Our Daily Bread, May 16, 1992
B. We are too caught up in self-sufficiency
i. All we have comes from God
ii. He provides for us (Matt. 6:25-34)
iii. We rely more on ourselves than God, which creates anxiety.
C. God provides:
i. Serenity - Psalms 23:2 – He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
ii. Supply - Psalms 36:8 – They shall be abundantly satisfied with the fatness of thy house; and thou shalt make them drink of the river of thy pleasures.
iii. An abundant future - Revelation 22:1-3 - 1And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. 2In the midst of the street of it, and on either side of the river, was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations. 3And there shall be no more curse: but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it; and his servants shall serve him:
3. God Is A Powerhouse – 6-7
A. A little boy one day was trying to pick up a rock. He said, “Dad, it’s too heavy.”
He said, “Son, you can do it.”
The boy strained and tried, but he said, “Dad, it’s too heavy.”
The father insisted, “Son you can do it.”
He tried again. “Dad, it’s too heavy.”
The father said, “Son, you’re not using all your strength.”
“Dad, I am! I am! It’s too heavy.”
“Son, you’re not using all your strength.”
“Dad, why are you always saying I’m not using all my strength? It’s too heavy.”
The father replied, “I know your not using all your strength, because you haven’t asked me to help yet.”
There is more strength available to you than what you have. Tony Evans Book of Illustrations, Evans, Tony, page 125, ill. 373
B. To many Christian’s have a power problem
i. Power hungry – craving power for personal gain
ii. Power deficient – drained of power because of improper or insufficient use
iii. Power mad – have some sort of power but will do anything to keep it
iv. Power off – to lazy even to turn on the spiritual switch that will make them effective for God
v. There is a wrong concept of power. It is not for personal satisfaction but for God’s glory and purpose.
vi. The problem is not the availability of power, it is accessing and using the power rightly that is the problem.
C. Here we are dealing with God’s power alone:
i. Creation - Psalms 8:3 – When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
ii. In salvation - Romans 1:16 – For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.
iii. In the resurrection of Christ - 2 Corinthians 13:4 – For though he was crucified through weakness, yet he liveth by the power of God. For we also are weak in him, but we shall live with him by the power of God toward you.
iv. In us - Psalms 68:35 – O God, thou art terrible out of thy holy places: the God of Israel is he that giveth strength and power unto his people. Blessed be God.
v. In works - Ephesians 6:10 – Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might.
4. God Is A Peacemaker – 8-11
A. A woman’s therapist told her the way to achieve true inner peace was to finish what she started. She said, “So far today, I have finished 2 bags of chips and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.” SOURCE: http://www.cybersalt.org/cleanlaugh
B. Peace is illusive:
i. You can’t find it in the world – wars and rumors of wars, violence and sin
ii. You can’t find it in religion – more people have met violent deaths at the hands of religion than in all the wars of the past 500 years combined.
iii. You can’t find it in fleshly appetites – in fact, that leads to overindulgence and destruction.
C. God said “be still”
i. This is literally translated - to sink, relax, sink down, or hang limp, be feeble, i.e., be in a state of lacking power or force, with a focus that the muscles have lost their muscle tone to flex and so respond to a situation Swanson, James: Dictionary of Biblical Languages With Semantic Domains : Hebrew (Old Testament). electronic ed. Oak Harbor : Logos Research Systems, Inc., 1997, S. DBLH 8332, #1
ii. In other words, there is nothing in you that can accomplish this. It is all of God.
iii. The only lasting and real peace is the peace done God’s way:
D. There are conditions God has for real peace:
i. A mind focused on allegiance to God - Isaiah 26:3 – Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee.
ii. It is Christ-centered - John 14:27 – Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
iii. It can only come through salvation - Romans 5:1 – Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
iv. It is to be the one of the ruling factors in His church - Colossians 3:15 – And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to the which also ye are called in one body; and be ye thankful.
Conclusion: Be honest, what is your struggle with God? What are you holding back?
