And those at their desks are laughing and cutting up with each other while the teacher might have one student at his/her desk trying to teach that student something.
It seems that school teachers of the past knew some things that the current teachers of today do not know. That is, they knew that before you can teach a child something, you have to first get them to be still to get their attention.
I am not saying this to make the current school teachers look bad, because we all know it is a difficult task to get children to be still and pay attention these days.
WHY IS IT A DIFFICULT TASK? Because we Americans live in a fast paced society, especially in our large cities. People are moving at such a fast pace, they do not even have time to be still, and look their next door neighbor in their face and say, “Good morning!”
DO YOU EVER STOP AND LOOK AT HOW FAST PACED THE SOCIETY IN WHICH WE LIVE OPERATES?
It is astounding, for example, have you noticed-
• How fast DRIVERS drive down the highways
If you were to stop and ask them why they are driving so fast, putting their life and family at risk, they could not give you one good sensible reason.
Illus: Someone said one man went speeding down the highway so fast, that he hit a heavy set man walking across the highway. The policeman said, “Why were you driving so fast? You ran over that heavy set man, why didn’t you drive around him?” He said, “I didn’t think I had enough gas!”
This is the age in which we live. Wherever we go, we want to get there as fast as we can.
There was a time when people enjoyed their trips by looking at the scenery as they traveled to their destination and back. But today, their eyes are focused on that car ahead of them, and they are trying to figure out how they can get around him. Many people can’t stand to have a car in front of them, they just have to pass them.
This is a fast paced society. Also, have you noticed-
• How fast many folks eat
Many folks in our society do not EAT FOOD, they INHALE FOOD.
Illus: A man went into a fast food restaurant and ordered a hot dog and a drink. He did not eat the hot dog, he practically swallowed the hot dog whole. He got that hot dog aimed in the right direction, and when his elbows were raised to a certain level, his mouth flew open, and he slid it in his mouth in almost one bite.
I guarantee you that he went home and told his wife he was having a problem with indigestion. Of course he was! Those teeth God gave him to chew that hot dog with, never had a chance to be used.
The point I am trying to make is this: WE LIVE IN A FAST PACED SOCIETY. Practically everything we do is done at breakneck speed.
You can really see our fast paced society when you contrast it with somewhere like the mountains of North Carolina where people live 3 to 5 miles apart, and life is slower.
Illus: When you drive by their homes, they stop what they are doing in the yard and wave at you. And if you have the time, they will come to your car and talk with you as long as you want to talk.
When you live in a fast paced society like ours, you miss out on so many things.
For example, I do not even know why God goes through the trouble each day to:
• Make the beautiful cloud formations
• Make the beautiful sunrise and sunset
• The beautiful flowers that we walk by
Because we live in such a fast paced society that we do not even have time to look at these things anymore.
But not only in the PHYSICAL REALM do we miss out. Our biggest lost is in the SPIRITUAL REALM.
Notice, this is a command from almighty God, saying to us, “Be Still”. That is, get off of this fast paced merry-go-round and be still for a moment. Why? Because He wants to teach us something.
WHAT DOES HE WANT TO TEACH US?
Look at our key verse again, “Be still, and know that I am God...”
WHY DON’T WE TAKE TIME TO BE STILL AND COME TO RECOGNIZE OUR NEED TO KNOW THAT HE IS GOD?
It is because we have so much confidence in ourselves, that we do not feel the need to have confidence in God.
It is good that we have confidence in ourselves, we need a certain amount of confidence in ourselves. But the problem is that many have so much confidence in themselves, that they have become too big for their britches.
God expects us to do what we are capable of doing. But many have reached the place that they think they are so TALENTED and gifted INTELLECTUALLY, they no longer need God in their lives. Every day, they live their lives totally dependent upon themselves.
Listen, any time we get to busy for God our Creator, WE ARE TO BUSY!
God is saying to such people as ourselves, “Be still, (cease what you are doing) I want to teach you that I AM GOD, and there are some things that I alone can do. You cannot do them, nor can anyone you know do them. I want to teach you that I alone can do them, and that I am God, not you!”
Throughout the scriptures, God teaches us this valuable lesson.
For example the life of Moses teaches us-
I. HE IS GOD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE
For example, after God sent the plaques on Egypt to force the Egyptians to let the people of God go, look what happened.
Look at Exodus 14:5-7, “And it was told the king of Egypt that the people fled: and the heart of Pharaoh and of his servants was turned against the people, and they said, Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us? And he made ready his chariot, and took his people with him: And he took six hundred chosen chariots, and all the chariots of Egypt, and captains over every one of them.”
After Israel left, they told the King that this idea of letting the Israelites go was not a good idea. Now, who is going to:
• Wash the dishes
• Clean the house
• Plant the corn
• Harvest the crops
They said, we have “let Israel go from serving us!” This is not good.
WHAT DID HE DO WITH THESE SIX HUNDRED CHOSEN CHARIOTS?
Look at verse 9, we read, “But the Egyptians pursued after them, all the horses and chariots of Pharaoh, and his horsemen, and his army, and overtook them encamping by the sea…”
The Israelites no doubt were rejoicing after being delivered from decades of slavery. But now, as they were encamped by the sea and saw Pharaoh and his mighty army in pursuit, look what they did.
Look at verse 10, we read, “And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD.”
When things get rough, you soon discover the weakest people among the congregation. How? They start going negative.
Look at verse 11-12, we read, “And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt? Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.”
They were running all over the place like chickens with their heads cut off. (Have you ever seen a chicken run around with his head cut off?) This was exactly what they were doing.
But look at the instructions Moses gave them, in verses 13-14. “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, STAND STILL, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”
It appeared that the enemy was about to destroy the Israelites. They were in BIG TROUBLE, and it was not a trouble that they had brought on themselves, IT WAS TROUBLE BROUGHT ON BY FOLLOWING THE COMMANDS OF GOD.
Listen when we find ourselves in this kind of trouble, God wants us to BE STILL, AND COME TO KNOW HIM IN HIS GREAT POWER. He will take care of our enemies during these times.
Illus: A thief broke into a house where there was a talking parrot. There was also a dog that was over in the corner, that seemed to be very gentle. The thief pulled out this large pillowcase and began to place stuff inside the pillowcase. The talking parrot looked over at the dog in the corner, and looked back at the thief and said, “Lucifer is going to get you for that!” The thief looked at the dog over in the corner that was laying down as if he did not care what was going on. The thief walked across the room close to the dog, and placed some more stuff in the pillowcase. Again, the parrot looked over at the dog in the corner and said, “Lucifer is going to get you for that!” The thief said to the talking parrot, “Listen, I am not worried about Lucifer! I have filled up two pillowcases full of “goodies” and he hasn’t got me yet!” The parrot looked over at the big dog, and said to the dog, “Sic’ em Lucifer!” And he did get him for that.
Many times the Lord allows people to get by with certain things, but after a period of time, the Lord will come to the defense of His own, and it is strange the way He goes about doing that.
Illus: A lady gave the Lord praise for everything. One day she was out on the front porch and it started to rain, and she said, “Praise the Lord, we are finally getting some rain.” Her neighbor said, “There is no God, why are you praising Him?”
Another day she was on the front porch with this same lady, and the mailman brought her a piece of mail, and it had a check inside it for $25.00, and she said, “Praise the Lord.” The woman again said, “There is no God, why are you praising Him!”
This atheist lady decided she was going to fix this lady that believed in God. She placed a whole bushel of potatoes on her front porch. The Christian lady stepped outside and saw them, and said, “Praise the Lord!” The atheist lady stepped out from behind some bushes, and said, “I told you there is no God, I brought those potatoes.”
The Christian lady said, “Praise the Lord, He sent me a bushel of potatoes and used the devil to bring them to me!”
Look how God came to the defense of Moses. He used the element of WATER to prove to him that He was God.
Moses told them to STAND STILL AND HOLD THEIR PEACE. They were helpless, BUT GOD WAS NOT! God parted the water so they could go across on dry ground.
Illus: Now the skeptics say that the place where Moses went across was only about six to twelve inches deep. They say this was no miracle.
But if it was six to twelve inches deep, which it was not, it would still be a miracle, because that would mean that the Lord drowned the entire Egyptian army in water that was only six to twelve inches deep.
God taught the Israelites to BE STILL, and He would do their fighting for them.
So often our enemies will surround us, and we are tempted to bash some heads together, but the best thing we can do in times like that, is BE STILL and let God take care of them. And He will!
GOD DELIVERED HIS PEOPLE BY USING AN ELEMENT THAT HE HAD CREATED. (WATER)
HE IS GOD IN TIMES OF TROUBLE, but also-
II. HE IS GOD IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM
Look at Mark 4:37-40, “And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, BE STILL. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith?”
The disciples found themselves with a big problem: they were well aware from all the things they were experiencing, that they probably were going to perish in the sea!
Again, in this passage of scripture, we see the disciples facing this difficult time in their lives, not because of anything they did, but because the Lord commanded them to get into the ship and go over to the other side. But as they were carrying out the command of the Lord, a severe storm came up that looked like certain death.
They also were running all over the place not knowing what to do, but the Lord said to the wind, “BE STILL!”
We all face these storms in life, and we do not know what to do. But the best thing to do in the midst of the storm, is BE STILL, and soon the Lord will cause the storm around us also to BE STILL.
But we can never learn that valuable lesson until we learn to BE STILL, and KNOW HIM IN HIS GREATNESS! When we do learn to BE STILL, we will discover some marvelous things, such as:
I. HE IS GOD IN TIMES OF TROUBLES
II. HE IS GOD IN THE MIDST OF THE STORM
Conclusion:
Isaiah 40:31, “But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.”
Illus: Have you ever gone into a restaurant for a nice meal, and someone walked over to the jukebox and decided that everyone in the restaurant was going to listen to what they called music? They filled the machine with enough quarters to last for an hour, and after about fifteen minutes they walked out, and left everybody there to listen to that racket they called music.
These restaurants that insist on having these juke boxes, ought to at least give their customers a chance to play records that are blank, so they can enjoy their meal.
Listen, one of the best things we can do each day, is to take time to sit in the presence of the Lord, and BE STILL, and come to know Him for who He really is.
Because a lot of folks are not doing that today:
• We have homes that are splitting up
• We have teenagers that are as confused as a termite in a yo-yo
• We have Christians who are taking all kinds of drugs to get their nerves to settle down
• We have churches that are suffering great defeats
God says, “Be still, and know that I am God...”
