Stop, Drop, And Roll

STOP, DROP, and ROLL!

Thomas A. Gaskill

October 16, 2011

October is Fire Prevention Month. What do you do if you catch on fire? Stop, drop, and roll!

The worst thing a person can do when on fire is to keep running around with clothes blazing. As the person runs, the fire gets more air and rages more.

Loved ones, we can learn a valuable lesson from STOP, DROP, and ROLL concerning our walk with the LORD. We are surrounded with opportunities to stop, drop, and roll. When the world beckons us to follow it’s wicked ways, we need to stop, drop, and roll in order to put out Satan’s fiery darts that has ignited our clothing. If we don’t stop, drop, and roll, we will find ourselves running into more of the world’s sinful ways. A person who is ablaze with Satan’s hellish fiery darts has that same hellish smell and appearance that increases as he or she runs headstrong into more sin. Stop, drop, and roll!

You might be wondering, “What do you mean? How do we stop, drop, and roll?”

Continuing with our primary text from the last two weeks, Psalm 46:10 “Be still and know that I am God”, I would like to first look at Job 37:14: “Listen to this, Job; stop and consider God’s wonders.” Job is instructed to stop and I encourage you to take a moment to stop. Stop whatever you are doing no matter how important you may think it is. Stop worrying. Stop arguing. Stop scheming. Stop following the ways of the world in all its pursuits to gratify self. Stop elevating other people, places, activities and things above God. Stop justifying yourself. Stop being angry about how people and circumstances have frustrated or wronged you. Stop being concerned about what others will think. Stop trying to please everyone. Stop trying to figure everything out. Stop trying to control others. STOP.

Stop so that you can DROP. Our primary text begins with two words: “Be still”. In the original Hebrew, “be still” can be translated “let go”. This is the DROP. We let go, we drop, anything and everything that could be coming between us and God.

I was at a place of solitude preparing for this message. Sometimes I like to walk as I pray. Sometimes I like to sing hymns and turn them into prayers for myself and each of you. As I was walking, singing, praising, and praying, I asked God for a fresh word for you. Immediately I heard God say to my inner being these words: “SIT DOWN, BE STILL, AND WAIT AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD.” When God speaks like this, I write it down so that I will not forget.

I immediately sat down. After I sat down to hear more from God, I was made aware that I closed my eyes, bowed my head, and clasped my hands together. All this was done, automatically, to “be still”. When we close our eyes, when we drop our eyelids in prayer, it is for the purpose - purpose, not tradition - to not be distracted from our concentration on God. When we bow our heads we are dropping all other thoughts and concentrating on God. When we clasp our hands, we are dropping all our own efforts and seeking to rely on God. In addition to these outward practices for inward preparation, sometimes we kneel, sit down, lie down, or prostrate ourselves before Him. In doing so, we are dropping out of the routine of our normal activities to dwell submissively in God’s presence.

Listen to what Jesus says in Matthew 6:6: “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

In New Testament times, this “room” would have been understood as the inner-room of the house used as storage. This room would not have any windows and would be very private for the person inside. No distractions, lots of solitude. This room is a perfect place to STOP and DROP. It is in our “prayer closet” that we can wait on the LORD. We can do as Job was told, “stop and consider God’s wonders”. It is here that we can best follow God’s command when He says “Be still and know that I am God.” It is here that we can renew our recognition of God’s greatness as revealed in His attributes. We can reflect on God’s spirituality, infinity, eternity, immensity, immutability, perfection, omnipresence, omnipotence, omniscience, wisdom, goodness, holiness, justice, grace, mercy, patience, emotions, faithfulness, unity, person, revelation, and love. As we reflect on these, we experience Him in personal relationship more and more.

This growing relationship with God enables us by giving us desire to withdraw often in order to STOP, DROP, and effectively ROLL. God is bigger than any problem you may be facing. There is no trouble too big for God to handle. 1 Peter 5:7 “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you.” Have a good strong ROLL that puts out the fiery darts of Satan. As you cast all your anxiety on God, you are rolling out the fire of worry. It is worry that manifests itself in a variety of ways. Roll out the fire of anger. Roll out the fire of greed. Roll out the fire of bitterness. Roll out the fire of unforgiveness. Roll out the fire of lust. Roll out the fire of selfish pride. Roll out the fire of addictions. Roll out the fire of doubt. Roll out the fire of impurity. Roll out the fire of hatred. Roll out the fire of racism. Roll out the fire of selfish ambition. Roll out the fire of envy. Roll out the fires of various temptations that are trying to burn you up.