LIVING WORD[S]: Be Still, But God, All Things, I Am
The Bible is God’s living word to us. The gospel can not be dismissed as simply words found on the pages of a book.
Throughout time, people have used scripture in the form of mere suggestions or meditations, or beautiful little thoughts. However, there’s much more to discover in the Bible than words that are designed to make us feel “warm and fuzzy.”
There is power found in His living word that is more than we can imagine. Power to help us live better than we could before in our own strength.
Power to set people free from bondage to sin.
Power to deliver us from depression, anxiety, and fear.
Power to love the unlovable.
Power to walk through fire. To stand in the face of evil and say, in the name of Jesus: “I’m not afraid of you Satan!”
God’s words bring hope to the hopeless. Bring purpose and meaning to life. Through Him, the words inspire, encourage, direct, correct, discipline, and fill our hearts with peace in the midst of impossible storms.
Every single word is deliberate. Solid. Unfailing. Then, why are so many people unwilling to read these words found in the Bible that bring such a powerful advantage to our lives?
Jesus said, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.” (Matt. 4:4)
Consider for a moment the explosive force that phrases containing just two of God’s words can do for you.
Be still
In Psalm 46:10, we read, “Be still and know that I am God…” This brings us a great comfort, reminding us to settle down from our frantic attempts to solve life’s challenges. To remember that God is going to help us! He is asking us to refocus on His ability, His resources, and His willingness.
He doesn’t just command us to be still, He promises us that we will be so: “Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace who’s mind is stayed on thee.” (Isaiah 26:3).
God gives us the key to being still: keep focused on Jesus.
But God
These two words can change the dynamic of any situation that we face. Left to ourselves, a situation can be hopeless and often without remedy. The longer we look at our problems the bigger they grow. The more we try in our own strength the deeper we get into frustration and misery. Like what happens in quicksand, our frantic movement and nervous energy, our attempts to manage our own lives can swallow us up.
Insert these two words: But God. Now the situation takes on a whole different tone. Now, God is on the scene. His ability and resources are limitless.
His knowledge, understanding, concern, involvement, are all for one purpose, to bless you. Take a look at any story in the New Testament, indeed in the Bible, and try to find when Jesus showed up and that the situation got worse. It never happens! I’m sure each of us have stories of when things looked dark and without hope, then God showed up and flipped the whole thing around and blessed us.
Who but God can say, “I will give you beauty for ashes. I will restore the years the locusts have eaten.” God will take the messed up life that is seemingly beyond repair and turn it into something beautiful. If only we’ll ask Him.
All Things
In Romans 8:28, it tells us, “And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God and are called according to His purpose.”
All things? How about when you can’t see your way out? It’s still “All things”! How about when it looks hopeless and there’s no answer and this has been going on for years? The truth remains, all things! The reality is that as focused as we can be, in our own strength, and with as much logic, reason, and intelligence that we may apply to any problem, the answers are marginal at best. The truth is that we do not possess all the data to govern our own lives, or know what the future holds. So, knowing this, I have come to that place where I do my best, and commit the rest!
When God shuts a door, He opens another one. We get frustrated because we cannot see at times what He’s doing. Hang on! Remember these two words: all things. He will not fail you. Ever.
I AM
This is the name God calls Himself.
When Moses asked God, “When I go before pharaoh and he asks me, ‘Who sent you to tell me let my people go,’ who shall I say sent me?”
God answered, “Tell him, I Am, that I Am sent you!” Think about that name for a minute.
Of all the names that God could choose for Himself there is none more perfect than this one: I AM. There isn’t a beginning or end to that name. He has always been and always will be. In that name, no task is too difficult.
I Am is all that you will ever need for every situation and every trial. For every challenge, hardship, or impossibility that you are in now or in the future, God said, I Am!
“Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4)
God’s words are powerful. God’s promises are sure. Let’s read all of them!
For all of His words to us, we can surely offer two words of our own:
Thank you!
The above faith content was originally published at Thinke and includes an excerpt from author Laszlo Lak’s book in progress, “How Do I Work This?”
Alex Murashko is the founder and editor of Media on Mission, which highlights the work of media and journalists, working in all platforms, whose Editor in Chief is above all others. Murashko is a contributing writer for Thinke.
