Welcome to 2016 – Be Still And Know That He Is God

If you are reading this blog, you obviously made it into 2016 and we thank God. I am well aware that life is not all rosy or beautiful for everyone right now because I have heard different painful stories but I guess the most painful event for me has been that of a friend who lost her husband on the 26^th of December. A healthy man, great believer, husband and father; he died in a car accident in the course of journeying to be with his family. How does one deal in situations like this? Like Paul, I guess we can only say “thanks be to God who causes us to triumph.” Let me reiterate at this point that an attitude of thanksgiving really doesn’t suggest that life is always wonderful for one, it just says amongst others, that one is obedient and recognizes the presence and supremacy of God in their life. We rejoice not because of the good things we get, which of course add to make our joy complete, but because we have hope and know that all will be well because everything will certainly work for our good at the end of the day.

 

Romans 8: 28 “And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them.”

 

So here we are with different challenges and circumstances but above all with a God who is greater than any challenge or circumstance and will just at the right time turn it around for our good. I can’t even think how it felt when the children of Israel were faced with the red sea and their worst enemy behind them. What could be worse? The worst enemy of your life is behind you and you are certain he is coming to kill you which is death literally and before you, it is exactly the same; this just paralyzes anyone. Worse is the fact that you were “lured” into that position by God who is supposed to be your Father and protector. What do you do when your protector and defense appears to have lured you into death and there is definitely no way out? I can imagine the state of their mind. It is easy to say they murmured but what can one really do at that point; I am certain that a number of them already saw themselves as dead but for one man who thought to go back to God, they would have perished because God was silent until Moses was asked what they should do.

 

Exodus 14: 12 – 13 “Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’ But Moses told the people, ‘Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.”

 

The easiest thing to do is panic and do something; just anything, any kind of activity because you can’t be still when faced with death but that is exactly what you are expected to do. Of course, that one will be anxious is not out of place, Moses may also have been anxious for a minute because this is a situation that would leave anyone confused, but we have to bring our anxiety under control so we can be still. In truth, the children of Israel may have died if Moses was not still enough to think to turn to God. I would have thought God would have immediately spoken since they were in trouble even if they did not ask but He was silent. If Moses had asked also and was not patient enough to hear Him, He may have missed the instruction. Immediately one hears the instruction, God expects you to act. Instructions are not always the same, sometimes He says wait and at other times, He requires you to act immediately; you must hear Him and obey. Do not follow any rule with God. He has His own rules which we don’t know because just when we think we know it, He breaks it; all we need to do is hear and obey. If you wait when you ought to move, the red sea closes but if you move when you ought not to, you drown. It is therefore, of utmost importance that we be still enough to hear. The bible tells us that there is a time for everything under the sun. God obviously puts a time to everything. Don’t miss your time for any reason. He is not going to wait for you forever just that one may get another opportunity some other time but then it just God making another time.

 

Ecclesiastes 3: 1 “For everything there is a season, a time for every activity under heaven.”

 

Psalm 46: 10 “Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.”

 

In that span of time it would take for Him to speak, be certain that whatever happens is not the end of the journey or battle, things will turn around. You have to know while you are being still that He is God and in charge of the situation but as soon as He give the instruction, your obedience is required. You have to know that He is God and that is the reason we ought to know about Him so we know what to think on. If you don’t know what He can do, you faith may fail you. So everyone that came into this year with one challenge or the other, I just want you to know that that situations or circumstances do not in any way describe how the year shall go for you. The only thing you know for certain is that God’s thoughts toward you are of good and He will cause all things to work for your good.