I was recently asked to give devotions at our annual family reunion. The Bible text I used as the basis for my remarks was, "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!" (Psalm 46:10) In my family were several preachers (my grandfather was one of great stature), singers, piano players, church leaders, and good Christian men and women. I talked about the Christian heritage of our family and that through the lives of those who have gone on to their reward, God has given us that remain a message: "Be still, and know that I am God." As I reflect on this passage, I realize that God has given us this message in many different ways. In this article I would like to share with you just a few that come to mind.
The Nature of Christians:
If you are a Christian and have been faithful to the fellowship of the church, I am sure that you know many people who are devout Christians. Have you ever stopped to think about the nature of these fine people. The fruit of the Spirit as given in Galatians 5:22,23 is evident in their lives. We can see a love for the Lord which is boundless as well as a deep love for their fellow Christians and all who are outside of Christ. As the old song says, "There is joy unspeakable" in their lives. Through good times and bad, the joy of being a Christian is ever present in their daily Christian walk. We see peace, patience and kindness at every turn. Their goodness, gentleness and self-control is a part of everything that they do. And their faithfulness to Christ and the church are foremost in their lives. As we look at the example that these people have set for us, that message from God rings out, "Be still, and know that I am God."
The Beauty of Nature:
Unfortunately I am not able to get out into the country and enjoy the beauty of all the things God has created. I long for the day that I can retire from my job and spend time in nature. But as I look and behold the beauty of God's creation, I truly stand in awe. To see the beauty of the trees, flowers, shrubs and all the many varieties of plants is wonderful. To gaze into a beautiful blue sky with white fluffy clouds brings back memories of childhood. To watch the uniqueness and gracefulness of the many animals of creation is also a sight to behold. To see the majesty of the Rocky Mountains or the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean we realize how small we really are. When we see these things, reach down to pick a dainty flower or feel the warm summer breeze we are reminded, "Be still, and know that I am God."
The Bible:
Are you a student of the Bible? I certainly hope so. If you read and study it you will soon see what a wonderful book it is. It is the Word of God. In its pages you will discover over and over again the love God has for His creation, man. You will see the awesomeness of creation, the gentleness of Christ and the boldness of the apostles as they establish the church. You will learn how to overcome sin, how to praise God and how to become a Christian. In its sixty-six books you will learn how God has dealt with man. You will read of the faithful and the unfaithful. You will find books of law, history, poetry, prophecy and instruction in how to live a good Christian life. You will see Christ evident in it from Geneses through Revelation. All of the Bible is about this one glorious message, "Be still, and know that I am God."
The Universe:
One of my favorite songs has these words: "Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder; Thy power throughout the universe displayed." To sing "How Great Thou Art" and truly consider the awesome creation of God will bring a tear to your eye. To think how vast the universe is and to know that God spoke it all into existence is to know how great He is. On a clear night go outside and behold the moon and stars. You too will hear that message, "Be still, and know that I am God."
Our Spirit:
Does your spirit long to be with God? There are times that I wish that Christ would return immediately and put an end to this wicked world and take His church to glory with Him. I know that we are to wait patiently and expectantly for His return. We are not to decide when the right time is, but rather God will decide. But nonetheless, I still long for the day that I will enter gloryland and be with God and His Son eternally. Another favorite song of mine says, "What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see. I will look upon His face, the One who saved my by His grace. He will take me by the hand, and lead me through the promised land. What a day, glorious day that will be." Oh how I long for that day to arrive! To enter Heaven and see the angles and be able to join with them in singing praises to God. To know that we will have a new body which will not die and that we all will be in harmony on everything. Just to sit and imagine how wonderful that day will be is to "Be still, and know that I am God."
The Nature of Life:
The very nature of life itself tells us that there is a God in Heaven. Consider that we are conceived as two microscopic parts which are joined together and emerge as a fully formed, very complex, immensely helpless being capable of growing into adults that can achieve sending man to the moon. Think of the complexity of the human body. How can we even imagine that such a miraculous creation as the human body could have developed without a Creator? Think of the emotions, thoughts and ideas that we have. Consider the love that we have for each other as well as our Heavenly Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit. What about the pain we bear when tragedy strikes one of our loved ones. Then there is the joy and happiness of seeing a loved one graduate from high school or get married. All of this and much more concerning the nature of life itself tells us, "Be still, and know that I am God."
Little Children:
Have you ever looked into the eyes of a little child? What did you see? Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 19:14) What was Jesus talking about when He said, "of such is the kingdom of Heaven?" He was talking about the very thing we see when we look into the eyes of a little child, pure innocence. Little children with their purity, innocence, undying love for mother and father are the very essence of Heaven. This is really what Heaven is all about. I have been fortunate as an educator to have had the opportunity to work with children. They have been a great joy and blessing to me. And it should go without saying, that when we see little children arrayed in all their love, innocence and purity we hear that familiar message from our Heavenly Father, "Be still, and know that I am God."
Isn't it wonderful to know that we have a Father in Heaven who cares and loves us. Isn't it really a grand thing to know that we can take all our cares to Him and that He hears and answers prayer. I hope that this article has given you inspiration to consider all the many ways God shows us His divine existence. There are many ways that God tells us this. These thing in this article are but a few.
The Nature of Christians:
If you are a Christian and have been faithful to the fellowship of the church, I am sure that you know many people who are devout Christians. Have you ever stopped to think about the nature of these fine people. The fruit of the Spirit as given in Galatians 5:22,23 is evident in their lives. We can see a love for the Lord which is boundless as well as a deep love for their fellow Christians and all who are outside of Christ. As the old song says, "There is joy unspeakable" in their lives. Through good times and bad, the joy of being a Christian is ever present in their daily Christian walk. We see peace, patience and kindness at every turn. Their goodness, gentleness and self-control is a part of everything that they do. And their faithfulness to Christ and the church are foremost in their lives. As we look at the example that these people have set for us, that message from God rings out, "Be still, and know that I am God."
The Beauty of Nature:
Unfortunately I am not able to get out into the country and enjoy the beauty of all the things God has created. I long for the day that I can retire from my job and spend time in nature. But as I look and behold the beauty of God's creation, I truly stand in awe. To see the beauty of the trees, flowers, shrubs and all the many varieties of plants is wonderful. To gaze into a beautiful blue sky with white fluffy clouds brings back memories of childhood. To watch the uniqueness and gracefulness of the many animals of creation is also a sight to behold. To see the majesty of the Rocky Mountains or the vastness of the Atlantic Ocean we realize how small we really are. When we see these things, reach down to pick a dainty flower or feel the warm summer breeze we are reminded, "Be still, and know that I am God."
The Bible:
Are you a student of the Bible? I certainly hope so. If you read and study it you will soon see what a wonderful book it is. It is the Word of God. In its pages you will discover over and over again the love God has for His creation, man. You will see the awesomeness of creation, the gentleness of Christ and the boldness of the apostles as they establish the church. You will learn how to overcome sin, how to praise God and how to become a Christian. In its sixty-six books you will learn how God has dealt with man. You will read of the faithful and the unfaithful. You will find books of law, history, poetry, prophecy and instruction in how to live a good Christian life. You will see Christ evident in it from Geneses through Revelation. All of the Bible is about this one glorious message, "Be still, and know that I am God."
The Universe:
One of my favorite songs has these words: "Oh Lord my God, when I in awesome wonder, consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder; Thy power throughout the universe displayed." To sing "How Great Thou Art" and truly consider the awesome creation of God will bring a tear to your eye. To think how vast the universe is and to know that God spoke it all into existence is to know how great He is. On a clear night go outside and behold the moon and stars. You too will hear that message, "Be still, and know that I am God."
Our Spirit:
Does your spirit long to be with God? There are times that I wish that Christ would return immediately and put an end to this wicked world and take His church to glory with Him. I know that we are to wait patiently and expectantly for His return. We are not to decide when the right time is, but rather God will decide. But nonetheless, I still long for the day that I will enter gloryland and be with God and His Son eternally. Another favorite song of mine says, "What a day that will be, when my Jesus I shall see. I will look upon His face, the One who saved my by His grace. He will take me by the hand, and lead me through the promised land. What a day, glorious day that will be." Oh how I long for that day to arrive! To enter Heaven and see the angles and be able to join with them in singing praises to God. To know that we will have a new body which will not die and that we all will be in harmony on everything. Just to sit and imagine how wonderful that day will be is to "Be still, and know that I am God."
The Nature of Life:
The very nature of life itself tells us that there is a God in Heaven. Consider that we are conceived as two microscopic parts which are joined together and emerge as a fully formed, very complex, immensely helpless being capable of growing into adults that can achieve sending man to the moon. Think of the complexity of the human body. How can we even imagine that such a miraculous creation as the human body could have developed without a Creator? Think of the emotions, thoughts and ideas that we have. Consider the love that we have for each other as well as our Heavenly Father, His Son and the Holy Spirit. What about the pain we bear when tragedy strikes one of our loved ones. Then there is the joy and happiness of seeing a loved one graduate from high school or get married. All of this and much more concerning the nature of life itself tells us, "Be still, and know that I am God."
Little Children:
Have you ever looked into the eyes of a little child? What did you see? Jesus said, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of Heaven." (Matthew 19:14) What was Jesus talking about when He said, "of such is the kingdom of Heaven?" He was talking about the very thing we see when we look into the eyes of a little child, pure innocence. Little children with their purity, innocence, undying love for mother and father are the very essence of Heaven. This is really what Heaven is all about. I have been fortunate as an educator to have had the opportunity to work with children. They have been a great joy and blessing to me. And it should go without saying, that when we see little children arrayed in all their love, innocence and purity we hear that familiar message from our Heavenly Father, "Be still, and know that I am God."
Isn't it wonderful to know that we have a Father in Heaven who cares and loves us. Isn't it really a grand thing to know that we can take all our cares to Him and that He hears and answers prayer. I hope that this article has given you inspiration to consider all the many ways God shows us His divine existence. There are many ways that God tells us this. These thing in this article are but a few.
About the Author
Stephen Kingery is an author, preacher, teacher and founder of The Home Bible Study Institute.
Visit our site at http://www.james1-22.org
Permission to use is granted if attributed to author and his website.