"Be still and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:10).
Today I come to the last part of my journey on this phrase. Like a crescendo in music it starts softly and builds into this loud climax designed to...make one still.
I will make an astute observation: I am not God. He is God. The problem is not writing this simple observation, but in living it out.
I often imagine what it would be like to live as if there were no God (like many in this world do). From a purely societal standpoint I don't think my life would be much different. I don't steal or commit other crimes not because I believe that their is a God but rather the thought of prison deters me from such behavior. I do good things because it makes me feel good inside, because it makes my world a better place for me. So any notion of an altruistic motive is quickly removed. I know my own heart to well. There has to be something more than an ethical impetus - something greater than this. There has to be something that stops life and yells, "You are not God! He is God!" The ethical implications will follow but its knowledge of the person that one should be after.
I have heard many people quote Psalm 14:1 at this point, "The fool says in his heart 'there is no god..." Unfortunately this is not how the original Hebrew was interpreted nor does it line up with history. The actual reference says, "The fool says in his heart, "God does not care." (JPS translation). You may be thinking this is a lot different in meaning, but its not. You just have to have the right meaning for the first translation.
Atheism is a modern phenomenon born out of the Enlightenment Period when men became really, really smart and decided there wasn't any such thing as a god or rather that man is god. Prior to that, the pendulum swung the other way - polytheism, or the belief in many gods. This is the context of Psalm 14. So a fool is not one who does not believe in the existence of God; he is one who lives his life as though God does not care - as if He does not exist. This is more aligned with a Deist position - there is a God who created all things - he wound it up like a clock and let it go...determining its own path without His involvement.
Be still and know that I am God - a God who does care. It's why God says, "Be still." Don't be agitated. Don't be in a panic. Don't feel rushed. Don't believe the lie that all is out of control or stuck. Be still and know. Know that God does care. Know that He is in control. Know that your sin or past failures will not prevent Him from carrying out His plan for your life in His mission. Know that God is great, that God is good. Know that He loves unconditionally and has your best interest in mind. Be still and know this God. This God is the one who will be exalted above every nation - exalted above all the earth.
"Be still and know that I am God" "I am in control." "I am sovereign over all things."
"Be still...
and know...
Me."
Psalm 46:10, "Be still and know that I am God."
I have spent the greater part of my life seeking to "know." It has been and still is what internally motivates me. But as my Eastern Orthodox friends rightly tell me, "Knowing God as a subject is different than knowing him as a person." I believe you have to have both but the first is actually much easier than the last.
The first time that we come in contact with this "knowledge" issue is in the Garden of Eden in Genesis 2:16-17. "And the LORD God commanded the man [Adam], 'You are free to eat from any tree in the garden; but you must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, for when you eat of it you will surely die.'"
Many of you have heard me teach deeply on this passage before but to remind you of its truth...God did not prohibit Adam [and Eve] from eating of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil because He is a withholding type of God. As good parents we know that certain information or certain exposure to more mature things will actually damage the child. They are not ready for such things. As good parents we are not withholding because we love to torment and selfishly keep things away from our children; we do it because we love them. We want them to grow up whole.
I recently was reminded of this truth while watching a "Children of the Holocaust" program from a Jewish perspective. Children, little children, whose greatest concern should be "Who do I play with today?" or which picture to post on the frig....little children forced to watch the shooting of their mother, father, and older siblings. Little children who used to have three home-made loving meals now fighting and stealing from other children - rotten leftovers found in a garbage can or stale bread in the concentration camps. As adults we see how such tragedy, how such knowledge, especially of evil, has changed them, broken them almost beyond repair.
We see this with brutality but we also see this with explicit sexual exposure, with drugs and alcohol, abject poverty, cyber bullying, and a host of other "knowledge" issues. In my experience, in my opinion, they deaden you to the true knowledge creation was to offer you. Instead of reflecting the Creator and His divine mission of blessing, it was perverted and used for selfish ends.
We often view the Fall from a sin perspective [and rightly so] but seldom do we see this as as a fall from what we were to potentially have with God. The loss is linked to Paradise but it was so much more. We lost what we could become. We lost what God was planning to give.
God does not desire to withhold things from us that give us pleasure or fill our social needs. However, He knows the best time to release them into our lives. He brings us to a certain level of maturity and then discloses them to us.
It was this premature knowledge that put a distance between man and God. Adam had the knowledge but he lacked the maturity to handle the information. In becoming "like God" [Gen. 3:22] his own way, he distanced himself from God and the true intent of the knowledge.
In Genesis 4:1 we have another "know." In the old King James translation it tells us that Adam "knew" Eve. What does that mean? It means that when they were both picking weeds out in their garden, Adam would look up and say to one of the animals, "Oh...there's Eve. I'd recognize her anywhere. She was the one who got us kicked out of the Garden." Well...she was the only woman on the planet at that time and they were still together as a couple so naturally he would say this.
Actually, "to know" in that context was to be sexually intimate. Even though sin had entered into their relationship, they sought to love each other, to hold on to the divine covenant. God did not abandon them as well. He sought the restorative love that Adam and Eve were pursuing.
I start here because I believe it is at the heart of Psalm 46. I am called to "Be still and know." At this point I don't want to rush ahead and fill in the rest of the text. I want to savor the word for awhile and figure it out before I move on to the end.
My ability to "be still" is predicated on a certain "knowledge." So I will get my Systematic Theology books out (of which I have quite a few) and I will write out what I "know." This is not a bad exercize but it will leave me deficient and devoid of my quest. I have no doubt that there are atheists and agnostics who "know" the Bible and its underlying themes and principle better than me. They spend their life trying to shred it of all truth and importance. But they will never be successful. They are only arguing one aspect of "know."
The Apostle Paul wrote one of the most heartfelt sentences that I have found in the Scriptures. One might call it my life verse - although I have surely failed to keep its truth in my own heart. After suffering great physical affliction and imprisonment he still penned these words, "That I may know him [Jesus] and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so somehow to attain to the resurrection of the dead" (Philip. 3:10-11).
Paul was a brilliant man. A Ph.D in theology, of the right religious family, studied under the right influential teachers....he knew. But he did not know until he had a personal experience with the risen Lord himself. It was finding out the truth of who this person, Jesus, truly was, matching O.T. examinations with what now stood in front of him. It's one thing to know that God is love; it is another thing to know the God of love. This is what Paul was after.
What do I know? I know that in my quest for something deeper:
1. God is not purposely withholding with evil intent.
2. God is waiting or working in me to develop a certain level of maturity.
3. God will release whatever I need and what I desire when He is ready and...when He knows that I am ready.
4. God desires me to keep studying but for the sake of building others up and leading them to a deeper relationship with His Son.
5. I need to remember that eternal life is not based on a written exam but on a friendship with the Almighty God.
Can you hear the quiet, parental voice?
"Be still.....
"and know..."
Psalm 46:10a says, "Be still and know that I am God."
A reflection in three parts: Part 1
Ever since I came back from my last teaching opportunity with Grace Seminary I have been struggling with being still. It has been the reason, or at least I would like it to be the reason for why I have not posted since then.
March came in like a lion - not the weather but ministry. An all church Seder Supper, Resurrection Sunday, a new English service...I have been busy. But I have been wrestless in my spirit for some reason. Probably worse than I have ever been in my spiritual life.
I am so grateful that I don't have a schedule that produces ulcers and stress induced heart attacks. Unfortunately that was called "my thirties." I now have time to do all those things that I have dreamed about doing, e.g. reading, writing, praying, planning, etc... All good things. All good things that I am presently doing. But in the midst of these things I find a spirit that yearns for something more. I know that this answer will not be found solely in the external things of life. That would be easy.
I know that the vast majority of this is within. It is as John of Damascus wrote, "the dark night of the soul." Unfortunately this is not exactly true for I have way too much light at present to be found in such a disparaging place.
I have found solace in the words of this particular verse - "Be still." In the strict context I know that it has to do with the cessation of war and God's supremacy among the nations, but it is a war that I am dealing with and so I find it appropriate.
What does it mean to "be still"? If I told my kids this when they were younger it would mean, "Stop squirming; stop moving around." I get the distinct impression that God is saying the same thing to this kid. In the midst of squirming we become distracted and often miss the important things around us. In the midst of squirming we also irritate those around us. You should pray for my wife.
Perhaps looking at some other Scriptures would help clarify this command.
Exodus 14:14, "The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
It tells me that there is a war going on - a war that brings conflict, pain, injury, sorrow, grief, uncertainty.
It also tells me that I'm not alone and more than that - I don't need to take up arms for the LORD is fighting on my behalf.
There is a sense of relief in knowing that there is a sure victory over my enemy.
It is also a criticism. I will lose if...when...I believe it is my fight. It is a passive victory which is perhaps the hardest for prideful men like myself to acquire.
The battle is the LORD's because He will get the glory not me. The battle is the LORD's because there will only be one hero in this divine narrative. Be still.
Finding the discarded Law of Moses, Ezra the priest began to read and the people began to grieve understanding how far they had moved away from the things of the Lord.
Nehemiah 8:11, "The Levites calmed all the people saying, 'Be still, for this is a sacred day. Do not grieve."
This verse tells me to be calm. In the midst of revelation, where the divine plan of God is revealed, there is no need for agitation. There is no need of second guessing or "what-ifs."
I think this leads into part two of this verse, "and know..." so I'll not chase that dragon until I need to slay it. Just a heads up...I think we live in the middle of knowing and not knowing, obeying and seeking, trusting and hoping. Perhaps this is the squirmy part after all.
Psalm 37:7a, "Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him..."
"Being still"is connected to "waiting patiently for something...for him."
Perhaps this is the greatest lesson about "being still." I am waiting for something. And I will continue to wait for something until I figure out that it isn't a something after all but a someone. When that someone shows up the something will be cared for and probably beyond my expectations.
For this old farm kid who is accustomed to hard work and a clear goal it is one of the most difficult things that I have had to do. I need to know what is next. Idleness is the death of me just as busyness without direction will kill me.
I am so blessed. I am blessed with a great wife and family. I am blessed with good health. I am blessed with a fairly intelligent mind. I love what I do for a living and am so privilege to do it with people who appreciate it.
An outsider would surely tell me to "Shut up" and "be thankful." If they only knew that I have shut up and I am thankful. But that doesn't fix the spiritual agitation that calls for something deeper, something sweeter, that will, in the end, make all those above blessings even richer.
So for now I will seek and pray that I might understand what it means to let the LORD do the fighting, to be calm, to wait patiently for...Him, and to resist the temptation to wait for it. I will "be....." I won't lie...its just not there yet.
"There is a place of quiet rest, near to the heart of God,
A place where sin cannot molest, near to the heart of God.
O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God,
Hold me, I wait before Thee, near to the heart of God.
There is a place of full release, near to the heart of God.
A place where all is joy and sweet, near to the heart of God.
O Jesus, blest Redeemer, sent from the heart of God.
Hold me, I wait before Thee, near to the heart of God."
I wish I could take credit for the title of this posting but alas, it belongs to an anonymous scholar.
I was watching a lecture series entitled, "What Matters," by Oxford scholar, Os Guinness, and he mentioned the quote.
At one point an Oxford student was interviewed and asked, "What lies at the end of life? How will you know if you've accomplished your purpose? Her answer was, "I don't know. I guess if I have a lot of good stories."
Most of the students said that they really didn't have time to think about life's purpose in the long term. Everything was focused on getting through school and moving on to a future career (whatever that may be).
Living "in the moment" is an understandable answer, especially when one is consumed with studies and deadlines. But one must be prepared for the long view if one wants to be successful at fulfilling a life of purpose.
Honestly, there will always be an "in the moment." Your new job will consume you, email, Facebook, or Twitter. Something will distract from the larger purpose of life.
A life of purpose is not some random or personally planned out path. It is the desire of God for your life. It matters not what subject matter one desires to study. The greater question is, "Can I glorify God in this, contribute to the betterment of humanity, and propel forward the ultimate mission of God, i.e. the reconciliation of all things toward God?
It is life with a greater purpose; a life with divine motive.
The greatest hindrances to those objectives are the "weapons of mass distraction." The chief culprit being, "busyness."
Someone said that "busyness" is either the result of pride or an unreasonable, unorganized employer. There is probably a bit of truth in both. Either way busyness will keep us from stopping and asking the "why, "what," or the "who" questions. "Why am I here?" "What am I supposed to be doing with my life?" "Who am I ultimately accountable to?"
"Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in awhile" is not the way to go through life. I don't want to "hope" by chance I fulfill my purpose; I want to know that I am fulfilling my purpose.
And yet, here I am, 52 years of age, still asking those questions. Perhaps that's the divine intent. Every year I should find the time in my busy schedule to be asking those questions of purpose for divine alignment.
After all, I don't want to end my life with nothing more than a bunch of good stories.
I want GREAT stories...
I had the privilege of teaching in Thailand last week. Unfortunately with my schedule I didn't have a lot of time to site see. But a dear brother picked me up after class on Friday and took me out to see a few things.
When I arrived the first thing I thought about was how chaotic things were. Cars everywhere. Motorcycles and scooters everywhere. Very few traffic lights. I watched the cyclists weaving in and out of traffic from the safety of my shuttle van each morning and evening. Insane.
So imagine my surprise when my dear brother picked me up...yes...on a scooter. Below is a sample of the controlled choas.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Js4G2lunSEI [Warning: If you get motion sickness easy, please do not watch this without a bucket]
All I could think of initially was that Deb will kill me if I get killed. But the life insurance was paid up and I'm saved, so...let's go.
There is a difference between being in the midst of something and being in something. When I was in the safety of a van I was sheltered from the reality of the chaos. But on a scooter the reality becomes apparent very quickly. I was hoping to survive the ride without breaking my kneecaps on someone's bumper or losing my shoulders to any of a hundred rear-view mirrors that we blazed by.
Perhaps it was the adrenaline but it was the first time I felt really connected to something in a long time. I wasn't looking at the culture from inside the safety of a glass window or studying it in some book. I was doing real life with real people in their culture. I was part of something and not just an observer.
I'm sure that there is a spiritual lesson in this somewhere but I've yet to flesh it out. Perhaps its just this: live real life.
I just received a new E-issue of World Magazine today and thought that I would comment on an article regarding a young woman who was recently hired at Wheaton College in Illinois. Wheaton is a Christian college historically connected to martyr Jim Elliot and his wife, Elizabeth, as well as Billy Graham. It is a school that truly seeks to educate the next generation of spiritual servants being sent into our dying world.
Julie Rodgers was hired to provide spiritual care for students. Not surprising in some ways: She has a master's degree in English, has mentored inner-city youth, and speaks at Christian churches and conferences. One surprise: She openly identifies as homosexual and yet sees homosexual behavior as sin. Rodgers, though, is a "gay celibate Christian" - someone who identifies as homosexual but does not act on her same-sex desires because she also believes such behavior is sinful.
Theologically, I am in line with what she says. Regarding homosexuality, I think we can say this about any sin that consumes us. I may feel a certain sinful way and God may not take that particular desire away for whatever reason but by my not acting or mentally dwelling upon it, it allows God's grace and mercy to work. Do we not all have a "sin that so easily entangles us" (Heb. 12.1)? One where we cry out, "How long O LORD must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long O LORD will my enemy triumph over me?" (Ps. 13:2-3).
The only issue that I have with this position is found in 1 Cor. 6:11. As a follower of Christ my sin does not define who I am. It does not mean that I don't struggle with sin, but that theologically, it is covered, forgiven, and forgotten as far as the east is from the west. So why advertise? In the above article, this is like saying I am a non-practicing adulterous Christian or a non-practicing lying Christian or ... put whatever sin you'd like in the non- column. I am a forgiven and righteous person because of the blood of Christ. That is who I am. I try and seek with all my heart to say "no" to ungodliness because of this wonderful gift of grace. And...I have to say "no" daily because that is how often I struggle, if not with one sin, then another that is revealed by the Holy Spirit. I'm sure that every follower of Jesus would have to admit to the same to some degree. I just choose not to be defined by the sin but by the Savior.
I also believe in the healing and transformative power of Jesus that allow us to live victoriously over sin. I believe as the early Church Fathers that we should press on toward being "perfect" and "holy" through the transformative work of the Holy Spirit.
Why is it then that I still struggle with particular sins? Could it be that they are the last vestiges of self, the spiritual holdouts to being fully devoted to Jesus? Could it be my "Linus blanket," something secure, something to keep me from being hurt or disappointed? Something that leaves me in control of my needs and not Jesus? Sometimes the thorn is left in the side as a way of keeping us humble and on our knees before a merciful God. This is a question for another day, another post...
Unfortunately, we have once again elevated one sin over another in our unbiblical hierarchy of ungodliness. I guess it makes us feel better about our own particular low level sin.
I wonder if World magazine will do a follow-up on a non-practicing gluttonous Christian who was just hired some place?
A big part of my doctoral studies focused on the fourteenth century Bishop of Thessaloniki, St. Gregory Palamas. As I continue to study his work as part of my devoted time to God, he brought up something that refreshed my spirit.
St. Gregory was consumed with getting people to see that they had a larger mission in this world than just surviving and...in just being a "good" Christian. He was adamant that the Scriptures taught that God became man so that man could become "god." This isn't some pantheistic heresy. Actually the statement just made came from Athanasius, the great defender of the faith in the fourth century.
St. Gregory believed that the image of God in man was not just a wishful type of thinking but a desired reality. He desired men and women to be fully surrendered to God in such a way that they would become "like" God. No created thing can ever become God, that is, His essence, or who He is by nature, but we can become like Him in that we are brought into his divine community through the Holy Spirit.
O.k....enough of the deep theology....here is what caught my attention today. "Even the smallest portion of an essence possesses all that essence's powers. Thus a spark is both brilliant and illuminating, it melts and burns whatever comes close to it, it is self-moving by nature and rises upwards and, in brief, it is whatever fire is. Similarly, a drop of water possesses every quality that water has...a nugget possesses all that the metal itself possesses."
If we are made to be in the true image and likeness of God, then we possess certain qualities and powers that God has. We are still limited as created beings but there should be so much more to our life than maintaining. Each of us is a spark representing the fire. Each of us is a drop of water taken from a vast, incomprehensible ocean. As the world looks at us as followers of Jesus they should see the fire; they should see the ocean. It dwells within us.
Perhaps this struck me so deeply today because I am working on the Candle Lighting service for our Christmas Eve celebration. As each candle is lit and we hold our small and insignificant fire in our hands, it shouldn't stay insignificant. Together, as the darkened room begins to warmly glow and "Silent Night" softy sung, we need to remember that in our small effort to shine we are the image and likeness of God. And...we shine more brilliantly when we shine together.
As a tribute to the 1970's I will now invite you to sing, "Pass It On." When singing please make sure you do the echo. It will bring back fond memories of church camp and being eaten alive by mosquitoes out in the woods. Oh...where have all the good songs gone...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tadZ8nCLBsI
"Be still and know that I am God..." (Psalm 46:10). 
