Be Still and Learn

Good morning, friends! 

Can you believe this is already our fifth meditation on Be Still? As part of Music Camp 2015, we have pondered so far:

Be Still and Pray

Be Still and Read

Be Still and Hear

Be Still and Heed

I don’t know about you but I have been challenged, convicted, and encouraged these past few days. My eyes have been opened to see my tendency is to run away from spiritual stillness seeking instead to be in control of my life.

Yes, control. I want it. However, control belongs to God. Our theme, Be Still, has led me to see how incredibly arduous it is (was, has been, always will be) for me to surrender—yield and renounce—any and all control to God. This week, I am finding out our theme verse, “Be still and know that I am God” is waging war with every fiber of my being. In fact, it reveals an inner struggle that has heretofore lain dormant my entire life—all I feel I want is . . . control.

Left to itself, my heart wants to be in charge of the nature and timing of my every circumstance. It demands that every situation facing me be predictable, tidy, non-intrusive, quantifiable, and neatly packed. It begs to suffer only a one-touch, one-time encounter with any nuisance, annoyance, encumbrance, etc.

Thanks be to God, this is not to be. Be Still tells me God has a different perspective. The Father has more beautiful mercies for me. The invitation to embrace spiritual stillness points me to a Monarch who loves me and who is in control of my circumstances—every single one of them.

The psalmist says it this way, "O Lord, You have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, You know it altogether. You hem me in, behind and before, and lay Your hand upon me" (Psalm 139:1-5, ESV).

I can only pray you have had a similar experience because our God is sufficiently aware of every item in our lives. Only He can fight and conquer the daily struggles you and I face. Our winning the race of true life is guaranteed only when you and I turn over all control to the Father and run in Christ's footsteps—choosing the stillness of dying to our selfishness and allowing His righteousness to live within.

So, let us say yes to the Lord’s invitation to be still and know that He is God. Let us say yes to everything we are expected to render. For Christ said to the Pharisees,

"Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, 

and to God the things that are God's."

Matthew 22:21, ESV

We do not have a pass. We are not an exception to God’s expectations. We are to give Christ our whole hearts. We are called to give and love and sacrifice like everyone else. We are to face every issue, earthquake, tornado, and relationship knowing the Master Himself is in control.

The Holy Spirit and the Word convict me today that when I try to be in charge, I do a pretty bad job running things meant for the Master’s hands. So, now, I confess and admit I am weary and burdened so that I might come to Jesus where rest, peace, spiritual stillness is waiting for me. My prayer is that you and I will continue to draw ever closer to Jesus, our great High Priest.

Some of you may feel that you do not need a priest in your life. Many of you are not Catholic and so you may wonder why I didn’t use the word pastor or elder or something like that. You see, my reason for using the word ‘priest’ is a Biblical one. Get this: our heavenly Father is a most awesome and holy God; as sinful humans, you and I cannot approach Him on our own. (This is a topic we discussed at length in 2010 when purity was our theme.) Since we do not have direct access to the Father on our own merit, we need a mediator who would connect us to the Father—the writer of Hebrews calls such a one a priest, a high priest.

The Word teaches us that Jesus is the very priest, the great High Priest you and I need. Now, you may say, “But of course, we have already established that Jesus is God. This priesthood came to Him naturally.” And I will have to say to you, “Hang on a second.” Listen to what the Word says about the priesthood:

“No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. So Christ also did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest . . . During the days of Jesus’ life on earth, He offered up prayers and petitions with loud cries and tears to the one who could save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverent submission. Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from what He suffered and, once made perfect, He became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey Him and was designated by God to be high priest in the order of Melchizedek” (Heb 5:4-5a, 7-10).

There is so much to unpack there but we don’t have enough time for now; I encourage you to meditate on the above passage later and pray for more of God’s revelation to you. For now, let this suffice: Jesus, as the Son, did NOT take matters into His own hands. He chose to be still . . . and pray and read and hear and heed . . . He chose to suffer and therefore, chose to be still and learn . . . what? He learned obedience through suffering and was thus made perfect . . . and was therefore designated by the Father to be high priest.

In order for you or me or anyone who believes to have direct access to the Father, Christ had to and chose to be still and learn.

He was still as He underwent excruciating pain on the Cross. He chose to be still and learn sweet, costly obedience through:

-       the bitterness of His cup of suffering

-       the slumber that kept His disciples from praying with Him in Gethsemane

-       the treason of Judas

-       the fleeing of His disciples

-       the mockery of His trials

-       the denial of Peter

-       the false charges against Him

-       the thirty-nine lashes at His flogging

-       the numerous insults hurled at Him

-       the slapping of His face

-       the piercing of His side

-       the persistence of sin in the world

-       and the abandonment He felt when He cried out to His Father, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachtani?

What about you and me? Is there suffering going on in our lives? Is there a situation that is so heart-wrenching that we’re saying, “Oh no, Lord, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but Yours be done”?

Please, hear what the Spirit is revealing. You and I are invited to be still and learn. Like with Jesus, there is much at stake for the Kingdom of God in our response to the Father’s invitation. Although God does not need you and me to achieve His perfect work of salvation, He takes great joy in inviting you and me to take part in it. He is asking us to accept His invitation to be still and learn.

He says, “Be not afraid. All that needed to take place to bridge the gap between My holiness and your sinfulness already took place on the Cross. Remember how Christ said ‘It is finished’? Well, it’s true, my child. He is your high priest and has already sacrificed Himself to purify you from your sins. Feel free to come to Me because your account is paid in full.

Come to My throne of grace. Come to Me with freedom and confidence. By the blood of Jesus, enter the Most Holy Place. Draw near to Me with a sincere and vulnerable heart in full assurance of faith, cleansed from a guilty conscience and washed with the pure water of My Word.

Come to Me, my child, when you are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Come to Me when you are thirsty, come to the waters and drink. Come to Me, you who have no money, come buy and eat! Come buy wine and milk without cost. Come to Me, you who are barren and sing a song more joyful than that of the woman who has ten children. Come to Me, you who are ridiculed and mocked for walking in the path of righteousness, great is your reward in heaven. Come to Me, you who mourn and grieve, I will comfort you and sing over you. Come, come, come.”

He motions for us to come because He wants us to learn from Him. As we come to Him, He says, “Listen, listen to Me, and eat what is good. Taste and see that I am good. Eat my Word, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare. Give ear and come to Me; hear Me, that your soul may live. Seek Me while I may be found; call on Me while I am near. Turn away from your wicked ways and your evil thoughts. Come to Me and I will have mercy on you; turn to Me and I will freely pardon.”

Why is it so important for us to listen to the Father? Deuteronomy 4:10 sheds some light on that for us, “Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, when He said to me, ‘Assemble the people before Me to hear my words so that they may learn to revere Me as long as they live in the land and may teach them to their children.” Furthermore, Deuteronomy 14:23 admonishes, “learn to revere the Lord your God always.”

Did you catch that? Listening to the Word of the Father brings us to learn to revere Him as long as we live AND to teach His Word to both our spiritual and physical children.

Are you and I learning to revere God?

Are you and I learning to teach God’s Word to our spiritual and physical children?

If not, then let this be an encouragement and a nudge: Let us listen to His Word. Let us be still and learn. Let us know Him as our God, the One who will be exalted among the nations, the One who will be exalted in the earth NO MATTER WHAT.

When you and I face a new crisis, let us remember the simple fact that we don't know what we don't know. Yet, let us care all the same that we don't know. And therefore, let us learn, pray, read, hear, heed, and research.

If we think specific individuals are the problem, let us look into their eyes. Let us read their sorrowful or even scornful notes. Let us hear and listen to their heartfelt stories. Let us grow in wisdom as we research their hurtful actions and pray for the Lord's blessing over them.

And let us care.

And let us love.

And let us help.

And let us empathize.

And let us be still and learn from the Holy Spirit and partner with the Father who is in control of all situations. He will use our learning to spread the fragrance of love and grace wherever our feet tread.

Let us pray:

Father, do in us, O precious Lord, that which only You can do so that You can do through us all that Your heart desires. We choose to accept Your invitation to be still and pray and read and hear and heed and learn that You are God. Be exalted among the nations; be exalted in the earth. In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen!

Be Still and Heed

Good morning! Can I tell you how grateful I am to know the Father has granted you and me this opportunity to reflect on His truths and to declare His greatness together? I pray you and I will continue to walk toward the Father, coming to Christ, and listening to the voice of the Holy Spirit in all circumstances.

On this day and for the rest of this camp, you and I are invited to ponder the gift of spiritual stillness or divine peace. Not just the peace suggested by a cool breeze on a hot summer day, not the kind promised to us by a most beautiful beach, but lasting peace—the kind that comes from above, from heaven, from God Himself.

A cursory look at our world tells us why peace or spiritual stillness ought to be one of the treasures we seek continually:

Wars rage on in this world.

Political conflicts are on the rise.

Discriminatory practices are the norm.

School shootings are featured in the media.

Family feuds bud perennially at each gathering.

Angst and fear are regular guests in the inn of human hearts.

Yes, we need spiritual stillness. We need divine peace. But where is stillness? Where is peace? Could there really be no peace to be had when the Father says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God . . .”?

When the promised One sent by the Father was preparing to return to heaven, He said,

"Peace I leave with you;

my peace I give to you.

Not as the world gives do I give to you.

Let not your hearts be troubled,

neither let them be afraid."

Jn 14:27, ESV

So, since His Word is true, we can definitely say there is peace right here on earth. However, He did say divine peace is not as the world gives. The world may define peace as the absence of trouble but the Word teaches us that peace or spiritual stillness is found in God who "is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble" (Ps 46:1). This peace is not elusive or illusory; it is different from the world's definition. It suggests that, when situations and circumstances seek to derail us, it is our hope in the Coming One that will cause us not to fear. 

The psalmist says it this way, "Therefore we will not fear though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea . . . The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress" (Ps 46:2, 7).

Has the earth given way your corner of the world? Have your mountains of security and ease fallen into the heart of a sea of danger, uncertainty, and worry? Perhaps, there is a financial crisis so bad you simply cannot see your way out of it. Perhaps, there is a prodigal in your life who is causing your pillows to be drenched with tears every night. Perhaps, you are afraid for your very life as you enter the valley of the shadow of death.

And yet . . .

             . . . because His name is Immanuel ('God with us' or 'the Lord Almighty is with us'), He can say to us: “Be still . . .” (Ps 46:10) or, "Let not your hearts be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms. If it were not so, would I have told you that I go to prepare a place for you? And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and will take you to myself, that where I am you may be also. And you know the way to where I am going" (Jn 14:1-4, ESV).

Yes, divine peace!

Yes, spiritual stillness!

Yes, you and I can be still because peace is a present that is absolutely and graciously free for the taking. When this spiritual stillness rules in human hearts, genuine freedom is unwrapped and unleashed like earth’s fragrance after the rain. The invitation we receive from the Father to be still is a most benevolent gift to our oft-troubled hearts.

Have you and I received His stillness fully today? Is there cause for concern, worry, frustration, or even anger in our hearts this morning? I have good news. God sends us a beautiful reminder this morning: Be Still. And as you’ll remember from our first three days, Be Still invites us to pray when matters tempt us to despair and wrestle. Be Still invites us to read the Word where God speaks to us and tells us great and unsearchable things we do not yet know. Be Still invites us to remember our ears are not given us to prick up to the hiss of Satan’s white noise; rather, we have ears to hear that God is indeed our very refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. 

That’s our theme from Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.”

We have covered three verbs thus far -- Pray, Read, and Hear. Today, you and I are introduced to a new verb: To Heed. We are called to be still and heed.

Firstly, what kind of a verb is “to heed”? In many languages, there are all kinds of verbs with different functions. “To heed” comes from a verb family that seeks to indicate action or state of being. Those types of verbs can be either transitive (meaning, it requires a direct object) or intransitive (no direct object is required).

Example 1: (Transitive) “A wise son heeds his father’s instruction . . .” (Prov. 13:1). ‘A wise son’ is the subject and ‘his father’s instruction’ is the object. The subject needs the object for the verb ‘heed’ to make sense. So, ‘heed’ in this case is a transitive verb.

Example 2: (Intransitive) “Take heed! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; life does not consist in an abundance of possessions” (Luke 12:15). Here, ‘take heed’ is sometimes translated as “Pay attention!” or “Watch out!” In this particular version, although ‘heed’ is left dangling and there is no object involved, still the verb ‘heed’ makes perfect sense. The subject still has to pay attention even though he/she doesn’t know what could be coming. So, ‘heed’ in this case is an intransitive verb.

I apologize to those of you who may not like grammar but the Word of God is a book that deals with grammar a great deal. Don’t you find it interesting that the verb “to heed” is both transitive and intransitive? To me, it means there is no excuse for anyone to say they didn’t get the memo. Not a soul can confidently utter to God, “I don’t think You meant for me to be still and know You are God. Did You?”

Friends, it matters not who we are and what we are—young, old, married, single, rich, poor, sick, healthy, male, female, Hebrew, Greek, Haitian, American, pianist, saxophone player, you and I and everyone who has ears to hear are ALL called to heed our heavenly Father’s instruction and to heed.

Period.

And what does it mean to heed? The Word defines it in the following verses:

-       Prov. 13:8, “He who ignores discipline comes to poverty and shame, but whoever heeds correction is honored.”

-       Prov. 15:5, “A fool spurns his father’s discipline, but whoever heeds correction shows prudence.”

-       Prov. 15:32, “He who ignores discipline despises himself, but whoever heeds correction gains understanding.”

-       Prov. 19:20, “Heed advice and accept instruction and in the end you will be wise.”

-       Lk 21:8, “He replied: “Take heed that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.”

-       2 Jn 1:8, “Take heed that you do not lose what we have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.”

I am blown away!

To be still and heed brings honor.

To be still and heed shows prudence.

To be still and heed provides wisdom.

To be still and heed grants understanding.

To be still and heed protects against antichrists.

To be still and heed ensures the believer’s reward.

If you and I want to accept the invitation the Father sends us to receive spiritual stillness, then we need to learn to see ourselves as heeders. As sons and daughters of God, we are heeders—soldiers wearing the full armor of God in order to take our stand against the devil's schemes. And as such, we are called to develop mindfulness in imitating the mind of Christ; we are called to be attentive, to pay serious attention to what is happening all around us; we are called to notice, to observe what is going on and see earthly events through the eyes of heaven, to develop a high regard for the cause of Christ among the nations; we are called to care, to truly care about the Word and the teaching of the Holy Spirit, both of which confirm that Christ is Lord, Christ is the One sent from the Father, Christ is the Word, Christ is God.

As heeders, we are called to be still and know that YHWH is God.

Therefore, dear friends, when wars rage on in this world, when political conflicts keep climbing, when elections are fast approaching and confusion reigns, when school shootings are featured on TV, when family conflicts become more intense, when angst and fear are regular guests in the inn of our human hearts, let us heed His Word and remember He is God. He is on His throne. He is our sovereign King. He alone is our peace. And the peace, the spiritual stillness He offers us is not as the world gives. Let us not trouble our hearts for He has it all under control.

Be Still and Hear

Good morning! I hope you slept well last night. Exciting things are happening here. People are moved and stirred by the Spirit. Faith conversations are taking place. And we are utterly grateful. As we prepare our hearts to hear the Father’s revelation to us this morning, would you please pray with me?

Lord, Moses wrote, "Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is One" in Deuteronomy 6:4. As part of the New Israel in Christ, we want to hear You and believe You are indeed God. Please, speak to us. Breathe on us. And open our hearts and ears to receive the precious nuggets of wisdom You have in store for us. In Christ, we pray. Amen!

You and I have been reflecting on a theme for this camp. It is, Be Still. It is based on Psalm 46:10, which reads, “He says, 'Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations; I will be exalted in the earth'.” So far, we have pondered the definition of spiritual stillness. We saw that stillness invites us to pray and read God’s Word. We reflected yesterday on the importance of the Teacher’s invitation from Matthew 11:28-30, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”

We are learning that to be still means to pray until we receive the revelation that YHWH is God, Lord over everything. We are learning that to be still means to read the Word until the Word reveals to us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1)  So, every passage of Scripture we read is telling us one thing only: Christ. Christ is God. Christ is the Son of God. The Spirit of Christ is God.

What about today? We have reached a point in our meditation of Psalm 46:10 where we are invited to learn to be still and hear . . . Hear what?

Let’s unpack our theme verse again:

Psalm 46:10, “He says—that is, the story is about God, the One who speaks; it’s not about us. (Remember, musicians, the Bible is telling God’s story, the Story of His love.)

Be still—meaning, don’t speak first. Let Me speak first. Do not trouble yourself, do not fret or worry; rest in Me, learn from Me, take My yoke.
And know that I am God—signifying, aim to learn something about Me and do not forget what I say. I am God, your God, the Lord of heaven and earth, the Lord of any issue you could think of, the Lord of any Goliath you would ever face.

I will be exalted among the nations—that is, do not exalt yourself and your concerns; I am bigger than you or your problems. Your enemies amount to less than nothing.

I will be exalted in the earth.”—meaning, do not exalt earthly issues and problems. Do not erect an idol before me; I will be exalted no matter what you think, fear, say, or do.

Whoa!

Mind-boggling!

Did you hear that? The Story of the Creator’s divinity has been told to people from all walks of life and its retelling will continue until the ultimate return of Christ. What a powerful and heart-stirring chronicle! All through nature and His own perfect Word, God’s narrative provides us with a clear vision of the manner in which to view life in this world. It speaks clearly of the existence of only one God who is sovereign, yet relational; powerful, yet meek; just, yet gracious; and holy, yet willing to take upon Himself the wickedness of humanity.

Indeed, the Story has been told.

Still, the question remains: Has humanity heard it?

Have we heard it or have we stopped our ears like the cobra that refuses to “heed the tune of the charmer, however skillful the enchanter may be”? (See Psalm 58:4-5) Are we choosing to really hear what the Spirit is saying to us who profess belief in Christ? If so, then we can be still in coming to Christ continually and in saying no to idolatry and ingratitude because we know that God is sufficient to control everything and satisfy our every need.

Have we heard that the divine account recognizes the sinful bent of human beings but also highlights the complete transformation into Christ-likeness available to anyone who believes in the Word of God?

To be sure, spiritual stillness encourages us to stand on the promises of the Creator in fair weather or poor conditions. We can stand when doubts and fears come our way. We can stand firmly when temptations and trials are erected before us. We can stand when accusations and slanderous comments are meant to destroy our reputation. We can stand on the truth that, although the wages of sin is death, Jesus sacrificially died in our stead, bought our salvation with the price of His blood, made us joint heirs with Him, made us righteous and free to worship God and declare His majesty wherever we are. We can rejoice in knowing that we are the bride-elect of Christ, looking forward to our wedding with the Lamb and living with our Bridegroom in eternity.

And, have we heard that eternity is the place where you and I will truly, finally, and fully experience the unending “happily ever after” epilogue—one might even call it the main event or unending chapter—of this amazing Story of the Father, Creator, and King?

Have you and I heard the Story?

“Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to eat from the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God” (Rev. 2:7, NIV).

You know, not everyone has ears. And without ears to hear, no human being can belong to God or become a joint heir with Christ. Without ears to hear, there can be no spiritual stillness in the human soul.

Jesus talked to some people who had no ears. They were the Pharisees of Israel, teachers of the Law, learned men who, instead of displaying gentleness and humility, were harsh and proud toward anyone who challenged their view of Scripture. They refused to believe the Story Jesus was telling them about His divinity. They declined Christ’s invitation for them to be still and know that He is God.

In fact, Jesus said to them, “If God were your Father, you would love me, for I have come here from God. I have not come on my own; God sent me. Why is my language not clear to you? Because you are unable to hear what I say. You belong to your father, the devil, and you want to carry out your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, not holding to the truth, for there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks his native language, for he is a liar and the father of lies. Yet because I tell the truth, you do not believe me! Can any of you prove me guilty of sin? If I am telling the truth, why don’t you believe me? Whoever belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” (John 8:42-47)

Why was it so hard for the Pharisees to hear and believe Jesus? They couldn’t hear because they had been listening to the lies of the accuser. Ever since Eve and Adam listened to the hiss of the serpent, humans have been prone to use their ears not to hear God’s clear voice but to prick their ears up to the white noise of Satan instead. So, sadly, the Pharisees chose not to hear Jesus because to them, Jesus represented the lower class of society, and they considered themselves far too sophisticated and educated to follow him. What could this lowly Nazarene ever have to teach them?

Friends, Be Still cautions us against following in the footsteps of the Pharisees. When troubles come, Be Still calls us to remember our ears are not given us to prick up to the hiss of Satan’s unbelief-producing white noise; rather, we have ears to hear that God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. That’s why in Psalm 46:6 we read, “Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; He lifts His voice, the earth melts.” When you and I hear riots, conflicts, wars, rumors of wars, betrayals, catastrophes among the nations, and other such grievous things, let us hear His voice telling us He is God, He will be exalted among the nations, He will be exalted in the earth.

Let us pray: 

Lord, when we are tempted to be harsh and proud instead of gentle and humble, open our lips that we might sing, "Not to us, O Lord, not to us but to Your name be the glory, because of Your love and faithfulness." (Ps 115:1, NIV) We praise You, Father, for making Yourself known to us. Yet even in Your disclosure You remain a complete mystery. You cannot be contained, yet You dwell in the hearts of those who believe in You. You cannot be restrained, yet You wait for Your people who are called by Your name to pray and read and hear and follow Your instructions. You cannot be defined, yet You delight in our words of worship as we seek to declare Your worth. You are more powerful than all the forces of nature combined, yet You choose to be moved by the prayer of a little child, the song of a tiny hummingbird. You make all the rules, yet You choose to love us without condition, without reserve. You are more than life itself. You are what nature is trying to describe but cannot fully achieve. O wonderful Father, awesome Speaker of the ages, though we hear but a faint whisper of Your voice, we know the day will come when our ears will be fully unlocked to hear what You say plainly. Thank You. Thank You. Thank You, O YHWH! In Jesus’ Name, we pray. Amen!