12-13-2024

Good Morning All,

      Psalm 37: 7a; “Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;”

    As we are in the middle of the church season of Advent, the main theme of the season is that we are waiting for the return of Jesus.  It is always ironic to me that the time of the church year when we emphasize waiting is during one of the busiest times of the year in our worldly lives.  As the days get closer to Christmas, it seems that waiting patiently is a rare commodity.

    It seems that much of our life lacks patience.  Partly because we aren’t still before the Lord.  We go around with an iPod going maybe an iPad maybe a cell phone, maybe with the TV on or maybe the computer going or both.  Each of these competes for our attention; each of these are trying to be king and ruler of our life.  When we let them be king in our life, we lose patience, and we lose sight of God.

    God comes to us every day, but it usually is in a small, quiet whisper rather than a large gong.  In order to hear that small, quiet whisper, all the distractions must be gone.  In our hurry up world that can be tough but the more you hurry up the more we need to take time and be still before the Lord.  We need to take time to listen to what God says to us.

    God speaks to us through the Bible; this is where he reveals himself to us.  We need to be still, be quiet and listen to the small, quiet voice.  God comes to us with words of tenderness and love inviting us back to him away from the noise and the impatience of the world.

    Some like to read this verse as a stern commentary, like when a mother scolds her young child and tells him to,” BE STILL!!”  This is really a very gentle invitation to rest in God’s grace and favor.  Be still; just take a moment to catch your breath.  Take a deep breath and relax.  Wait patiently for the Lord.  We know that God keeps his promises in his own time.  We only have to wait for his grace and mercy.  We wait with the total confidence that God will act.  God has always kept his promises, and he always will.  He has promised to hear our prayers and to answer them.  But we must be in conversation with God and a large part of a good conversation involves us listening to what God has to say to us, and he does that through the Bible, and he does it in a quiet fashion.  We must be still to really hear him.

    How many times have you tried to have a conversation with someone when it was clear that they weren’t listening?  That is one of the most frustrating things we can ever do.  Yet, how many times do we do that to God?  We often “Tell” God what we what, how we want it, when we want it, and don’t be late.  We don’t like the verses that talk about getting our gifts in “due season” or how he provides for “all our needs.”  We have our “wants” and it better be due soon.  So, we miss out on some of God’s greatest blessings, the blessing of peace.  Be still; listen quietly to our Lord.  Spend time reading the Bible and hear what the Bible has to say about you. 

     Gracious Lord, we have too much noise in our life, and it wears us down.  Give us peace to be still and to listen to you and to wait for you.  Give us confidence to trust in your grace that we may live secure in the knowledge of your tender mercy and care.  In your precious name we pray, amen.

God’s Peace,

Pastor Bret