Be still and know . . .

Genesis 17; Nehemiah 6; Matthew 16; Acts 16

In Genesis 17, God repeats His promises and the covenant made with Abram. He gives this man and his wife new names, establishes the covenant sign of circumcision, and affirms that Sarah will have a son, even at ninety years of age. God says it will be through this son that God will establish the covenant line and fulfill His promises to Abram. Abram believed God and did what He commanded. How did he know that what God said was true?

In Nehemiah 6, the enemies of Israel continued to conspire against Nehemiah and his work of rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem. He answered their accusations with: “No such things as you say have been done, for you are inventing them out of your own mind.” For they all wanted to frighten us, thinking, “Their hands will drop from the work, and it will not be done.” But now, O God, strengthen my hands. (Nehemiah 6:8–9) How did he know the motivations of these subtle and persistent men? How did he know they were lying?

In Matthew 26, the religious leaders AND Jesus’ disciples were not so discerning. The Pharisees and Sadducees looked for a sign. Jesus rebuked them; they could discern the weather but not what God was doing in their midst. Then, when Jesus warned the disciples to avoid their “leaven” these men thought he was rebuking them because they forgot to bring bread (even after feeding two groups of thousands with almost no food at all). Duh?

When Jesus asked His disciples who they said He was, Peter gave this wonderful answer: “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16) yet a few verses later after Jesus told them He would die and rise again, Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him, saying, “Far be it from you, Lord! This shall never happen to you.” (Matthew 16:22) At that, Jesus said, “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance to me. For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” (Matthew 16:23) How could the earlier men of God be perceptive to what God was doing yet these who walked in the presence of God’s Son be so clueless?

Acts shows how those who later believed in Christ were tuned in. For example . . .

And they went through the region of Phrygia and Galatia, having been forbidden by the Holy Spirit to speak the word in Asia. And when they had come up to Mysia, they attempted to go into Bithynia, but the Spirit of Jesus did not allow them. So, passing by Mysia, they went down to Troas. And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: a man of Macedonia was standing there, urging him and saying, “Come over to Macedonia and help us.” And when Paul had seen the vision, immediately we sought to go on into Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them. (Acts 16:6–10)

Again, how did they know where to go and where not to go? This passage says the Holy Spirit was directing them through that quiet voice and through visions, much like the way God guided His people in the Old Testament. A lot of it depends on paying attention, upon waiting. He says, “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)

For me, I am trying to listen. We are in a cold snap with travel advisories. Going anywhere when it is this cold is never a good idea. We are also still coughing and hospitals often do not allow visitors who show such symptoms. My sister is in a hospital four hours driving from here on a good day. Her family are close to her. They tell me she may not know us if we do come. I want to see her, yet family are saying we do not need to feel compelled as we might want to be left with better memories — she has deteriorated so much. They are all strong in faith. One said that maybe our coughs and the weather are God’s way of telling us "not now."

As I read the above passages, I could relate to the knowing/not knowing the will of God, but also understanding what it means to be still, to know He is sovereign and I can trust Him with this. The doctors give my sister only a couple days, but only the Lord knows. She may be gone today or not be taken home until the weather and coughs no longer hinder our travel. Waiting on Him means just that, being still, knowing, realizing that He will guide us and His will is perfect.

I feel a bit heavy and don’t know what lies ahead, not even the next few minutes. The phone could ring. It may not. God knows and He will tell me what I need to know. His Word for me today is assurance that I need to be still, listen and wait.

Is He here yet?

Children are noted for their impatience on a trip by continually asking, “Are we there yet?” In their minds, time has two characteristics: now and forever!

Some Christians have the same attitude toward the return of Christ. Every bad news story brings the hope that this signals His coming. We are continually looking for signs and indications. Scripture is searched, predictions are made, even though Jesus said no man knows the day or the hour.

Peter was close to Jesus. He had ideas about the Second Coming. First, he predicted the scoffers who mocked that it would never happen, He said to his readers:

You should remember the predictions of the holy prophets and the commandment of the Lord and Savior through your apostles, knowing this first of all, that scoffers will come in the last days with scoffing, following their own sinful desires. They will say, “Where is the promise of his coming? For ever since the fathers fell asleep, all things are continuing as they were from the beginning of creation.” (2 Peter 3:2–4)

There are Christians that may not scoff but also desire that all things stay the same. Thoughts of the end of life here as we know it makes people uncomfortable. I’ve felt concern too, not wanting Jesus to come until He saves those who I pray for and thousands of others that have no faith and no hope for eternal life with Him.

Peter may have been thinking that children think of time as now/forever as he continued to explain the end to his readers. The scoffers need to realize that eternity is not about time. While the Bible gives no explicit explanation, it seems that God lives in the realm where everything is NOW. That is, in His mind, there is no beginning or end, no clocks, no deadlines. He is also not interested in a calendar but in the hearts of men and women. If He seems slow to return in our minds, it is only because He is patient with those who do not yet believe:

But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed. (2 Peter 3:8–10)

That fits with my heart too. Even though the end of evil and hardship appeals to me, I also want all to repent and believe in Jesus Christ. I don’t want anyone to forever be separated from God.

Peter gives an application for thinking about the Second Coming and the end of this life as we know it. He says:

Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells. (2 Peter 3:11–13)

His words are simple. Be a holy, godly person who waits patiently for Jesus to come and for the promise of a renewed creation. Evil will be removed and those who choose evil will be separated from God’s presence. All who trust Jesus will be with Him. This is not a popular topic and this application seems too vague. How do I live a holy life? What does it mean to be godly today?

For me, the answers are to seek the Lord in study and prayer, to obey what I know, and to rely on His grace and Holy Spirit to do it. This is not a list of rules nor laying out a plan. I can plan, but if interrupted, must listen for His direction. He will let me know what calls to answer, what chores to do, who to contact, and when I am procrastinating. In other words, the application is about knowing and being guided by the voice of Jesus.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Lord, help me hear You today. You know how my head can be filled with ideas and plans. May You guide me, and if today turns out to be ‘ordinary’ then I know You will have a few unexpected assignments thrown into my to-do list. That is fine with me. Just help me listen and willing to do all that You ask and at the same time rejoice in Your promise to return, knowing it will be exactly at the right time.

Today’s thankful list . . .

- the certain promise of Jesus to come again.

- the ability to plan and His willingness to be interrupted.

- today’s major interruption was important.

- making it through my chore list anyway.

- tilapia in lemon-flavored olive oil, yum.

- fresh snow.

What are we waiting for?

Most of the time, waiting is about standing in line, or anticipating a delivery, or about some frustration over an event or person that is slower than we want them to be. One day this week I was particularly tired. I thought of God’s promise about waiting for Him and as I was praying (waiting on Him) I asked for energy. My request was based on this promise:

Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall exhausted; but they who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint. (Isaiah 40:30–31)

God kept this promise and I had increased energy all day. Today’s devotional is about this very thing — waiting on the Lord. The word is used 135 times in the Bible and with varying slants, but basically it is about putting my hope in God and trusting His promises. The prophet Jeremiah says this:

The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord. (Lamentations 3:25–26)

For the Jew, God was One, the Law was the revelation of His will, and life was under His authority with an expectation He would intervene and save them from their trials. They continually waited for that to happen and when Christ was born, they and their world were prepared. This was called “the fulness of time.”

The New Testament complements the OT, completing God’s revelation and clarifying to the Jew. It included Gentiles in the family of God (the Church). Both OT and NT record the promises of God and how the people were waiting in hope for their fulfillment.

It will be said on that day, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the LORD; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isaiah 25:9)

For many, salvation meant freedom from political oppression. Others seemed to understand that there was more to their redemption than that, people like Simeon, Anna and Joseph of Arimathea . . .

Now there was a man in Jerusalem, whose name was Simeon, and this man was righteous and devout, waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was upon him. (Luke 2:25)

And coming up at that very hour she (Anna, eighty-four and a prophetess) began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. (Luke 2:38)

Joseph of Arimathea, a respected member of the council, who was also himself looking for the kingdom of God, took courage and went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. (Mark 15:43)

After Jesus was crucified by those who wanted a king rather than a Savior, He rose from the dead and met with the disciples. Again, He told them to wait.

And while staying with them he ordered them not to depart from Jerusalem, but to wait for the promise of the Father, which, he said, “you heard from me; for John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.” (Acts 1:4–5)

The Lord also explains that we not only wait for the Holy Spirit but also the great changes that will come as a result of salvation and believing in Him:

For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. For the creation was subjected to futility, not willingly, but because of him who subjected it, in hope that the creation itself will be set free from its bondage to corruption and obtain the freedom of the glory of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation has been groaning together in the pains of childbirth until now. And not only the creation, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies. (Romans 8:19–23)

We are to “wait for it with patience.” (Romans 8:25) and even though believers experience salvation instantly, there is more — Jesus will return and we are to wait for that:

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, waiting for our blessed hope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, (Titus 2:11–13)

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment, so Christ, having been offered once to bear the sins of many, will appear a second time, not to deal with sin but to save those who are eagerly waiting for him. (Hebrews 9:27–28)

Oh, Lord Jesus, when You come, there will be great changes including “new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:11–13) In the meantime, I’m to live a holy, godly life as I wait for You.