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Be Still and Know

We can learn more when we be still

Howard Thurman tells of one of his University students who was a deep sea diver. He wrote of his experience of being on the bottom of the ocean as he learned the value of being still. The water was clear and he was in the midst of a coral rock garden. He sat down to look around and just be still. Occasionally a fish would swim up to take a look at him, and then pass the word to his friends, and soon there were many curious fish about him.

As he sat there in stillness, the beauty of the of the bottom of the ocean became more intense. Plants had opened up revealing what looked like blossoms. He felt like he was in a beautiful flower garden. He enjoyed it for a long while, but then he realized he could not stay there forever, and he started to go about his business. As soon as he moved all the flowers disappeared. They were living things, and they emerged only when still and quiet. The activist sea diver who comes splashing through such a garden would never see its full beauty. He learned that there are marvelous things you will never see unless you sit in stillness.

Be still in quietness

The point of Psalm. 46:10 is that there are things about the Creator, as well as His creation, that can only be learned by those know how to be still and quiet in the presence of God. “Be still, and know that I am God.” How do we get to know an omnipotent God who most often speaks in a still-small voice? By being still and quiet. Too often Christians find difficulty in hearing God speak to them but they never take the time to just sit quietly in His presence.

Think for a moment about your prayer time. How much talking do you do? How much time to you spend in quiet reflection of God’s Word, listening for the Holy Spirit? For most of us, we spend the entire time talking and making our requests to God and we don’t give Him a chance to get a word in as we move from one prayer request to the next.

Be still and silent in worship

Being still and silent before God is a vital part of a total worship experience, for it gives God a chance to reveal Himself to you. This is why we are to “be still and know.” God listens to us, and He appreciates it when we return the favor and listen to him. Often the answer to our prayer is received by listening. The solution to many a problem is found in having the mind of Christ, and this comes by listening to His Spirit. Friendship between two people is hard to develop if there is all talk and no listening. We miss the depth of the friendship of Christ if we do not learn to listen.

We need to learn to pray, “Lord, what is your will for me today in these areas of my life?” Then we need to listen to hear if God puts any ideas into our head or if he recalls a certain Scripture to our minds that answers our need. “Be still and know that I am God.” There is a knowing of God that can be learned only in silence. Silence plays a major role in learning of God, for we need quietness when we study and meditate on His Word

A Culture of Anti-Silence

We have a hard time sitting in stillness and quiet because our culture is a sound oriented culture. We specialize in making everything that makes sound portable so that we can have the sound even at the beach, or out on the lake, or camping in the woods. Our society has made it possible to escape silence completely, even if we find ourselves in the most remote area. We have made it possible to banish silence from our lives almost completely. So much so that we feel awkward when there is silence in a conversation and we feel as if we need to fill the silent moment with – something – anything.

There was a tunnel down in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida where radio waves did not penetrate, and there was a 20 to 30 second break as motorists went through. A man got permission to set up a system inside the tunnel to give weather information so drivers would not have to endure the agony of that few seconds of silence.

The Biblical value of quiet

Exodus 14:14 – “The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet.”

Psalm 23:2 – “He lets me lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside quiet waters.”

Ecclesiastes 9:17 -“The quiet words of the wise are more to be heeded than the shouts of a ruler of fools.”

Lamentation 3:26 – “It is good to wait quietly for deliverance from the Lord.”

Habakkuk 2:20 – “The Lord is in His holy temple; let all the earth be silent before Him.”

Zephaniah 3:17 – “Yahweh your God is among you, a warrior who saves. He will rejoice over you with gladness. He will bring you quietness with His love.”

I Thessalonians 4:11- “Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life.”

1 Peter 3:4 – “Instead, it should consist of what is inside the heart with the imperishable quality of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very valuable in God’s eyes.”

God often does His greatest works when we be still

We cannot look at all the Bible says about the importance of being still and quiet, but we want to focus on the fact that God so often does His greatest works when we simply be still and sit quietly in His presence.

And anonymous poet wrote:

Silently the green leaves grow
In silence falls the soft, white snow
Silently the flowers bloom
In silence sunshine fills the room
Silently bright stars appear
In silence velvet night draws near…
And silently God enters in
To free a troubled heart from sin
For God works silently in lives
For nothing spiritual survives
Amid the din of a noisy street
Where raucous crowds with hurrying feet
And “blinded eyes” and “deafened ear”
Are never privileged to hear
The message God wants to impart
To every troubled, weary heart
For only in a QUIET PLACE
Can we behold GOD FACE TO FACE!

So take some time today to sit quietly and simply be still and ask God to show you something new about himself. If you find it uncomfortably awkward, then start with just three minutes a day and increase how long you bask in his presence as you become accustomed to being still in His presence.

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God, Love and Marshmallow Wars by Julia M. Bruce

What’s Inside God, Love and Marshmallow Wars?

God, Love and Marshmallow Wars is a book that includes 365 daily activities and takes you on a guided journey through Biblical principles about Godly marriage that you can then apply to your marriage, as well as helping you talk through concepts that can help you develop a solid relationship. Inside you will find simple, quick activities that include:

  • Scripture to memorize and meditate on.
  • Conversation Starters.
  • Concepts from the Bible on Godly marriages.
  • Romance Builders.
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  • Personal reflections.
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  • Group date ideas for you and other Christian couples.

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Quotes from the Self Care Blog Series

Helping people in ministry stay in ministry

Today’s quote from the Self-Care Blog Series:

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Practicing spiritual self-care according to God’s Word: Take a Personal Retreat

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God.” Taking a retreat allows us to get away from the demands of life and the busyness of ministry and simply bask in the presence of God.

 

                                          — Julia Bruce

 

 

Excerpted from part 22 of the Self Care Blog series.  Read the full article here.

Quote © by Julia M. Bruce.
Please credit the author with a link to this page
when posting, sharing or using this quote in any manner.

The quote above is from Part 22 of a blog series by Julia Bruce on Self-Care for people in ministry. Read the blogs here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4, Part 5, Part 6, Part 7, Part 8, Part 9, Part 10, Part 11, Part 12, Part 13, Part 14, Part 15, Part 16, Part 17, Part 18, Part 19, Part 20, Part 21, Part 22.

Part 23 coming soon where author, Julia M. Bruce, will break down physical self care and provide practical ways to implement physical self care in your life.

#selfcare #spiritualselfcare #personalretreat #WCM

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Cover_mBOOKING NOW to be a host site for the NEW God, Love & Marshmallow Wars Book Tour & Couples Conference:

This event helps couples understand why the daily activities found in the book will equip them to build a stronger marriage and the book provides them with 365 intentional activities to take what they learn at the event and apply it on a daily basis. Through the event, couples will discover the Biblical “why” behind the categories of activities found in the book and the “how” these activities are important to building a stronger marriage. Focus points of the event includes :

  • How memorizing scripture together and studying God’s Word together as they study, meditate and apply scriptures related to marriage and life issues will help them develop marriages that honor God.
  • Why utilizing fun conversation starters that spark meaningful conversations will keep interest alive as they continually learn new things about each other.
  • Why keeping romance alive is essential to intimacy and connectivity.
  • How making memories and working together builds relationship investment bonds and how these investment bonds can become the knots that keeps them together through the tough times.
  • How they can understand what they are or are not contributing to the marriage as well as how they might be contributing to problems or potential problems within the relationship through the use of targeted, intentional personal reflections
  • Why it is important that couples never stop dating and how group dates with Christian friends can be both an encouragement and accountability to their own relationship.

During the event, couples will be given an activity from each focus point to do together, making this event an interactive, fun, and engaging event with practical, hands-on learning. Unlike other couple events that are over when the event ends, couples who attend the GLMW event will be able to apply what they learn when utilizing the book on a daily basis for a year. Since the book is not dated, couples are able to reuse the activities year after year to continue being intentional in strengthening their relationship with each other and with God as they strive to live out God’s design for marriage every day.

Learn more about hosting this event at your church or conference site by clicking here.

About the book: The GLMW book contains 365 daily challenges for couples to strengthen their relationships to each other and with God. Couples will complete activities such as Scripture memory, conversation starters, relationship builders, learning about Biblical marriage, romance builders, personal reflections, and date ideas. Click here to purchase your copy. (This link will open a new widow and take you to Westbow Press’ bookstore.) It is also available at Christian Book Distributors, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble

#GLMW #couplesevent #GLMWbook #intentionalmarriage #Godlymarriage

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Looking for a keynote speaker for your next ministry event? Julia is now booking for 2019 and 2020 Christian events for women’s and couples’ ministries for both small and large events.
Book with us now.

Julia is CEO of Wellspring Christian Ministries, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people and couples develop a passionate relationship with God. A public speaker, conference trainer, event planner, and blog writer, Julia is a two-time graduate from Grand Canyon University with a bachelor in Psychology and a masters in Professional Counseling. Saved as a child and raised in church and in a Christian home and private Christian School as a Pastor’s kid, Julia has taught Sunday school, led music, played the piano, served as Children’s Director, and engaged her gifts in many other areas of church life. Previously employed with the Florida Baptist Convention, Julia organized events and led conferences for church ministry assistants. Today, Julia enjoys sharing her journey as a growing Christian with others looking for a deeper connection with God. Through Bible study and her own life experiences, God has given Julia a passion to help couples understand God’s design for marriage while they learn to place God first in their marriage, cultivate meaningful relationships, build intimacy, and address the tougher issues that come in every marriage so that they can experience a marriage that honors and glorifies God. Julia also loves mentoring, teaching, and working with women to help them learn to live as Godly women.

With her history and experience growing up in both small and large churches, Julia enjoys bringing top level quality events to churches of all sizes. Her father largely pastored small churches and therefore she understands that these vital parts of the believing community need to be good stewards of the resources God provides them with. This knowledge inspires her passion for being available with a fresh perspective for those who want to provide their congregations with meaningful spiritual growth opportunities, regardless of size.

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Be Still

Be Still Black T-Shirt FrontThe weekend is finally here and time to relax, recharge, and take time to worship God. The “Be Still” collection depicts a beautiful sunset on the beach with a  hammock between two palm trees and is based on Psalm 46:10 and available as a canvas print, pillow, towel, poster, coffee mug, tote bag, or iPhone case

 

 

 

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Job 6:8

job 6 8

We’ve all been there. Something that we are desperately seeking God for…an answer, a miracle, guidance, understanding. Whatever it is we long for God to grant our request. Job probably understood this feeling more than anyone. He was a righteous and Godly man, yet God allowed Satan to do havoc in Job’s life. In a single day we find that Job lost all his cattle, all his sheep and all of his children…yet still Job honored God. Satan goes back to God and whines that God has a hedge of protection around Job and if he removes it Job would curse God. So God allows Satan to take Job’s health also but does not allow Satan to take Job’s life. The Bible tells us that Job was covered from the top of his head to the sole of his feet with boils. Now that you know go back and read Job 6:8 again and hear the longing in Job’s voice.

King David also found himself longing for God to answer him. In Psalm 6:6 David says, “I am weary from my groaning; with my tears I dampen my pillow and drench my bed every night.” In Psalm 39:12, we read, “Hear my prayer, Lord and listen to my cry for help; do not be silent at my tears.”  

Haven’t you been there too? But David not only wanted  answers…he wanted them quickly.  Read the following Psalms: 

But you, O Lᴏʀᴅ, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! (Psalm 22:19) Make haste to help me, O Lᴏʀᴅ, my salvation! (Psalm 38:22)

Be pleased, O Lᴏʀᴅ, to deliver me! O Lᴏʀᴅ, make haste to help me! (Psalm 40:13)

You are my help and my deliverer; do not delay, O my God! (Psalm 40:17)

Make haste, O God, to deliver me! O Lᴏʀᴅ, make haste to help me! (Psalm 70:1)

But I am poor and needy; hasten to me, O God! You are my help and my deliverer; O Lᴏʀᴅ, do not delay! (Psalm 70:5)

O God, be not far from me; O my God, make haste to help me! (Psalm 71:12)

O Lᴏʀᴅ, I call upon you; hasten to me! Give ear to my voice when I call to you! (Psalm 141:1)

When we find ourselves in a place where we long for God to step in and give an answer or help us in a difficult time, it’s important that we turn to the promises throughout the Bible.

Philippians 4:19 says, “And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.”

And Romans 8:28 says, “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

For me, the waiting for God’s timing is the hardest. Like David, I want God to hurry up. It’s so hard to seem like you’re just sitting and waiting. However, its in these moment that God deepens your faith in Him and grows you to prepare you for His purpose. In the meantime, while we wait, we can trust him to supply our every need and that He will work everything out according to His plan and purpose…which is always for our good and is always the best plan. So keep praying. Don’t give up. But also know that God is always working, often in ways we cannot see, and when His answer is delivered it will be  the very best answer. David knew that. In Psalm 69:13 he says, “But as for me, Lord, my prayer to you is for a time of favor. In Your abundant, and faithful love, God, answer me with Your sure salvation. And because of God’s abundant and faithful love, we know that He is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think (Ephesians 3:20). So as you long for and wait for God’s answer and God’s timing, take a moment and rest in his abundant and faithful love. Surrender your need…your dreams…your problems to Him and trust Him to work things out for your very best…even if the answer you get isn’t the one you wanted.

Oh…and for Job…his faithfulness to God was rewarded. In Job 42:12 we find God blessed Job with more sheep, cattle, oxen, and camels then he had before. Job also had seven more sons and three daughters. God will reward you in His own way for your faithfulness to Him. Just be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10).

 

 

 

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Psalm 46:10

Psalm 46 10

Doesn’t life get hectic? As soon as the alarm clock sounds, our feet hit the floor and we’re off running the mad race called life. We make our to do list and prioritize it. We run from one appointment to next. We look at the clock and the day is half gone then look back at the list and realize we haven’t even got through half the things we wrote down. When we get home, life is just as busy…laundry, kid’s homework, dinner, dishes and before we know it the day is gone, we’re exhausted and climb into bed just so we can get up and do it all over again. But God is whispering across our hearts…”Be still. Know that I am God.” What would it take for you to be able to get alone with God and just be still and worship Him as God? If you started your day that way, what kind of difference would you experience? Take some time right now and just be still in the presence of God. Rest at His feet.