PSALM 46:10-11: “Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah” ESV

OBSERVATION: What do you do when your whole world is turning upside down? How do you manage day to day when everything is changing? This is where I find myself as I ponder on these two verses of Scripture. The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind, and my pen has been silent. However, this morning I need to write down my thoughts and observations, which are also becoming my prayer.

Last week my wife and I left on a late flight to Florida for a whirlwind trip to try and find a new home for our relocation plans. We had thought about renting for a while, however, with 3 cats, an African Grey Parrot, and two Finches, it is hard to find somewhere to rent that will allow that many animals. So off we were on a new adventure, not knowing what the week would hold.

We were prepared for the possibility that we would not find anything. This was heightened when the top two homes that we wanted to see went on contract only the day before our trip. With both of our favorite homes off the market, Karen and I put our trust in the Lord and began early Tuesday morning to look for a home. The first day was a huge disappointment.

It was no one’s fault. We had a wonderful Realtor. And I know that the day was as much of a disappointment to her as it was to us. Two times that day the homeowners forgot to turn off their alarm and it was triggered when we tried to enter the home. At the last home of the day we were even greeted at the door by the police. When the day was over we were tired, disappointed, and discouraged. So we prayed.

I wish these two verses had been in my reading schedule for that day. I really needed them then, and I know I need them now.

• “Be still and know that I am God!”

In other words, God is saying – “I’ve got this!” The Lord is in control. We knew this, but the day did not seem to live up to this truth. Yet, we knew enough to place it in the Lord’s hands in prayer. A good night’s sleep, an early rise, and a renewed hope, we started all over again.

The second day was much better. Each home was beautiful. However, there were only two homes that we felt would work for us. One did not have the view we wanted, and the other was about 40 minutes further away from where our daughter lives. At the end of the day I felt prompted to ask the Realtor to make another call to see if Karen’s favorite home was possibly back on the market. Later that night we received a phone call. To our surprise it was! However, there were five showings already scheduled for that day.

Our Realtor is a Christian. We prayed before we started each day. And I think she prayed as she fulfilled our request. She was able to squeeze us in for a viewing before anyone else. We knew immediately that this was the right home for us, our future guests who would come to visit, and our menagerie of pets. We proceeded to make an offer. It was an answer to my wife’s prayers, my prayers, and our Realtor’s prayers.

• Why did we ever doubt that God would provide?

The Lord calls us in the midst of the storms and trials of life to do something that is alien to our human nature – BE STILL! When things are not going right we want to ramp up the activity. Yet, God calls us to still our hearts and ramp up the prayer! He reminds us – “Be still and know that I AM GOD! I will be exalted among the nations. I will be exalted in the earth.” The next verse is even more powerful.

• “The Lord of hosts is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah”

The Lord of hosts is with us! The God of Jacob is our fortress! The term “Selah” is thought to be a call for a musical or poetic pause. It is after these statements that we must pause to ponder on what these words mean. The Lord who reigns over the entirety of heaven’s armies is with us. He is on our side. He is our shield and fortress. When you think on this you can only stop and fall to your knees in true humility, worship, and awe. It is a call to pause, reflect, and refocus. It is the call to BE STILL!

We still have many hurdles to overcome in our relocation. There are challenges with our financing, the sale or lease of our existing home, the need to downsize from our current footprint to one much smaller, and the challenge of starting a new life, finding a new church home, and making new friends. As we do, we have the loving support of a church family in Texas that love us and are praying for us. And we have the sure promise that the Lord is going before us, and that He will make every rough way smooth.

This is the promise to all God’s children who place their faith in Jesus Christ. Sometimes we have to have a bad day to slow us down. It is only then that we look up and quiet our hearts. It is not our natural response to be still. Yet it is the most crucial thing we can do as we move forward in life. Lord, help me to take time each day to be still and know that You are God, my God!

• “BE STILL AND KNOW THAT I AM GOD!”

In Jesus Name!