Psalm 46:1-3 – “God is our strong refuge; he is truly our helper in times of trouble.  ² For this reason we do not fear when the earth shakes, and the mountains tumble into the depths of the sea, ³ when its waves crash and foam, and the mountains shake before the surging sea.”

In Psalm 46:1-3, something encouraging exploded in my heart: “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.”

The word ‘Trouble’ in Hebrew means to be restricted or tied up in a narrow, cramped place.  Most of us are familiar with that address.   You’ve heard the saying, “Between a rock and a hard place.”  That applies to life and is the subject of Psalm 46.

The Psalmist identified several places or conditions in which God desires to replace Stress with His Perfect Peace.

• Natural Calamities – – Psalm 46:1-3.  When those come, the natural reaction is Fear, but for the one Trusting in God, the reaction is, or will become, “I Will Not Fear!” 
• Civil Disturbance – – Psalm 46:4-7.  The city was under attack, and the natural reaction was PANIC, but for the one Trusting in God, the reaction is or will become, “GOD IS IN THE MIDST OF HER; SHE WILL NOT BE MOVED.”
• Post Battle Fatigue – – Psalm 46:8-11.  At that moment when it would be easy to give up or go into hiding, the attitude of the person Trusting in God is to declare that we will “cease striving and know that God is God so.”    Therefore, “I Will Not Strive.”

God is our “Bridge Over Troubled Waters,” or He desires to be.  The question is, “Is He?”   Is He to us!   The Bible offers numerous promises to encourage us.  Isaiah 41:10; 2 Timothy 1:7, Joshua 1:9; Psalm 27:1; 10.    The Old Gospel Hymn, “I Shall Not Be Moved,” can be a powerful testimony or an admission of resistance to God.  

The late Elvis Presley made the song “All Shook Up” a popular hit.   Elvis was born dirt-poor in a small Mississippi town.  He had little encouragement and almost no marketable skills.  At eighteen, earning $14 per week as a truck driver, he made a recording on a lark and became the highest-paid male entertainer in America.  Shortly before Elvis died, he said, “I would give a million dollars for one week of normal life and peace.”   The only cure for stress is God!

In Psalm 46:10, the Psalmist declared, “Cease Striving and know that I am God!”   The word “cease” means “relax.”   Stress will ultimately prevail unless we learn how to “cast all our care on the Lord.”

Several things stood out as I read this Psalm:

• God’s Strength Is Immediately Available.
• God’s Power Is Overpowering.
• God’s Power Is Not Dependent on Our Ability.

We are weak, but He is Strong, and His strength becomes our strength when we acknowledge our weakness and our need for Him.   No matter what you are facing – God is still God!   No matter how dark the night is – God is Still Light!    He is the same past, present, and future!   We can trust Him!   

Make this declaration – “Stress, you are not welcome here!”   Have a fantastic day!

Jeremiah 29:11-12 – “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.  ¹² Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”

As I prayed, read, and mused on the Word of God, something in Jeremiah 29:11-12 gripped my heart.  Here, the Lord is saying, in essence, “I know what I have planned for you.  I have good plans for you.  I do not plan to hurt you.  I plan to give you a good future.  THEN, you will call on My Name.  You will come to Me and pray to Me, and I will listen to you.”  I felt prompted to share something that will be part of my message on Sunday.

We must believe that promise in order to develop that Deep Sense of Peace and Trust necessary to be Hearers and Doers of the Word of God!   The question is, “How Can We Develop a Hearing Ear?”   How?  

• By making a deliberate choice and effort to set our minds on God!  [Do you have an Undisciplined Mind?  Ask for His Help.] 
• By making a deliberate choice to exercise our minds by focusing on God.  [Have Regular Times – – Start Slow and build up in intensity and frequency.]
• By extending this exercise of setting our minds on God into every area of our lives.  [Consciously bring all thoughts captive and turn them over to Jesus.]

Something worthy of note is a Sign I Have Seen in Health Clubs or Gyms:

F – – – Frequency

I – – – Intensity

T – – – Time

If we are to be led by the Spirit of God and Live as Sons and Daughters of God, we must hear God.  Tragically, too many remain Spiritual Infants and never grow because they have never learned to Hear GOD!  They have developed Substitutes and allowed those Substitutes to become their source of Hearing!

Those may be good books, religious broadcasts, religious services, and professional or spiritual counselors.  All of these can be excellent additions to Hearing God, but can never replace Hearing God for ourselves!  We need to hear GOD personally.

The problem is that when we listen to these substitutes, we may not feel responsible for taking Action.  We can accept or reject the advice, counsel, or word.  But – When we hear GOD for ourselves, we have two choices – – Obey or Disobey!

God has built a perfect system for hearing in each of us.  It is called the R.A.S.—the Reticular Activating System.  It works like this:

• Positive Focusing – – – – A New mother and her baby’s cry even in a crowded room or in the next room filled with crying babies.
• Negative Focusing – – – Live next door to an Airport, or Railroad track, and soon you do not hear the planes or trains.  They get filtered out.
• Individual Perceiving – Five people see an Accident, and each report something different.

The R.A.S. filters out unimportant stimuli and focuses on what is essential at that moment.  Once we have made the Distinction that something is significant to us, our R.A.S. immediately transmits any and All Information it receives regarding that area of Significance into our consciousness.

When we decide that Hearing GOD is Vital, our R.A.S. starts putting God through whenever He speaks.  It is Vital that We Learn to Hear GOD!  However, if we are to continue hearing from God, we must begin Bearing Fruit from our Hearing.

Matthew 13:12 – “For whoever has, to him more shall be given.”

Let’s determine that Hearing God is Vital.  

Ezekiel 1:3 – “the word of the Lord came expressly to Ezekiel the priest, son of Buzi, in the land of the Chaldeans by the river Chebar; and there the hand of the Lord came upon him.”

As I was reading, praying, and pondering the Word of God today, a statement in Ezekiel 1:3 captured my thoughts. “The Word of Yahweh came EXPRESSLY to Ezekiel.”

Expressly?  If we think of ‘express’ as fast, we miss the message.  The word (became his, and he owned it).  God specifically spoke to Ezekiel personally. God spoke a specific word to Ezekiel.  It became alive and moved him.

We need an ‘Express Word’ today.  We need it nationally. We need it locally.  But even more needful is personally.   We need an ‘Express Word’ during trials. We need an ‘Express Word’ in blessing.  We need a ‘Daily Word’ expressly spoken to our hearts.  A word that becomes alive and so personal that we own it.

We need James 1:19 to be the norm of our lives.   Tragically, too often, instead of being quick to hear God, we are quick to hear criticism and rumor.   Instead of being slow to speak, we spout off without having heard the conclusion of the whole matter.   Instead of being slow to anger, we allow hate, jealousy, envy, or a false righteousness to propel us into rage.

We are to be quick to hear God.  Slow to express our view, but rather gather the facts and God’s directive.  Slow to anger, and even when angry, do not let it linger.

James 5:13-16 provides guidance on body ministry.  James 5:19-20 reveals that restoration is always the objective, not exposure or judgment.  Love truly does cover a multitude of sins, and only those perfect (without sin) should throw stones of judgment, and if they do, they will no longer be without sin and disqualified to throw stones.

Let’s strive to be quick to hear from God, slow to speak, and slow to criticize and judge. Let us guard our hearts, words, and thoughts, focusing on God’s mercy, thus removing the fuel for contention and the oxygen for anger.

LORD, give us an Express Word today and every day!

Jeremiah 48:10 – “A curse on anyone who is lax in doing the Lord’s work!  A curse on anyone who keeps from carrying out his destruction!”

As I read, prayed, and meditated on the Word of God today, thoughts about the foundation of faith filled my mind with the matter of faith!

Faith, in the context and definition of trust, is essential in life and our relationship with God.  This faith is total trust, total reliance, and total surrender.  Hebrews 11 is a vivid reminder not so much of exploits as of confidence in God.  They trusted God with their all.  We focus on the deeds, and God focuses on the faith, the trust, and total investment in Him.

Jeremiah 48:10 is arresting.  “Cursed is the one who does the work of Yahweh with a slack hand, and cursed be the one who restrains his sword from blood.” This speaks of Faith, as reflected in total confidence and total investment.

The fuel and foundation of faith are revealed in Hebrews 11:27 – “By faith he (Moses) left Egypt (a type of sin or the old man or system), not fearing the rage of the king; FOR He endured, AS (by) SEEING Him who is unseen.”   He saw the Finished Work!  He saw the God who IS.   His faith was fueled by His vision (revelation) of God!

Hebrews 12:1-2 is not speaking of a crowd on the other side watching what we do, but instead of our reminder (example) of a life of total trust.  God’s part is to give us historical factual reminders to anchor us.  Our part is to pay attention to how we think, act, and live.  Focus on His provision and receive His strength to endure.  How do we endure?   By fixing our eyes on Jesus!  See the Cross and all He did there!  Embrace the resurrection.

The foundation of contentment is seen in Hebrews 13:5 – “I will NEVER desert you, NOR will I forsake you.” The timeless and changeless Christ is our anchor.  (Hebrews 13:8).

Without faith, it is impossible to please God.  It is not what we do that moves His heart, but our trust.  Trust is demonstrated.  The fruit of trust is visible in our thoughts, words, and deeds.  Unless we see Him, we will waver.  If we see Him, we will stand.

May your day be established on the foundation of faith!

Jeremiah 35:13 – “The Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, told him, “Go and speak to the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem.  Tell them, ‘I, the Lord, say: “You must learn a lesson from this about obeying what I say.”

As I read, prayed, and mused on the Word of God today, a statement in Jeremiah 35:13 stopped me in my tracks.  Somehow, I did not remember reading it before, but it has been there all along.  “Will you not receive discipline by listening to My Words?”

I thought about what Jesus said in John 15:3, as He was talking about the Vine and branches and God’s pruning for fruitfulness.   He said, “You are already clean because of the Word which I have spoken to you.”  The word purges, purifies, prepares, and prunes(disciplines).   In verse 4, He gives the key to victory – “Abide in Me, and I in you…”

Hebrews 10:19-25 is revelatory.  Through the sacrifice of Jesus, which brought us into the New Covenant, we are enabled to come into the Throne Room of heaven.   Jesus gives a new way of living with full access to the Father.   It’s not new as a new car, the latest in a series, but new in a never-before way!  The Grace of God through the Cross brought us a life never lived before.   A life that has no limits.  A life of constant contact with God!  That’s the New Covenant.

Neglecting the sacrifice of Jesus and devaluing His gift is dangerous.  Hebrews 10:29 awed me.  It reveals that doing that“insults the grace of God.” That makes me tremble!  Imagine standing before God having insulted His grace!

One day, we will stand before Him.  One day, the books will be opened.  One day, we will realize fully the value of every word, thought, and deed.  One day, so why not grasp it now and live each moment with complete assurance of the completeness of His Grace, abiding in Him and He in us?  What a difference He makes in our lives when our lives are all about Him.

Lord, discipline (prune) me with Your word and make me fruitful.

May we receive the discipline of the LORD and become the overcomers He has destined us to be!