Be Still.

"Then Jesus got up and said to the wind and the waves "Be still," and they were immediately calm." ~ Matthew 8:26

Never has the Lord spoken those two words into my life more than in these past summer months. And in trying to be still, I have been getting one of the most grueling workouts of my life.

My "being still" and "waiting" muscles are by far the least used in my spiritual "body". In comparison, my "doing" muscles are disproportionately HUGE. When a trial arises in my life, my first instinct is to fix the issue as quickly as possible. Waiting is rarely an option in my mind, until it comes to my attention as a last resort for salvaging a situation.

But what I've realized recently is that I can't do everything. I can't fix issues that are beyond my capabilities to fix. Often the Lord calls us to trust in Him, instead of act on His behalf. He doesn't need me to play God. He needs me to accept my role as the vessel through which His Spirit moves -- I am the vessel, not the Spirit itself.

"Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act." ~ Psalm 37:7

Ah yes. That key word "patiently". I find that the longer I wait for something to be fixed, the more anxious I feel, and as time goes on I begin scrambling for a sign from heaven that I can finally do my part and jump into the fixing process.

I don't do that with practical things in my life... If my laptop is broken, I leave it with the experts at Best Buy, and wait patiently for them to do what they have been trained to do. I trust that they are capable and that everything will be fine. Until then, I rest, realizing that there is nothing I can do to urge the process along. My calling incessantly would only delay the process. So I sit back and relax until the work is completed and my laptop is returned to me restored.

Can I not trust the Lord to fix the difficult situations in my life? God is complete in wisdom and understanding (Proverbs 2:6), His ways are above my ways and His thoughts above my thoughts (Isaiah 55), He understands every part of me (Psalm 139)... everything I need before I ask for it (Isaiah 65:24).

The Lord is good, and His mercies endure forever.

The above phrase has been on my heart for the past ten days, reminding me that although I stand in the middle of many storms, the Lord can and will calm them, at just the right time. His ways are not my ways. His thoughts are not my thoughts. I may not understand, but I can trust that He is capable to calm the storm, that all is for His glory, and that everything He does, He does out of love for me.

"Be still, and know that I am God!" ~ Psalm 46:10

Translation: "Get out of My way, Ame! Let Me fix this as only I know how! Trust Me, and rest in Me. I am your God. I alone am God. And I am FOR you, not against you. I am FOR you, and not against you. Be still, and know that I am God!"

Jesus got up and said to the wind and the waves "Be still," and my spirit was immediately calm.

Focus

"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." ~ Hebrews 12:2

Focus.
What a fascinating concept...

Focus has been a part of my daily life from the moment I understood the notion of responsibility and that I couldn't get anywhere in life if I kept turning my head from left to right, ignoring the path straight ahead.

What I have come to realize, however, is that I have neglected to exercise focus in my walk with the Lord, and that this is ESSENTIAL for my heart to find rest.

Instead of focusing on the Lord -- the way He sees the situations in my life, what He desires for me -- I have been focusing on how other people see me, and what I want for my own life.

My lack of focus on God has resulted in an influx of worry, unrest, frustration, anger, and hopelessness.

I have been turning my head from left to right, like a restless horse trying to shake the rider's grip off the reins.

And what have I gained from struggling, acting solely on the tiny particle of my life that is visible before me? How have I benefited from fighting against God's greater plans for me?

The path is straight and narrow, and I do not walk through the dark valley alone (Psalm 23:4). When the shadows of uncertainty in the valley lengthen, I can be assured that there is the Light of truth guiding me home (Psalm 43:3). And Home (with a capital "H") is exactly where I need to set my gaze. (Hebrews 11:13-15, Philippians 3:20-21)

God's primary concern is not my comfort, my happiness, or all of my petty dreams coming true. His desire first and foremost is that I am drawn to His heart and that I am set securely in His arms. No matter what befalls me on this earth, THAT is my reward. THAT is my goal. THAT is what is best for me, and THAT ALONE shall be my focus.

This is not to say that Jesus doesn't care about our struggles in life. The Bible says that God "keeps track of all our sorrows" and has "collected every tear in His bottle" (Psalm 56:8). God is love, and He loves us more completely and unfailingly than we could ever imagine.

It is in times of trial that we must turn our focus Home, to trust in God's love and believe that "God works for the good of those who love Him" (Romans 8:28), . And we must realize that this "good" may be defined differently by God than it is by us. God's definition of good is increased righteousness -- "a broken and contrite heart" (Psalm 51). Therefore, even when we cannot see the end result of the trials we endure, we can be comforted that we are being drawn ever closer to God's heart, and are learning to focus ever more clearly on the perfection of His redeeming love.

Everything else is fading away
Only Love
Only Love remains

"Stay with God!
Take heart. Don't quit.
I'll say it again:
Stay with God." ~ Psalm 27:13-14 (MSG)