Be Still and Know

I hope you are having a wonderful Sunday!

This is a picture that I took at Arbor Crest Winery just outside of Spokane last weekend. 

It was so beautiful! You could certainly see the wonder of God's creation here.

This morning's sermon was so good that I wanted to put it in writing so that I would remember it, and frankly, it is well worth sharing.

Our Pastor has been teaching a series on Passion and this mornings passion was on prayer. 

 These are my notes:

3 Reasons Why We Should Talk About Prayer: 

1. Many of us have put our faith in the "Gospel of Busyness" 

2. We're all a mess but we lie about it. 

3. Many of us are frustrated with prayer.

The "Big Idea" 

How we pray reflects how we trust God

Psalm 46 NLT

vs 1  1 God is our refuge and strength always ready to help in times of trouble.

  

We can run to GOD when things get crazy. 

God WANTS to be who we run to in times of trouble. 

vs 2-7    2 So we will not fear when earthquakes come and the mountains crumble into the sea.

3 Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge!

4 A river brings jow to the city of our God, the sacred home of the MOST HIGH.

5 God dwells in that city; it cannot be destroued. From the very break of day, God will protect it.

6 The nations are in chaos, and their kingdoms crumble! God's voice thunders. and the earth melts!

7 The LORD of Heaven's Armies is here among us; The God of Israel is out fortress.

God's steadfastness removes the need for fear.

vs 8-9  8 Come, see the glorious works of the LORD: See how he brings destruction upon the world. 

9 He causes wars to end throughout the earth. He breaks the bow and snaps the spear; he burns the shields with fire.

We should stand in AWE of who God is and what he has done.

vs 10  10"Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world"

In Hebrew Be still means to be quite, but it also means to surrender, and give-in.  Know means to know or experience. 

We must cease the striving of our over busy lives in order to know that HE is GOD!

Take time to be still and know. 

Experience God.

It's Sunday!

My husband and I share some common addictions. One of them ...We neither one can go to the book store without looking at the bibles. It is bizarre, I know, but that is just the way we are.

Here's a few of them. I have started incorporating them into our decor. I hope that's not disrespectful or blasphemous. I just think that they are such beautiful books. I have even given a lot of them to Missionaries.

I always buy new ones and then go back to my favorite. The blue leather, NIV, with the thumb index, concordance, dictionary and maps. Honestly, aside from it being God's word, I love that old thing. It is like a favorite pair of old Levi 501's that are just the right shade of blue and so soft that they are almost torn, but not quite. Every time we read it in church, I put the date by the scripture so that I remember. Our pastor has some favorite times of the year to preach on certain scriptures. This month has been Family Month. So we have been in Corinthians a lot.

We're off to church. I hope you have a blessed Sunday. If you don't have a church home, I hope you find one. In these troubled times there is nothing more helpful than staying steeped in God's word and surrounded by a church family.