Update 9/7/16:
I am in the midst of a very busy week – starting fall seminary classes, prepping for Sunday School/preaching on Sunday, gearing up for fall church events and finalizing last-minute details for the Vine to Wine 1/2 Marathon and 5K on Saturday that I have been planning for the last 9 months and is bringing in over 500 registrants. Yesterday was a super-stressful day so this morning I spent my prayer time listening to this song and placing myself in God’s hands alone, because He alone is where I find my rest, my hope, my confidence, and in him I rest knowing that He will provide what is needed to accomplish the tasks at hand. Thank you, Lord.
As a part of the 2nd Sunday of Advent, with the theme of Peace, we spent the first 10 minutes of the service in silence on Sunday morning.
How often in our crazy-busy lives do we just sit in silence, much less sit in silence with the purpose of receiving the peace of the Lord?
I would venture a guess that the answer to that question for most of us is rarely, if at all.
As we came out of the silence, the first song we sang was Be Still My Soul (In You I Rest).
Have you ever really absorbed the words to that song?
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
To guide the future, as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
All now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice Who ruled them while He dwelt below.In You I rest, In You I find my hope
In You I trust, You never let me go
I place my life within Your hands alone
Be still my soul.Be still, my soul: the hour is hastening on
When we shall be forever with the Lord.
When disappointment, grief and fear are gone,
Sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past
All safe and blessed we shall meet at last.In You I rest, In You I find my hope
In You I trust, You never let me go
I place my life within Your hands alone
Be still my soul.
There is a very strong theme throughout the song of being still and trusting God in the midst of things that shake us up and bring anxiety rather than peace. Jesus tells us in John 14:27, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.” We have been given the peace of God, but the question is, have we received it? Do we accept it? Or do we look at our circumstances and allow them to steal the peace that we have been given?
We must choose to be still and accept His peace. We must choose to be still and receive His peace.
In the midst of the busy-ness of the holiday, in the midst of circumstances beyond our control, in the midst of grief and loss, be still.
Beautiful reminder.