I know someone who seems to always live in “fight mode.” I think it’s because she had to fight for everything when she was growing up and that fight continued long into her adulthood and into her Christian life as well. If she doesn’t like it, she puts on those boxing gloves and fights with words, irritation, and anger. Her hands are always holding weapons and she’s ready at any given moment.
I think this may true of a lot of us, right? I mean… isn’t it a natural response to pick up those weapons and fight when we don’t like something, when we see Christians behaving badly, when we’re attacked, or when bad things happen? In the Old Testament, weapons were made from all sorts of different materials. Some were big and some strong. Some were meant to destroy and some to wound. In our modern world, our weapons are also made out of all sorts of materials… we use words, silence, rebellion, anger, retaliation, judgment, and gossip.
Well, the psalmist addressed this with one verse: “Be still, and know that I am God.” We know this verse, right? And we think that it means to be quiet in the presence of God and listen. While this is true; it goes deeper than that. The Hebrew word for still is rapa. In some instances, this word carries the idea of “to drop, be weak, or faint.” Basically, it can mean that we are to drop those weapons and trust in God to fight for us. God is talking in this verse and you can almost hear what He’s saying. “Child, I am perfectly capable of fighting your battles. But you must drop your weapons if you want me to fight for you.”
So, I want to encourage you today to drop whatever fleshly weapons you are still holding in your hands… weapons that you think you need to fight. It’s okay to pick up spiritual weapons… prayer and the Word of God. As you drop those weapons, remember three things about God…
He’s Omnipotent (ALL POWERFUL)! He can win any battle just with His breath or with one word. He is able to accomplish the strongest feats and He is certainly able to win your battles.
He’s Omniscient (ALL KNOWING)! He knows how severe the battle is. He knows the beginning from the end. He knows what you will be facing today. He knows what you need. He knows how to fight to win. He knows much more about the battle you are in than you could ever know.
He’s Omnipresent (ALL PRESENT)! I think about the true story of a man from South Africa. His childhood was wracked with abuse, abandonment, and rejection. In fact, he was left alone at the tender age of 7 or 8. He never thought he was good enough. He married a wonderful girl, but never felt like he measured up. One night, his wife and daughter were in an accident and they barely survived. His daughter was in a coma and the outlook was grim. He was about to give up, he threw up his fists to God and yelled, “God, where are you? I cried out when I was little, and you weren’t there. I am crying now and You are not here.” Then he heard God silently say, “Leon, I have NEVER abandoned you.” For the first time in his life, he recognized God’s presence. He story has a happy ending. His daughter woke up, his marriage was saved, and he eventually became a pastor. God is with you too. He has never abandoned you. And He is in the midst of your battles.
Let this encourage you today and be still and know that “HE IS GOD!”