1 Corinthians 2:7-8 revealed a hidden truth. It says, “But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, the hidden wisdom which God ordained before the ages for our glory, which none of the rulers of this age knew; for had they known, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.”

We know because Scripture revealed it time and time again. Jesus gave a scathing rebuke to the Pharisees. They were the teachers of the Law. John 5:39-40 says, “You search the Scriptures, for in them you think you have eternal life; and these are they which testify of Me. But you are not willing to come to Me that you may have life.”

John 6:36 says, “But I said to you that you have seen Me and yet do not believe.” Verse 37 is great assurance for us. It should have been for them also. It says, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”

Yet, because they did not believe and go to the Lord, the truth of His word was hidden from them. His cross was the enemy’s destruction. Colossians 2:15 says, “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Here is the truth for us that highlights a condition to God’s promise. John 14:21 says, “He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.”

Isaiah 59:19 says, “So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and His glory from the rising of the sun; when the enemy comes in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him.”

God’s standard is His word. When it is hidden in our heart, we can instantly latch onto it in our thoughts, and speak it out loud with our mouths. Psalm 149:6 says, “Let the high praises of God be in their mouth, and a two-edged sword in their hand.”

We will never be shaken by our adverse circumstances when we stand in the Rock Of Our Salvation. Steadfast. Immoveable. Impenetrable. Psalm 62:11 says, “God has spoken once, twice I have heard this: that power belongs to God.”

God is All Powerful. That means that no one and no thing has any power. It is all His. He gives us His power through His name. Daniel 11:32 says, “Those who do wickedly against the covenant he shall corrupt with flattery; but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.”

I love this verse. Jeremiah 33:4 says, “Call to Me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you do now know.” When we are still before Him, we learn His character because He reveals His heart.

The word ‘mighty’ in Hebrew means isolated or inaccessible. The insights that the Lord reveals through our intimate communion with Him, is not accessible to the enemy of our soul.

At all times and in every situation the Lord is in control. Psalm 46:1 says, “God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.” It is in the midst of trouble that we often find our mind careening from one frantic thought to another.

The definition for careen is to move swiftly and in an uncontrolled way in a specified direction. We alone are in control of our thoughts. David wrote Psalm 131. Verse 2 is a stillness discipline that we need to employ as well.

It says, “Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with his mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me.” In the midst of adversity, we can instantly still our heart when we set our gaze upon the Lord who is always reigning in righteousness.

What do you do when you feel overwhelmed? 

Here is another Psalm that David wrote. I like to embrace it as my heart’s cry when I am feeling overwhelmed. Psalm 61:1-2 says, “Hear my cry, O God; attend to my prayer. From the end of the earth I will cry to You, when my heart is overwhelmed; lead me to the rock that is higher than I.”

David was acknowledging that he needed God to be his Solidity in the raging storm of his overwhelming circumstances. Verse 3 says, “For You have been a shelter for me, a strong tower from the enemy.”

Psalm 2:1-2 says, “Why do the nations rage, and the people plot a vain thing? The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the Lord and again His anointed…” Does it sound like our day?

Psalm 97:9 says, “For You, Lord, are most high above all the earth; You are exalted far above all gods.” When my day seems blocked at every turn, or I get into a hard situation, I have learned to pronounce, “You are Lord Over All.” It helps me to recenter on the Lord.

In March of 2017, I was staying in my cousin’s travel trailer at an RV Park. I had just discovered that my mobile’s air was contaminated with live mold spores. They were wreaking havoc on my health.

That particular day I had taken my trash to the dumpster. It was cold outside, but I was only going to be gone a minute. When I came back to go inside again, the door was locked. I thought, “It’s ok. I’ll just get the spare key.” The spare key was not where my cousin told me it would be.

I had little strength, it was cold, and I had no cell phone with me. That morning I had drawn some warfare art that had “You are Lord Over All” highlighted and squared. I began to speak that truth as I wandered through the RV Park looking for a person who might be able to help me. The Lord led me to a kind man who loaned me his cell to call my cousin. 

I am thinking back to a childhood hymn, “Trust And Obey.” You probably never did what I did, but my heart was not always silent when I was told to do something as a child. I remember inner arguments. 

How do you respond, when in the busyness of your life, you hear the Lord calling you to come to Him. It was His still small voice that shook Elijah. 1 Kings 19:11-12 recorded quite a dramatic and noisy display of God’s power. 

Verse 11-12 says, “…a great and strong wind tore into the mountains and broke the rocks in pieces…after the wind an earthquake…after the earthquake a fire…and after the fire a still small voice.”

The Lord often speaks to us with a still small voice in the midst of our chaotic days. Are we attentive? I like to pray Isaiah 30:21 in the first person. The verse says, “Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, This is the way, walk in it, whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.”

Job 24:16 captures my heart. I use it as a prayer also. I don’t want to miss one of His whispered words. It says, “Indeed these are the mere edges of His ways, and how shall a whisper we hear of Him! But the thunder of His power who can understand?”

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Hold onto these words. Put them into a practice of stillness.

This verse has always intrigued me. Revelation 8:1 says, “When He opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour.”  Silence. No words. No singing. No worship.

Revelation 4:8 says, “The four living creatures, each having six wings, were full of eyes around and within. And they do not rest day or night, saying: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was and is and is to come!”

Verse 9 says that every time they gave glory and honor and thanks to the Lord, verse 10 says that the twenty-four elders worshiped. Verse 11 recorded their words, “You are worthy O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created.”

The way I read this passage means that it was constant, until that time of silence. How awe striking it must have been. It gives me expanded meaning to David’s words in Psalm 62. Verse 1 says, “Truly my soul silently waits for God…” Verse 5 was David’s instructions to himself. It says, “My soul, wait silently for God alone…”

Waiting carries an expression of expectation. Waiting in silence is the discipline of a heart yielded to the Lord. We yield through trust. Verse 8 says, “Trust in Him at all times you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us.”

We are able to empty our heart of our own expectations only when we can fully trust. It is at that point, that we are able to be still. Until typing this, I don’t think I ever considered trust and silence together before.

Here is a great word picture of dwelling in stillness. Psalm 91:1 says, “He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High, shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.” Can you picture yourself there?

John 15:4 Amplified says, “Dwell in Me, and I will dwell in you. (Live in Me, and I will live in you.) Just as no branch can bear fruit of itself without abiding in (being vitally united to) the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in Me.”

Vitally means absolutely necessary or essential. John 15:5 is another verse that needs to be framed and hung on our heart’s wall. It says, “…for without Me you can do nothing.” It is an absolute truth that cannot be altered, or worked around. In short, it means to dwell through intimate communion~like Joshua lingered in God’s presence.

Our lives are hectic. We have planners, to-do-lists, alerts on our phones, or sticky notes tacked around to help us stay on track. I remember hearing Pastor Paul Yungi Cho saying something like when he was the most busy, he knew he needed to spend more time with the Lord in prayer.

Prayer and daily reading His word are both essential disciplines. However, intimate communion is as essential as breathing. Without breath we die. Without intimate communion we shrivel up into spiritual dehydration. Dwelling versus visiting, breathing in His Presence versus attending a church service. Bearing fruit, that glorifies the Lord, is the result of dwelling in stillness rather than the activity of doing.

Aaron, Nadab, and Abihu visited. Moses and Joshua dwelt. I love this passage in Exodus 33. I want to be like Joshua. Verse 7 says, “Moses took his tent and pitched it outside the camp, far from the camp, and called it the tabernacle of meeting. And it came to pass that everyone who sought the Lord went out to the tabernacle of meeting which was outside the camp.”

Verse 8 could very well describe someone who goes to church, but does not spend time daily in God’s word, and drinking in His Presence. It says, “…whenever Moses went out to the tabernacle, that all the people rose, and each man stood at his tent door and watched Moses until he had gone into the tabernacle.”

They were invited but they only watched. Verse 9 is glorious. It says, “…the pillar of cloud descended and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the Lord talked with Moses.” Verse 10 says that the people worshiped at their tent door. 

Verse 11 is often a picture in my heart. It says, “So the Lord spoke to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. And he would return to the camp but his servant Joshua…a young man, did not depart from the tabernacle.”

I believe that Joshua received his training as the next leader of the children of Israel from his quiet time before the Lord. He dwelt in His Presence. Our intimate communion with the Lord shapes our lives. He imparts His wisdom for our next step. Let nothing vie for your time with Him.

Francis Schaeffer wrote a book called, “How Should We Then Live?” It is a question I often ask myself when I read a passage of Scripture that brings inner conviction. Romans 3:23 says, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Sin means to miss the mark.

Straight arrows don’t miss their mark. They hit the bullseye. Authentic followers of Jesus are straight arrows. Sin causes us to veer off course. The truth of Romans 6:1-2 needs to be engraved on the walls of our heart. We do not have to sin!

It says, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound? Certainly not! How shall we who died to sin live any longer in it?” In light of these two verses, I encourage you to ask yourself this question: how then shall I live?

The answer for us is in verses 11 and 12. They say, “…reckon yourselves to be dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.”

Dead things have no ability to respond. We sin because we bite the hook of deception that satan so cleverly dangles before us. Living for ourselves versus living for Jesus is the drawn line in the sand.

Verse 13 says, “And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin…”

Our bodies are the temple of the living God (1 Corinthians 6:19) and yet we still dare to sin. He dwells within us. 1 Peter 1:15 says, “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct.”

Here is the second part of the pile of pick up sticks. Why do we skirt around issues when confronted? Read this with me. In Exodus 32:3, Aaron intentionally requested that they break off their golden earrings and bring them to him.

Read verse 24 very carefully. Take in his actions fully into your mind. It says, “And he received the gold from their hand, and he fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made a molded calf…”

Read his words when Moses confronted him. Verse 21 is the confrontation, “…What did this people do to you that you have brought so great a sin upon them?” Aaron’s reply is in verses 22-24. You can read them. I want to pick up his statement at the end of verse 24. It says, “…I cast it into the fire, and this calf came out.”

What? Verse 25 sobers me. It says, “Now when Moses saw that the people were unrestrained (for Aaron had not restrained them, to their shame among their enemies).” Our sin (unrestraint) is displayed before our enemies. 

We forget what the Lord’s intent for His church is. Ephesians 3:10 says, “To the intent that now the manifold wisdom of God might be made known by the church to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places.”