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Psalm 46 

Be Still

This psalm encourages us to hope and trust in God; in his power and providence, and his gracious presence with his church in the worst of times. We may apply it to spiritual enemies, and the encouragement we have that, through Christ, we shall be conquerors over them. He is a Help, a present Help, a Help found, one whom we have found to be so; a Help at hand, one that is always near; we cannot desire a better, nor shall we ever find the like in any creature. Here is joy to the church, even in sorrowful times. The river alludes to the graces and the comforts received by the Holy Spirit, which flow through every part of the church, and through God's sacred ordinances, gladdening the heart of every believer. It is promised that the church shall not be moved. If God be in our hearts, by his word dwelling richly in us, we shall be established, we shall be helped; let us trust and not be afraid. You want to know victory – stop striving, to let go, surrender to God – be still.

Mark 4:39

          Peace, be still - Be silent! Be still! There is uncommon majesty and authority in these words. Who but God could do this? Perhaps this salvation of his disciples in the boat might be designed to show us the protection and deliverance which Christ will give to his followers, however violently they may be persecuted by earth.

How often do we ask God for everything, but we don’t stop to listen or to be still?  The act of being still and getting quiet becomes more of a challenge in our hectic world. The world asks us to be busy. God asks us to be still so that we can receive love, peace and guidance. Some commentators say we have upwards of 50,000 thoughts a day. We burn our brains out.

       Quieting the mind, shutting up the mind requires practice. For some reason, meditation has not been a mainstay of traditional Christianity.  Prayer and Bible reading are encouraged in the bible and so is meditation.  Jesus, John the Baptist and others went off to meditate and to take themselves away from the hectic world. Meditation is not only about turning things over in our mind, it is also being still to allow God to instruct us about Himself and to allow ourselves to come under His authority.

        The next time you have fearful and anxious thoughts that are raging within you like a violent storm, do as Jesus did. Silence those thoughts by saying, “Peace, be still.” When you need strength and help, let go and rest in God, your refuge. “Be still and know that I am God.” Be still so God can give you His vision for your life – so you will know God’s purpose for you.

Nehemiah 13:1 – 12

¹When the Law of Moses was being read aloud to the people, they came to the passage that said that no Ammonite or Moabite was ever to be permitted to join God's people. ²This was because the people of Ammon and Moab did not give food and water to the Israelites on their way out of Egypt. Instead, they paid money to Balaam to curse Israel, but our God turned the curse into a blessing. ³When the people of Israel heard this law read, they excluded all foreigners from the community. ⁴The priest Eliashib, who was in charge of the Temple storerooms, had for a long time been on good terms with Tobiah. ⁵He allowed Tobiah to use a large room that was intended only for storing offerings of grain and incense, the equipment used in the Temple, the offerings for the priests, and the tithes of grain, wine, and olive oil given to the Levites, to the Temple musicians, and to the Temple guards. ⁶While this was going on, I was not in Jerusalem, because in the thirty-second year that Artaxerxes was king of Babylon I had gone back to report to him. After some time I received his permission ⁷and returned to Jerusalem. There I was shocked to find that Eliashib had allowed Tobiah to use a room in the Temple. ⁸I was furious and threw out all of Tobiah's belongings. ⁹I gave orders for the rooms to be ritually purified and for the Temple equipment, grain offerings, and incense to be put back. ¹⁰I also learned that the Temple musicians and other Levites had left Jerusalem and gone back to their farms, because the people had not been giving them enough to live on. ¹¹I reprimanded the officials for letting the Temple be neglected. And I brought the Levites and musicians back to the Temple and put them to work again. ¹²Then all the people of Israel again started bringing to the Temple storerooms their tithes of grain, wine, and olive oil.

Israel was a peculiar people, and was not to mingle with the nations. What happens here is from publicly reading the word of God; when it is properly attended to, it shows us sin and righteousness, good and evil, and shows where we have gone wrong.

We profit, when we separate from evil. Those that drive sin out of their hearts, the living temples, must throw out its household stuff, and take away all the things that are the food and fuel of lust. When sin is cast out of the heart by repentance, let the blood of Christ be applied to it by faith, then let it be furnished with the graces of God's Spirit, for every good work.

We are not to shelter anyone destined for God punishment. All other people we are to love as God does – to do less is not to clean out God’s temple. This passage clearly shows that you will be rewarded for your good works done God’s way.