How well do you know God?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

Be still, and know that I am God;
(Psalms 46:10a (NIV))

How often can you take the time to sit in silence? If you are like me, the hectic lifestyles that we live do not allow any time like this. Yet, God has made us for these times. He did not make us to live in this hectic pace. He made us to be at peace with Him, with the world, and with ourselves.

How can we receive this peace?

God told us to “Be still, and know that I am God.” He did not tell us to live our lives frantically striving to attain something worldly. He told us to be still.

God is not going to shout to get our attention. God is a gentleman. He will not force Himself on anyone, yet He is there for everyone. You must approach Him! You must then learn to be still in His presence and nurture the relationship that He longs to have with you. You must learn to long for a relationship with God.

How do you approach someone that you wish to get to know? Do you go somewhere where it is really noisy, or do you go somewhere where it is quiet and you can talk. God wishes to talk to us in this manner. He also wishes for us to talk to Him in this manner.

Be still and listen.

Be still and talk.

Be still and know.

How well do you know God?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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What governs your mind?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ©

The mind governed by the flesh is death, but the mind governed by the Spirit is life and peace.
(Romans 8:6 (NIV))

What lurks in the back of your mind when you have nothing going on?

Perhaps if I ask that another way it will make more sense. So, what do you do when you think that no one is looking?

The human mind is a difficult thing to control. We must keep it engaged with external stimuli or we take the chance that it will wander into something that will have disastrous consequences. Even when we focus on external stimuli, we have a tendency to seek out things that will eventually cause us trouble. We need to be very careful and very deliberate with our thoughts. The old saying, “Garbage in, garbage out” comes to mind. In other words, we become what we choose to fill ourselves with. Since we have two parts to our existence, spiritual and physical, we have two distinct paths we can pursue. We can choose the things that are physical in nature such as wealth, power, greed and lust, or we can choose the spiritual option. Even when we choose the spiritual option, we must be careful to not embrace a demonic spirit, but we must strive to follow the Holy Spirit.

As I sit here praying and writing, I find my mind wandering. It has been a long day, and I still need to spend my time with the Lord. You may find yourself in the very same predicament. It is human nature. With that said, when your mind does wander, are you able to redirect it? What do you redirect to, or do you go through life constantly facing distractions and chasing after the proverbial squirrels that we all encounter? Long ago I made a decision that I must establish my priorities, control my own thoughts and keep them focused on what I truly want to focus on. In other words, I have made the Lord not only a priority, but the priority in my life.

Allowing your mind to be governed by the Spirit of God requires commitment. It requires a maturity that most of us wish we had. Most of all, it requires a desire to seek after God in all things and the ability to recognize when you stray. When you stray, and we all do, repent and refocus! Allow the Holy Spirit to fill your life and to govern your mind. You will find that you do possess a maturity and a peace that passes all understanding.

What governs your mind?

Copyright 1998 – 2020 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Are you strong in the Lord?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living

Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power.
(Ephesians 6:10 (NIV))

It is common to refer to something that someone is good at as being one of their strengths. If you were writing a resume, these would be listed at the top where they could be prominently displayed. We all have our own unique strengths. For some people, it is easy to see these strengths. For others, it is not so easy. In most instances, it is easier to see the strengths of others than it is to see our own strengths.

What about spiritual strengths?

Have you ever thought about your spiritual life as a strength?

Have you considered praise and worship a strength?

Have you considered spending time in God’s Word a strength?

Is prayer one of your strong points?

When you spend your life relying on the Lord, the world may see this as a weakness, but it is a strength!

Do you desire to be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power? What does that question mean to you? Does it mean that your faith is strong and you fully rely on God’s promises no matter what the world may say? Does it mean that you have peace? Have you ever thought about the peace of God being one of your strengths?

And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
(Philippians 4:7 (NIV))

Are you strong in the Lord?

Copyright 1998 – 2017 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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Is what you fear bigger than God?

Be Still . . .
Devotionals for Daily Living ^©

So do not fear, for I am with you;
do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you;
I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.
(Isaiah 41:10 (NIV))

Are you fearful of what is to come?

Do you look at the things that are happening in this world and tremble? Do the things of this world cause you to worry or do you have the peace that passes understanding?

It is so easy to look at the world and to fall into the trap that says the world is a fearful place. If all that you do is look at it from a physical, worldly perspective, it is a fearful place.

Take a look at it through Kingdom eyes. Take a look at it through the timeline that God has laid out. We can see His hand at work as His plan unfolds before our eyes. We may not know exactly when things will happen, but we can rest assured that they are happening according to God’s plan.

If they are unfolding according to God’s plan, then if we are in God’s Will, then we have nothing to fear!

Have you accepted His Son, Jesus, as your personal Lord and Savior?

Have you repented of your sins?

Have you earnestly studied God’s Word so that you can understand God’s plan?

I want to ask you a simple question.

What are you fearful about?

Think about that question and try to be as honest with yourself as you can.

Now, I want you to think about your faith and the One that you place your faith in.

Is what you fear bigger than God?

Copyright 1998 – 2015 Dennis J. Smock
Daily Living Ministries, Inc.
http://www.dailylivingministries.org
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