Good morning. It's wonderful
to be here together. Always a blessing. I always like
to say it's an honor and a privilege to proclaim God's word and to
be with God's people. I remember I was talking to Brother
John about this yesterday. I remember talking with Donnie
Bell one time and him and I were chatting and he said we were
talking about the privilege of preaching and the honor of preaching
and he made the comment Brother Wayne, I'd have to step down
to be President of the United States. That's how much of an
honor it is. It really is. That's how much
of a privilege it is to come before God's people and to preach
the word and to preach the marvelous things of Christ and what he's
done. Turn with me, if you would, to
Psalm chapter 46. What we read today is where our text will
be found. And the message is two words, be still. Be still
is the name of the message. And our text is found in Psalm
46.10. Be still. Psalm 46.10 says, Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen.
I will be exalted in the earth. Be still. and know that I am
God. I will be exalted among the heathen.
I will be exalted in the earth. God tells us in this verse, be
still. He also tells us in this verse
that I will be exalted among the heathen. He also tells us,
I'll be exalted in the earth. Here before us, we are commanded
to be still and know that I am God. We are told here to be still. Now, this does not mean for us
to cease from movement. When he tells us here to be still,
it doesn't mean to cease from movement. What the meaning is, is that
we are to be still before the mighty workings of God's providence. We're to be still, knowing that
our God is a God who is in control. He is a God who rules and reigns. And that none can thwart His
hand, and we are to be still before His providential works. It means to rest. To rest in
what he's doing. To be quiet before the Lord.
For us not to worry. That's a hard thing to do, isn't
it? Because we worry about this. But we're not to worry. We're
to rest in Christ. We're to rest in Him. We're to
rest in what God's doing. Look at verse 1 to 3. Why are we to rest in God's providential
workings? Why? Because He's always present,
no matter what we go through, no matter what happens in the
world. God is our refuge. Oh, we could just sit there,
couldn't we? And strength, a very present help, a very present
help in trouble. No matter what you're going through,
beloved, He is present. He's a very present help in trouble.
He's not a far-off God like the Gnostics believe. He's a very
present help for us, right in our midst. Therefore, will not we fear,
though the earth be removed and though the mountains be carried
into the midst of the sea? Though the waters thereof roar
and be troubled, though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof,
see law." We are to be still before our God who's in full
control no matter what is going on, no matter what turmoil we
see in the world. It's not easy for the flesh to
do that, is it? It's not easy. But God tells
us, be still and know that I am God. He's in full control. We're not to be fearful or impatient. Again, that's hard for us to
do. If we're honest, it is. But we're to rest quietly in
God's providential works and in His dealings with man and
in His dealings with us. We are to we are to quietly be
resigned to God's will and live in this world, live in this world
each day, knowing that God is working all things,
all things according to his providence. And this again, it's not easy
for us to do that. The Lord told her with the John
chapter 14. The Lord told his disciples before
he went to the cross to not let their heart be troubled. Why?
Because he knew their hearts would be troubled. He knew it. John chapter 14 says
this. Verses one to three. Let not your heart be troubled.
You believe in God, believe also in me. This is the God-man mediator
speaking. This is God in the flesh. In
my Father's house are many mansions. If it were not so, I would have
told you. I go to prepare a place for you. We're just strangers in pilgrims
going through this world, beloved. We won't be here long. This world
is not our home. Oh, we seek a far country, a
better country. And if I go and prepare a place
for you, I will come again and receive you unto myself. For where I am, there ye may
be also. Like the old grace preachers
say, where the head is, the body soon falls. Christ is in heaven. We'll be in heaven one day, those
of us who believe with Him. So we are to be still before
God. We are to trust and rest in his providential workings
in this world and in our lives. Now, think of this in light of
the verse that we are to be still and know that God is God. Think
of man's arrogance. The irreverence people have for
God. In this world. A one dear brother once said
that there's an unholy familiarity with God and with holy things
in our life. And we probably talk to people.
I talk to people and after you're done talking with them, you think
that they have a hotline to God and that God is at their beck
and call from what they tell you. I've talked to folks like
that. And you just shake your head.
God's at no one's back. He's God. He can do whatever
He pleases. They make God out to be some
kind of cosmic genie who will grant them whatever they want.
The word of faith people are famous for this. Just sow your
seed and God will give you even more. And they always let you know
when they're fasting and praying. Although scripture tells not
to let anyone know when you're fasting. Oh, this is not the God of the
Bible. It's a God of people's imaginations. God does whatever
he pleases. Whatever he pleases. Because
he's God. Today there's very little reverence
before God. and very little being still before
God, like our text proclaims. Many people are going about trying
to establish their own righteousness, thinking, well, if I do this
and I follow my checklist, surely God will be pleased with me because
I got my checklist all full. Trying to establish their own
righteousness. People make jokes about God.
They make flippant jokes about God. They make jokes about hell. Like it's not real. Well, let
me tell you, God is real and hell is real. And God rules and reigns. He
rules and reigns supreme. And one day, turn with me if
you would to Philippians chapter 2. One day, one day, those folks
who have jokingly and mockingly made a mockery of God, they will
stand before a holy and righteous God and they will bow their knee
to Him. Oh, Philippians chapter 2, starting
in verse 9. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, Christ. Wherefore God also hath highly
exalted him, verse 9, and given him a name which is above every
name. There is only one name. There is only one who will save
us, and that's Christ Jesus the Lord. Only one. And it says again
that at the name of Jesus every knee shall bow. Every single
knee shall bow. Every one. Every knee shall bow. Of things in heaven and of things
on earth. Things under the earth. And look
at verse 11. In that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ
is Lord to the glory of God the Father. All the mockers and scoffers
will one day bow their knee to Christ. Bow your knee now, because
it's too late there. Oh, sinner friend, our prayer
is that God would grant you faith to believe now, now. And some ignorantly presume that
everyone's going to heaven. They say, well, when a person
dies, well, they're in heaven, even though they were a God-hater. They declare them a saint. What a reverence towards God.
No reverence towards a holy and just God whose justice must be
satisfied. They talk like God is one of
their buddies. You ever seen those? When I was
younger, I don't see them as much anymore, but I used to see
God as my co-father. What? Come on. the holy, just, righteous God
of the universe that you're bringing him down to a copilot? You're
still in charge, of course, and he's just the copilot. What? No, no, no, no. That is not the
God of the Bible. The God of the Bible's in full
control. He's majestic, he's sovereign, he's almighty. And
think of this. We who are saved, we once had
no care for God. We once had no reverence for
God. We were either religious or we
were indifferent. But praise God, he didn't leave
us there. He didn't leave us there. He delivered us from ourselves. He delivered us from our sins.
He delivered us from works-based religion, some of us. And God
had mercy upon us. And praise God He did not leave
us to destroy ourselves, because that's what we would have done
by our sins. we would have went headlong right
into destruction like everyone else. But God is merciful to
his people. Turn with me, if you would, to
2 Peter chapter 3. If God had not intervened in
our lives, we would have been lost. But
he's long-suffering to his people, beloved. He's long-suffering,
to the S word, to His sheep, He's long-suffering. We didn't
have a clue, did we? Oh, but He knows His people.
And the long-suffering of God towards His people is absolutely
amazing. Think of what He puts up with
us before He saves us. And think of the long-suffering
even now that God has. Look at 2 Peter 3.9, the Lord
is not slack concerning His promise, as some men count slackness,
but is longsuffering to usward. Now Armenians love to use this
verse and say, well this tells you that God wants to save everyone. No, the usward, that's the elect,
that's God's people. But his long-suffering to us
were not willing that any should perish, and we saw this morning
that none of his sheep will perish. None of his sheep. But that all shall come to repentance,
and all God's sheep will. All God's sheep will. Every single
one of them, they will. There'll come to repentance.
And this is why we proclaim the gospel and we just preach it
and preach it and preach it and preach the free grace of God
in Christ and God does the saving. And repentance and faith is a
gift that God gives you. Oh, that God would give you that
gift if you don't believe. Oh, that He'd grant you that
gift, the gift of faith and repentance. Oh, He's long-suffering to us. Some folks are always in a tither,
right? They always get worked up about different things It
seems like they go from one crisis to another and they don't have
any peace, no peace, no rest. I'm looking again in our text
in Psalm 46, 10, be still and know that I am God. Our God is
a holy God, a righteous God, and we need to be still before
him. We need to, which again doesn't mean not move. It means
be still before him in his providential workings. That God does whatever
He pleases. He does whatever He pleases.
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen.
I will be exalted in the earth. And here before us, right here,
we see God's absolute sovereignty. We see it right here in this
verse. Know that I am God. He's God. He's sovereign. He's
a king. And I will be exalted. He doesn't
say I might be exalted. I will be exalted. And again,
he says, and I will, he says, among the heathen. And then he
says, and in the earth, he says, I will. And if God wills, it's
going to come to pass. It's going to come to pass. So
he commands all his people to be still and know that I am God. Be still. As I said, when it's all said
and done, He will be exalted. It's not a maybe. He will be.
I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth.
There's no question. There's no question. He's God. And we are commanded to be still
before His providential workings. And we need to be still before
God, resting and trusting in His providence. I need to. I'm a sinner saved by grace.
I need to rest and trust in my King continuously. God is governing this world as He pleases. As He pleases. He is working all things to His
purpose and plan. And we just need to bow our knee
to that. Just need to bow our knee to
what comes to pass. Again, let's look at our texts.
Psalm 46, 10. We'll look at some things that
we need to be still before God about. Be still and know that
I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen.
I will be exalted in the earth. We are to be still before God's
providence with our words. with our words. Some folks say they believe in
God's providence, and when it comes to pass, they speak against
it. We are not to be that way. We are to rest and trust in our
King and in our God. We bow our knee to God's providential
workings, knowing that it's for His glory. In our good, we bow
our knee to our great king. Remember, he's the first cause
of all things, right? Not that he creates evil, he
just has to leave man alone. But he's in full control. He's
God. He's the sovereign. And he rules
and reigns in heaven above. Not everyone is still before
the Lord, but those who are given grace are still before the Lord. Otherwise, we wouldn't be still
before Him. Oh Lord, give us grace to continue
to be still before You. God's people are made to know
and have revealed to them that God is in full control. This
is why we don't speak against His works. We don't speak against
His works. We do not desire to speak against
His providence. We desire to be still before
it. We don't quarrel with God. Turn with me, if you would, to
Job chapter 2. We don't quarrel with God. We hold our peace no
matter what comes to pass. We know what Job went through.
He lost everything. He did not quarrel with God.
He didn't quarrel with God at all. He bowed his knee to God's
sovereignty. Look at Job chapter 2. Verse 7. So went Satan forth
from the presence of the Lord and smote Job with sore balls
from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a
pot shed to scrape himself where all. And he sat down among us.
He took a piece of clay pot and was scraping him. Scraped his boils. Then said
his wife unto him, Dost thou still retain thine
integrity? Curse God and die. His wife's speaking against God's
providence. She's trying to get Job to speak
against it also. Look what Job says, but he said
unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women. He's gonna
tell it like it is to his wife. What? Shall we receive good at
the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? And all this
Job did not Job sin with his lips. Oh, when we come to the
house of God, we're to be ready to listen and to hear what God
has to say through the preaching of his word. He speaks to us
through his word. Now contemplate what you hear
too. Contemplate what you hear from God's word. Think it over. Pray over it and
rest in it. Rest in it. Rest in His sovereignty. Rest in the fact that Christ
has redeemed His people from their sins. If you're one of
His people, rest in that. May it comfort you. Rest and
trust in Him. Ecclesiastics says, keep thy
foot when thou goest to the house of God and be more ready to hear
than to give the sacrifice of fools for they consider not that
evil, that they do evil. Be not rash with thy mouth, and
let not thine heart be hasty to anything before God, for God
is in heaven, and thou upon earth. Therefore let thy words be few.
Be not rash with thy mouth." We're not to be rash with what
we say before God. Ecclesiastics 5, 1 and 2. Don't get carried away with what
others say. Be careful what you say before
God. Be careful what you say about his word. Be careful what
you say about the brethren. Be careful. We just need to be
careful. This is why I say we just need
to pray for each other and just keep lifting each other up in
prayer and lifting other grace churches up in prayer and other
preachers. The love of Christ is what binds
us together. It's wonderful. Let our hearts be still before
God. Let our minds be still before
God and before his holy word. Let us be reverent before God
because he's holy and he deserves all the glory and honor and praise. We are to be still before God's
providence with our words. And the next thing is we are
to be still before God with our actions. Be still and know that
I am God. Let's go back to our text. Be
still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen.
I will be exalted in the earth. Oh, we need to be still before
God in our outward actions, in our outward actions. Lots of folks say they believe
in God's sovereignty until it crosses their path or their plans. No. Our plans usually do not
line up with God's sovereignty. Vicki and I have discovered that
in our life and in our walk. We make plans and God has other
plans. So we need to be still before
His providential workings. Be still and know, and know that
He is God. Remember, Job lost everything. Let's continue. I should have
had you stay in Job. Look in Job 1.20-22. He lost all his children. His
wife told him to curse God and die. But in his actions he was still
before God's providence. Look at Job 1.20-22. This is marvelous. Oh, that God
would give us grace. And He has to give us the grace.
Then Job arose, and ran this mantle, and shaved his head,
and fell down upon the ground, and worshipped. And said, Naked
came I out of my mother's womb, and naked shall I return thither.
And the Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away. Blessed be the
name of the Lord. In all this, Job sinned not,
nor charged God foolishly. He didn't speak against God.
in His words, and His actions, He was still before God's providence. Oh, we must be still in our hearts
before God and His workings. And when we are still before
God, we don't struggle or stress. When I get stressed out is when
I start worrying about things. I'm not supposed to worry about
things, but I do because I'm a human. It's like I always say, I get
in a mess when I get my eyes off Christ. I get in a big mess
in my eyes on circumstances or my eyes on myself. That's why
I keep saying we just need to, and Beloved, when I'm saying
that, I'm preaching to myself. You need to keep your eyes on
Christ. You need to keep your eyes on Christ. Oh, God give us the grace to
keep our eyes on Him and to be still before Him. Again, Psalm 46, 10, again, be
still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen.
I will be exalted in the earth. Now why should we be still before
Him? Because He's God. Because He's
God. He's God Almighty who rules and
reigns. We are creatures, and He is the
Creator. He's the Creator. We are on earth,
and He is in the heavens. Turn, if you would, to Daniel
chapter 4, and I'll read Isaiah 45, 9, which says, Warned to
him that striveth with his maker, Let the pot-sheds strive with
the pot-sheds of the earth. Shall the clay say to him that
fashioneth it, What makest thou? or thy work, he hath no hands. So can the clay say to the potter,
well, you know, I don't want to be a candlestick today, I
want to be a bowl. No. The potter molds that clay into
whatever he pleases. Whatever he pleases. And the
clay doesn't say nothing. It's just clay. Oh, if God's had mercy on you,
rejoice, because he's the He's the potter and we're the clay.
He has made us and not we ourselves. He's the creator and we're just
creatures. And think of this, how many mistakes
we've made in our lives and God has delivered us from them. It's amazing. When you stop and
start to think about that as a believer, you'll just be in
awe. Oh, he's so merciful, even before he saves us. He's merciful
to us. And He continues to deliver us,
and continues to deliver us, and continues to deliver us.
So why should we be still? Because He is God. He has told us to be still. God
has told us to be still before Him in His workings. And none, although men think
they come up with schemes and all kinds of things, you hear
it all the time, different things that men come up with in their
imaginations and trying to thwart God. And look what Daniel chapter
4 verse 34 and 35 says, And at the end of the days, I, Nebuchadnezzar,
lifted up mine eyes unto heaven, and mine understanding returned
unto me, and I blessed the Most High, verse 34, and I praised
and honored him that liveth forever. God has no beginning or end,
beloved, whose dominion is an everlasting dominion. He cannot
be thwarted. And his kingdom is from generation
to generation. Countries rise up, right? Powers rise up, the
Romans, the Greeks, all these, and they perish and God is still
on the throne. He's still on the throne. He
still rules. And all the inhabitants of the
earth, think of all the billions of people who live on the earth
now and who have lived, and all the inhabitants of the earth
are reputed as nothing. He doeth according to His will.
God's will will not be thwarted, no matter what. His will will
come to pass. Oh, it's marvelous. And this
gives us peace and rest, because we know that Christ has said,
ah, He said He came to save His people from their sins. He said,
I redeemed my people. And He keeps us, doesn't He?
We're kept by God. We're kept by God. It's not dependent
upon us. And all the inhabitants of the
earth are reputed as nothing. He doeth according to his will in
the army of heaven among the inhabitants of the earth. And
look at this, and none can stay his hand or say unto him, What
doest thou? That's why we're to be still
before God, because no one can thwart him. Our worrying about things is
not going to change one thing, God's will. You know, I know we look at the
situation in the world and it disturbs us, doesn't it sometimes?
God's will is coming to pass. Rest. We're to be still before
Him. We're to be still before God.
Turn, if you would, to Matthew chapter 11. And we should be still before
God because there's no peace of heart or rest for our souls
until we are still before the Lord. There's absolutely no rest
and no peace unless we're still before our king. You know, I
had no peace in religion. I had no peace in religion. There
was always something I had to do. Always something. And so full
of self-righteousness, thinking I was better than other people.
Meanwhile, I'm a worm. But there was always something
that I had to do. And Vicki and I have often talked about this.
Since the Lord has shown us grace, we have such peace. Now we still
get worked up about things, we're human. But we have this peace
that passes all understanding. And you can't really explain
it to anyone because it's in Christ. That's where it is, it's
in Him. I don't have peace in myself,
I have it in Him. Look at what he says in Matthew 11. Come unto
me, all ye that labor. Oh, are you laboring in works-based
religion? Cast it aside. Come to Christ.
Come to Him. Come unto me, all ye that labor
and are heavy laden. Are you heavy laden with sin? And I'll give you rest. Rest. True rest. Not a false rest from
falling on a checklist that I used to follow. and then finding out
it's not good enough. Take my yoke upon you and learn
of me, for I am meek and lowly in heart. God Almighty, who tells
us to be still, became a man, condescended from the throne
of glory and became a man and died for his people on Calvary's
cross and was raised again for our justification. Meek and lowly. meek and lowly in heart, and
ye shall find rest unto your souls." Souls. True rest. True rest, which is
only in Christ and Him alone. For my yoke is easy, and my burden
is light. Why is it easy? Because it ain't
dependent upon anything we do. It's free grace. Free. Free grace. Cast your works aside. It's all Christ and what He's
done. My salvation is Christ plus nothing I do. Absolutely
nothing. Everything is vested in Him.
Everything. And He is mighty to save. And
He saves His people from their sins. Oh, we find rest in Christ
when we cease from our labors. And we gladly do it. We gladly
rest before Him. We know what bondage we were
in. And now we just rest in Christ. We're still before Him and we
have joy and peace in Christ and Him alone. What mercy! What mercy this is. That God
should save us and redeem us from our sins. And it fills our
hearts with joy and gladness. God has had mercy on us in Christ. And all things providentially
work out for our good and for His glory. And for His glory. Again, back to our text. And
by resting and being still before God, it will free us from worry
and anxiety. A couple times after I made the
sermon up, I got a little worked up about stuff. It was funny
because I was talking to Vicki and I'm like, And I'm reminding
myself, I need to be still. I need to not get worked up.
I need to be still. I need to be still. Oh. Be still and know that I am God.
I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth.
And the only way we can be still is to know God. To know God. And he must reveal himself to
us. He must reveal himself to us. Christ Jesus the Lord has
all power to save. Turn with me if you would to
1 John 5.20. He has all power to save. And He gives eternal
life to whomever He pleases. Oh, if you're here without Christ,
I pray that God will grant you faith. That He give you faith
to believe. Because He must reveal Himself to you. Look at 1 John 5.20. This is
beautiful. And we know that the Son of God
has come. We know, because He's revealed
Himself to us. 1 John 5, 20. And we know that
the Son of God has come and has given us an understanding. We didn't have an understanding
of God before. But He's given us an understanding.
That we may know Him, that is true. And we are in Him, that
is true. The believer knows Him, and he's
in Him. Even in the Son, Jesus Christ,
this is the true God. This is the true God, Christ,
in eternal life. There's salvation in no other
but Christ. What do we know as believers?
We know that God does whatever He pleases.
What are some things that we know when we know God? We know
that He does whatever He pleases. In whom also we have obtained
an inheritance being predestined according to the purpose of Him
who worketh all things after the counsel of His own will,
Ephesians 1, 1-11. His purpose comes to pass as He pleases, as He pleases. And this gives us comfort. Comfort
is we look around and see what's going on and we know God's in
control. He's in control. Psalm 135, 5
and 6 says, For I know that the Lord is great, and that our Lord
is above all gods. Whatsoever the Lord pleased,
That He did in heaven and in earth and in the seas and all
deep places. God does whatever He pleases. Psalm 135, 5 and 6. He does whatever
He pleases. Whatever He pleases. And this
gives us peace and rest. God is beyond our reasoning. None can resist Him. None can
resist His will. Therefore, we're told to be still. And let us remember that God
gives an account to no one of what He does. He's not accountable to anyone. He's not answerable to anyone
for what He does. He does as He pleases. He does not change in His nature. He does not change in His purpose.
He does not change in His promises, praise be to God. And He does not change in His
covenant. Although my house be not so with
God, yet He hath made with me an everlasting covenant, David
said in 2 Samuel 23, 5. Ordered in all things. God's
covenant is ordered in all things. And sure, my salvation rests
in Christ. It's sure it's in him alone.
This is our hope. And David goes on to say, for
this is all my salvation. It's all in Christ. And all my desire, we hunger
and thirst after righteousness, although he didn't, although
he he make it not to grow. But David rested in the fact
that God does not change. That His covenant doesn't change.
That Christ whom He saved, He will keep and He will bring to
heaven with Him. And David proclaims, this is
all my salvation. Malachi says this, for I am the
Lord, I change not. Therefore ye sons of Jacob are
not consumed. Is this not an anchor for our
soul? God doesn't change, therefore we're not consumed. And we know when God is pleased
to reveal Himself to us, what we learn is that He is almighty
and infinite in power. Turn, if you would, to Luke chapter
12. Can we add one second, one more second to our life than
God has ordained? Nope. Every one of us have an
appointment. We can't add to it. God is Almighty and all-powerful
and our lives are in His very hands. Luke 12, verses 25-29. In which
of you What taken thought can add to
his stature one cubit? If ye then be not able to do
that thing which is least, why take ye thought for the rest? Consider the lilies. We're going
to come up to springtime. And I always love the spring
when everything blooms and comes to life again. It's a picture
of regeneration. It's all new again. But think of this, we
got a couple feeders we like hanging in the trees here, just
watching them birds come. And I know I put food out there,
but God provides the apples and all kinds of bugs and all kinds
of food for those birds. They don't toil. Consider the
lilies, how they grow. They toil not, they spin not,
yet I say unto you that Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed
like one of these. If then God so clothed the grass,
which is today in the field and tomorrow is cast into the oven,
right, the grass grows and it just gets cut down. How much
more will He clothe you, O ye of little faith? And seek not
ye what ye shall eat or what ye shall drink, neither be ye
of doubtful mind. So we are to rest. And you tie
that in with what we're looking at in song. We're to rest before
God. We're to be still before God and His providential workings.
Donny Bell told me a long time ago, God will always take care
of His sheep. And He does. He does. He takes care of us.
He loves His people. Oh, He is able to perform what
He promises. He is able to keep that which
we commit to Him, our very souls. He is able to present us faultless
and blameless before His throne. He is able. Christ, the King
of kings and the Lord of lords. And when we know God, we know
that He knows all of our troubles and all of our sorrows. That
whatever we go through, He watches over us. And remember, our King
was a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And He is able to shelter us
in the times of storm, as Christ is our shelter. And He shields
us against things in this world, because Christ is our shield. As I said, we look around, in
this world, and we think, man, what is going on? Be still. And know that I am
God. Oh, we know He's in control.
And we need the rest of that. We need the rest of that. Turn,
if you would, to Psalm 37. Psalm 37. And we even see, we look around
and we see the wicked prosper. All around us. We see the wicked props were
all around us. Psalm 37 verses 1 to 7. Psalm 37, 1 to 7. Fret not thyself because of evil
doers, neither be thou envious against the workers of iniquity, For they shall soon be cut down
like the grass and wither as the green herb. Trust in the
Lord. And do good. So shalt thou dwell
in the land and verily thou shalt be fed. Delight thyself also
in the Lord. Oh, be still before the Lord.
Delight yourself in the Lord. Delight in what he's done for
you if you're saved. How he's redeemed you from all
your sins. Delight yourself in His providential
workings. Delight yourself in the fact
that He is a holy and just God, and that He rules right now. Delight yourself or thyself also
in the Lord, and He shall give thee the desires of thine heart.
Commit thy way unto the Lord. Trust also in Him, and He shall
bring it to pass. He shall bring forth thy righteousness
as the light, and thy judgment as the noonday. Rest in the Lord,
and wait patiently for him. Fret not thyself because of him
who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked
devices to pass." Don't get worked up about folks that are going to get cut down. God said,
mercy on you. When we see the wicked prosper,
remember, remember this. Look at back to our text again
in Psalm 46, 10, and we're closed with this. Be still and know
that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen.
I will be exalted in the earth. The last point today is what
consolation this brings us. Be still, be still. Rest. Trust. Rest in God. God has made a covenant with
Christ and he saved his people. And we go through this world,
but as I said, we're just passing through. Our time's not long here. And one day we'll behold our
king face to face. Be still. Be still concerned in the past. Be still concerned in the past.
Condemnation is God. All our sins are forgiven. We sing the hymn, right? It is
well with my soul. It's well with my soul. Why?
Because Christ hath redeemed. Be still concerned in the presence. His grace is sufficient. He gives
us the grace that we need. But the God of all peace, or
the God of all grace who has called us unto his eternal glory
by Christ Jesus, after that you have suffered a while, make you
perfect. Establish you. Strengthen. Settle you. To Him be glory and
dominion forever and ever. Amen. 1 Peter 5, 10 and 11. Let
us remember that what He orders, when our trials come to us and
we go through them, that He has ordered them. And that He's a
very present help in trouble. He's right there with us. And
be still concerned in your future. Concern in the future. But if we hope for that we see
not, then we do with patience wait for it. Beloved, we commit
our souls to Christ. We commit our souls to God. Wherefore let them that suffer
according to the will of God commit the keeping of their souls
to Him in well doing. As unto our faithful Creator,
1 Peter 4.19, we commit our souls to Him. And He will never leave us. And He will never forsake us. Never. Rejoice in the Lord always. And
again I say rejoice. Let your moderation be known
unto man. The Lord is at hand. Philippians
4, 4 and 5. The Lord is at hand. Be still. and know that I am
God, he says. The Lord is at hand. He will help you, dear saint,
with whatever you go through. He will give you the grace and
the strength. We commit our souls unto him.
So let us remember this week and when trials come, the Lord
is at hand.