"Cease Striving and Know I'm God"

  Have you been around those who seem to be upset that those who do not follow the Lord have so much good in their lives? Here we labor and pour ourselves out only to  be met with difficulty time and time again yet here are those who have nothing to do with God and they seem so happy and a lot of things going their way? That's what the writer in Psalm 73 is upset about. He wants to know why they prosper and why they aren't going through the difficulties as others. They even speak against heaven and their tongues is pictured as parading throughout the earth and nothing happens. We see that a lot today. People speak against God, speak arrogantly against the good and nothing happens to them.

  But then the writer turns to himself speaking of his own righteousness and God-fearing ways. Yes, that's who we are!! Aren't we? But then something happens. He's not as God-fearing as he perceived himself. His heart was embittered and pierced within. He was senseless and ignorant acting like a beast before the Lord. In fact, earlier in the chapter, he states he came close to stumbling and losing everything. How did he arrive at his arrogant, senseless way? He came before the Lord!!! It wasn't until the writer came humbly before the Lord to listen that he found how far off he was.

  We find the same today. We are so quick to talk and we do talk! We speak of injustices and question this and that. Politics get us disjointed. We are real quick to give our views and jump to our own conclusions about something. You know what's missing? "Cease striving and know that I am God." (Psa. 46:10) Instead of our talking and parading about, we need to stop, come into the presence of God and be still! We need to listen more and talk less. Maybe that's why our bibles studies lack because we aren't drawing near to listen but give our two cents worth. Maybe we don't gain true spiritual nurturing from the assembly with little to offer God because we are striving for something else. Maybe we don't revere God because we talk too much!

  In Psa. 49:16-20 we have God expressing the end of all the arrogant and those satisfied with their goodness of life. When troubles hit us, we talk! When things disturb us, we talk! We seem to be good at talking. When will we learn to come into the Holy of Holies of God, sit and be still to listen? That's where true gain is found. Habakkuk was correct: "The Lord is in His holy temple. Let all the earth be silent before Him." (Hab. 2:20) Job was correct when he came into the presence of God and said he would lay his hand on his mouth and be quiet (Job 40:4). Solomon advised that in approaching God, let's not offer a sacrifice of fools by being hasty in word or impulsive in thought but draw near to listen (Eccl. 5:1-2). Let's learn to be still, knowing that God is in His holy temple and He will give understanding as well as have the last say on this earth.