Sermon
Be Still and Know that I am God - Terry Osburn
Publisher transcript
Transcript
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I was reading the other day and just happen to run across Psalm
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46. And reading through that chapter
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it really kind of hit home with things that are going on in the
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world today. And you know, I think we just
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sometimes need to be comforted in some ways and be assured and
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be strengthened in our faith. And this chapter, I believe does
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that And so this is really just a chapter study, a word study if
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you want of several verses. So it's kind of dry in a sense,
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but I hope that you get out of it.
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What what I did we're going to start off.
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In the first verse of chapter 46, 46 of the, Psalms of David.
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Says to the chief musician, a Psalm of the sons of Korah a
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song for a lamothe. God is our refuge and strength.
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A very present help in trouble. He talks about this God of our
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refuge. It says, in other words, God is
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a place where we can go, where we can Flee for safety and he's
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a source of strength in times of danger, the word refuge means to
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flee and and then to flee, to order to take shelter in and
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denotes a place to, which one would flee into.
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Times of danger as a lofty wall. A Hightower a fort or a
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fortress. The idea is that the people of
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God, in times of danger, can find God to be that place of
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Refuge the word strength, implies that God is the source
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of strength, to those who are weak and defenseless, and that
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need help and need to some place to go and to be comforted.
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He talks about a very present help in trouble.
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The word trouble would help here means, excuse me to give Aid to
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give assistance to and the word trouble would cover.
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All those all that can come upon us, which would give us anxiety
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and sorrow. The word present means basically
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near to Us close to us. So we look at such things that
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are going on in the world and in all the distress and trouble and
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things that are going on around us, we see it.
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We had maybe have an experience, some of those but we see these
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things going on and we worry about the economy, we worry
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about jobs, we worry about maybe paying our bill, we worry bills,
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we worry about all different kinds of things.
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The unrest that is going on in the world today and how that's
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going to maybe affect us and all that.
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We put too much important sometimes on the things that are
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going on in the world. And the writer says here that
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God is one that we can always turn to.
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We can always trust him, he was always near.
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He is always powerful. He is a place of Refuge to help
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in times of trouble for us. He is nearby and Hebrews 13 and
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verse 5. Therefore, excuse me, got to go
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one more. I went too far.
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Did I miss that one? I guess I missed that one.
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Sorry folks and Hebrews 13, Verse 5 lecture conduct be
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without covetousness. Be content with such things as
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you have for. He himself has said, I will
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never leave you nor forsake you You know, it's a terrible thing.
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If someone leaves us in times of trouble, someone that when we're
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looking for help, when we're in time of need, someone would turn
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their back on us and walk away. Well, he says, God is not that
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kind of person. He says, I will never leave you,
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and I will never take forsake you True Refuge is only found in
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God. So, verse 2.
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He says, therefore we will not fear even though the Earth shall
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be moved removed and though the mountains be carried into the
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midst of the sea. So, the psalmist, David here is
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really talking figuratively because I believe as has been
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said time and time again, that man will not destroy this Earth.
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God will be the one that destroys this Earth we worry
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about and people worry about nuclear disasters and nuclear
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attacks and all these kinds of things that we have this war
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that that would just wipe man off the face of the Earth that
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will not happen because God will be the one that destroys this
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Earth. So David is talking from
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figuratively here and he says if the the Earth should be
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dissolved and fall in pieces around him, in other words, I
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think I kind of messed up here. I'm sorry.
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There we go. Now I'm in the right place and
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this Earth represents the human things.
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The things that we see the things that we enjoy in this
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life, the things of this world The tangible things.
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And his meaning is though there should be some kind of
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earthquakes or, or commotions or problems in this world around
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us. Even though the countries and
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states would would be in Mass confusion and possibly even Wars
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rebellions and tumults. And their gum and some
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governments might even be overturned by rebellions and
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Revolt of people. Even though the leaders and
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Powers turn against the church. And the people of God, though,
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they would even want to ruin the church and destroy the very
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things that we consider sacred and holy such as our worship to
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God. And at some point, maybe income
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and stop us from worshipping. Yet, we will not fear. knowing
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that all these troubles will end well for the Christian and for
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the church in the body of Christ, if you're worth were to
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being removed, those that have reason to fear that have laid up
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all their trust in the treasures and things of this Earth, And
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have set their hearts on those things, but not for those who
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have laid up for themselves, Treasures in Heaven.
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And who then can expect to be certainly happy when all the
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things of this Earth are dissolved and done away with.
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You know, I reminded of that song, the rocket Rock of Ages
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Rock of Ages cleft for me. Let me hide myself in thee.
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A cleft is a little niche or a little place that a person could
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get into or slide into or be covered over when the storm
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would come and be able to find a place of refuge.
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And God is that refuge for us, in times of trouble, in times of
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fear and Times of distress and things of that nature.
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ER, he says, therefore we will not fear.
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Our confidence in God shall be in shaken.
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Having him for our refuge and strength and we can have nothing
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to fear. Notice First, Timothy 1:7 For
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God, has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and of
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love, and of a sound mind, you know, we will never know what
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true strength and peace is, until we believe in and trust
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that God oversees everything. And and can do anything.
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And we're going to notice a little bit more about that.
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Satan is the one that's behind all the confusion.
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Satan is the one that's behind all the uneasiness and the
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trouble, notice Matthew 8 + 44, you are of the, your father, the
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devil, and the desires of your father, you want to do, he was a
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murderer from the beginning and does not stand in the truth
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because there is no truth in him.
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When he speaks a lie, he speaks from his own resources.
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For, he is a liar and the father of it.
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Also notice second Corinthians 4 and verse 4, whose mind the God
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talking about a small G, not a big G.
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The God of this age has blinded Who do not believe less the
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light of the Gospel, the glory of Christ, who is the image of
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God, should shine on them. So the devil is the one that is
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trying to control your thoughts, your mind your processes and
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your mind to distress, you to trouble, you to have, you have
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fear He is the one that is the the author of confusion and and
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the one that causes the troubles God is our refuge from that God
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is the place that we can go to for Comfort.
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Certainly God is the one that is in control.
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So it's a waste of time and it's really unreasonable for the
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child of God to fear the things that are happening around us.
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It's a waste of energy, it's a waste of resources.
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It's a waste of our time. Notice Philippians, 4:6-7, be
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anxious for nothing. But in everything by prayer and
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supplication with Thanksgiving, let your requests be made known
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to God and the peace of God, which surpasses all
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understanding will guard your hearts and Minds through Jesus
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Christ through Christ. Jesus.
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God is the author of comfort. God is the author of hope.
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God is the author of things that would calm us, and settle us
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down. Notice now, as we continue on in
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our, in our study here, I'm just going to read through these
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verses He says though, though, its Waters Roar and be troubled.
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We know how a stormy sea is, how how thing it can cause
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destruction and tear ships apart, and things of that
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nature. It's as though its Waters Roar
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and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its
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swelling seal up. There is a river, whose streams
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shall make glad the city of God. The holy place of the Tabernacle
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of the most high God is in the midst of her.
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She shall not be moved. God shall help her just as the
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break of dawn. The nation's rage, the kingdoms
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were moved. He uttered his voice.
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And the Earth melted. The Lord of hosts is with us.
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The god of Jacob is our refuge see law.
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Excuse me. Forgot to do that.
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Come Behold, The Works of the Lord who has made desolations in
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the earth. He makes Wars cease to the end
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of the Earth. He breaks the bow and cuts the
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spear into. He burns the Chariots and Fire.
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All This calamity. All these things that go on all
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this God is still the one that's in control.
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We think things are getting out of control.
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We just have to remember that the things that are going on.
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God is controlling. It's God's will or he wouldn't
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allow it to happen. We think wonder what is the
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world coming to? How much longer is God?
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Going to put up with this earth and the things that are going on
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in there? So I don't know but God is the
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one that's controlling it. Man is not in control.
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God is hopefully maybe trying to get our attention with the
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things that are going on in the world and help us to realize and
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look to him. So he says, in verse 10, be
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still. And know that I am, God.
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I will be exalted among the Nations.
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I will be exalted in the Earth. Be still, he talks about the
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word used here means properly to cast down to let fall to let
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hang down, then then to be relaxed slacking, especially the
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hands. It is also employed in the sense
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of not making an effort, not putting forth eggs or exertion,
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and then would express the idea of leaving matters with God or
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of being without anxiety. About the issue.
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You ever got into a situation before where you weren't really
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worried even though there is some just turmoil going on.
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You weren't worried because you knew what the outcome was going
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to be other words. You just kind of stood back and
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let things happen. You knew what was going to
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happen. That's what he's saying here.
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Be still and know that I am God In This Place.
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The word seems to be used as a meaning.
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That there was to be no anxiety that it was to be calm trust in
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God and let him show his divine power.
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The mind was to be calm in view of the fact that God had shown
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that he was able to defend his people when surrounded by
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dangers. You seem a little mother,
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keeping her little, a mother bear, keeping her Cubs close by
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You don't mess with. You don't mess with the Cubs
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from Mother. Bear is close by.
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She's the one that's in going to be in control and that's kind of
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the way that he's saying here about God, God is protecting the
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church. God is protecting the body of
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Christ. God is protecting those things
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that are holy and he will protect those things.
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It may not be what we think it ought to be or what we've been
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used to. What we've been accustomed to,
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but God is the one that is in control of all that and he will
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protect his church. He will protect the body of
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Christ. Most of us at one point, or
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another have had our children come and sit on our laps, maybe
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in the doctor's office, or at a concert, or in someone's office,
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a meeting or in church, you know, in some of the children
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just come up and sit and they just want to sit and talk.
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And they want to carry on a conversation or they've got this
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to do or that to do in there, making noise and they want to
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ask questions and they're they're just always kind of in a
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turmoil. And then you have that one
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child, just comes up and sit you in your lap and just sits there
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and they're still It's not much better than that.
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Your child just to sit in your lap and be still.
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They said that the basically are the kind of saying that I love
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you. I trust you, I feel safe with
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you. There's nothing that compares to
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that feeling just for them to sit there and be still.
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I think that's the point that the psalmist David here is
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saying he's stop and think about God, and recognize his power and
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his ability. Stop and think about it.
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Psalm 143 and verse 5, I remember the days of old, I
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meditate on all your works. I'm use on the work of your
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hands. Someone 45 and 5.
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I will meditate on the Glorious Splendor of your majesty and the
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on your works on on your wondrous Works.
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Psalm 119 and verse 27. Make me understand the way of
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your precepts. So shall I meditate on your
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wonderful works. He says stop and think about
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God. How powerfully is how loving he
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is, how he has things in control.
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He says and know that I am God. See what I've done.
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The evidence of things that you can see in the things that I've
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accomplished. You know, we all pray.
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We pray for God to do things for us to accomplish things for
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stop. And think about those things
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that God has accomplished for us.
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He is powerful. I know he's accomplished things
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in my life and I know he has in your life as well.
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Be still and know that I am. God.
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All the powers of this world. Don't stand up to God.
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God is the one that's in control.
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And he says, Goins goes on to say, I will be exalted among the
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heathen. That is among the nation's among
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all that are troubled and in despair.
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Those that don't worship me. The ones that worship idols.
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They will see that I am God. This is, I will be exalted in
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the earth and the, in the lands abroad.
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All over this world, God will be exalted.
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In other words, I have everything under control.
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God is in control of all this. We have sometimes problems with
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accepting that and I know we do. We complain about this.
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We complain about that. We worry about this.
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We were about all these other things that are going on around
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us and God says Don't Fear. Be still.
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And know that I am, God. And verse, 2 verse 11, the Lord
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of hosts is with us. The god of Jacob is our refuge.
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So let's find refuge in God, in times of trouble.
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Let's not just be in turmoil. That's not be worrying about all
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the things that are going on around us.
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God has it in control, there's nothing we can do to change it.
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It's his will. Let's just go on be still and
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look at God and what he does for us.
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What he has done for us, what he can do that, he is in control
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that we are not and let's just go on with life and accept and
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worship him and adore. Him, bless him, and praise him
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for what he is. That he is our God and don't
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worry about it. Let's just go on with life.
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Because we're not going to change things that are going on.
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Let's pray to God for four, things that that are happening
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in the world. Pray to him.
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For those things, that let him let him deal with it and not us.
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