Be Still And Know

Photo today: I'm convinced that the Lord speaks to me sometimes through songs. And somehow many times it's Steven Curtis Chapman songs. (See this post back in April 2007, after I'd just lost my mom.) This morning when I woke up, my right shoulder was still in pain, and I'm having a hard time moving my head in certain directions. I stayed home from work, but still worked while taking periodic breaks to lay on the couch. I felt useless. I'm so used to "doing", that I felt depressed about being sidelined by this injury. What about MY plans? MY running? MY on-the-go attitude? Then I was listening to my iTunes on shuffle, and out of thousands of songs, I heard "Be Still And Know" by Steven Curtis Chapman come on. Tears came down my face as I listened. I remembered the Bible verses that were the constant source of my comfort in the days leading up to my mom going home to be with the Lord. At the time, I felt so incredibly helpless. Helpless to stop what was going on. Helpless in my feelings of despair of my impending loss. It was Psalm 46 that helped me through that time. ¹ God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.

² Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea,

³ though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.

⁴ There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.

⁵ God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.

⁶ Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.

⁷ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

⁸ Come and see the works of the LORD, the desolations he has brought on the earth.

⁹ He makes wars cease to the ends of the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields ^b]">[b] with fire.

¹⁰ "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth."

¹¹ The LORD Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress. I'm trying to be as still as I can. I want to open up my heart to God's words to me today. I haven't been close to Him lately, and while I still don't like it that I injured my shoulder, I know there's a purpose in everything. And I'm trying to be still so I can figure out what lessons I'm to be learning right now. A layout inspired by another song by Steven Curtis Chapman, "Magnificent Obsession": Full credits here.