BE STILL

By Dr. Sterling Lands, II

Have you ever felt so frustrated with life that you want to throw in the towel? Have you felt like firing a love one just because they were unlovable? You know the drill: No hope now! Can’t cope now! I need some dope now! Wait, hold up there must be a better way to handle challenges. You can not use your parents as an excuse for your behavior. Just because the older generation was unfaithful is no reason for their sons and grandsons to be unfaithful. Our choices are not determined by the example or training we have received. We are free to choose for ourselves. Your schedule does not determine the course of events. You may be upset because you believe you are not at the level that you think you deserve. We are passionately concerned for the welfare of our people and angry with the nations that oppress us. Just because God is not acting against evil is not evidence of unconcern. God will act, but on His schedule rather than ours.
Faith is what you know and believe. Faith is not what you see, but what you believe. Walking by faith is what we do everyday. Faith allows you to drive your automobile. You expect your brakes to stop the car. The object of your faith is as critical as your faith. Many of us have faith that one day the government is going to right the wrongs of slavery and segregation. Study the tract record of the government to see if it is consistent with your faith. The preparations in your strength can not protect you. In the biblical world, cities were walled in order to provide some security from their enemies. The walls did not always stop their enemies. The walls did slow the enemies down and in some instances discourage them. What walls have you built for your protection? God is your protection. God said I will be a wall of protection around you. No adversary shall be permitted to touch you. Not protection only but destruction to your enemies. Isaiah says, “No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper, and every tongue that shall rise in judgment against thee thou shalt condemn.” God is your provision. Not only will God protect you from invasion, he will also encourage you from within providing you with illumination and spiritual blessing. Don’t get comfortable with the plantation mind set. Your provisions do not come from the company that you work for or your sugar daddy. At any moment those supply lines can be shut down. True liberation is the mind set that allows you to prosper in spite of circumstances or conditions. This is not about religion, this is about possibility thinking and commitment to completion in what ever endeavor you are challenged in. You need a clear understanding that man does not have the final word. Be still!
Tomorrow is uncertain, forever is sure. Don’t let temporary setbacks destroy your faith. As humans we spend much time worrying about security, significance and acceptance. "Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world" Psalm 46:10. You may find little cause for confidence in your present situation. Be still! Look ahead. What gives us hope is the vision of what we will be in the future. Be still includes reviewing your past, analyzing your present and planning your future. Be still!