Henry Blackaby - Being Still With God Every Day

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Being Still with God

2007 by Dr.s Richard and Henry Blackaby

Published in Nashville, Tennessee, by Thomas Nelson, Inc.

All rights reserved. No portion of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or any otherexcept for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior written permission of the publisher.

Scripture quotations are taken from New King James Version 1979, 1980, 1982, 1992, Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN 13: 978-0-5291-0556-1

ISBN 13: 978-0-7180-1897-9 (eBook)

Printed and bound in China

www.thomasnelson.com

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Contents

You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your might.

DEUTERONOMY 6:5

He who keeps His commandments abides in Him, and He in him.

1 JOHN 3:24

Behold, I will do a new thing,

Now it shall spring forth...

I will even make a road in the wilderness

And rivers in the desert.

ISAIAH 43:19

G od uses events in our lives to shape us, to teach us, to grow usand some of the key events are those sparked by sin (our own or someone sinning against us), by our missteps, by our confusion. Memories of the past, therefore, can too easily feel like shackles holding us to failures, regrets, ignorance, foolishness, and sin.

However, God doesnt want us bound to our past. When God saves us from the death we deserve for our sin, He frees us from the guilt and shame of our former life as well. He gives us a fresh beginning. He frees us to receive every good thing He wants to give us.

If your past feels like a wilderness, know that God wants to make a road through it, perhaps to help you navigate the difficult years and salvage the good. If your past feels like a desertland of death, know that God will make rivers of redemption flow as He brings beauty out of ashes. Embrace the fresh beginning God wants to give you.

You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me... to the end of the earth.

ACTS 1:8

D iesel. Electrical. Mechanical. Hydroelectric. Nuclear. Atomic. There are many forms of power, but none is equal to that of the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirits power is described by the Greek word dunamis, the root for dynamite and dynamic. Whereas dynamite destroys, dunamis gives life. This word for an active, energizing power implies a miracle or divine influenceand thats exactly what we need as we obey the resurrected Lords command to be His witnesses.

Just as the Holy Spirit empowered Christ to fulfill His earthly assignment, we too need the Spirit. The Holy Spirits power is absolutely essential to kingdom work, which is why Jesus told His disciples to wait for it (Acts 1:45). Jesus knew that His disciples could do more in a day in the Spirits power than they could do in a lifetime on their own.

Jesus ministered and served, preached and taught, lived and died by the Holy Spirits power, and now He gives His power to all who believe. As we walk in the Spirits power, He will greatly impact the world through us.

So Abram said to Lot...Is not the whole land before you? Please separate from me. If you take the left, then I will go to the right; or, if you go to the right, then I will go to the left.

GENESIS 13:89

L ot faced a monumental decision. He had the opportunity to choose which land to settleland that would support his family and his flocks now and in the future. It was a hugely important decision, so Lot looked around and surveyed the land carefully.

As Lots uncle, Abraham could have pulled rank and had the first pick. But instead of carefully looking over the land, Abraham looked up to the Lord. Abrahams faith was in his unseen God. He did not make choices based on what looked most attractive to him, as Lot did. Instead Abraham acted with confidence that God would not only guide him but also accompany him in whatever direction He led him to go.

What is the basis for your decisions? Although we need to wisely consider the situation at hand, we must remember that appearances can be deceiving. When Lot chose the well-watered plain of Jordan, he also chose Sodom. So we must, like Abraham, look up to the Lord for His guidance when we need to make a choice.

[Jesus] said,Abba, Father, all things are possible for You. Take this cup away from Me; nevertheless, not what I will, but what You will.

MARK 14:36

J ust because something is the right thing to do doesnt mean it will be easy. Just because we face problems and obstacles doesnt mean we have missed or misunderstood Gods will for us. All of us have undoubtedly faced times when doing Gods will demanded all of our strength and determinationand our Savior has walked that path.

Its hard to imagine doing anything more difficult than what Jesus chose in Gethsemane. He was given the most difficult assignment possible. Misunderstood by His closest followers... betrayed by one of the twelve He had poured His life into, denied by His most outspoken disciple, deserted by the rest... arrested, unfairly tried, cruelly beaten, dying a criminals brutal death on a cross, then facing the righteous wrath of God for the sin of humanity. This was the cup Jesus accepted in Gethsemane. Jesus submitted to Gods plan and walked the path that caused Him to feel the unimaginable weight of all humanitys sin.

At times youlike your Savior and Lordmust make the difficult choice to put aside your own wishes and submit to Gods will. Gods way is not always the easy path, but it is always the right one.

I thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled me, because He counted me faithful, putting me into the ministry.

1 TIMOTHY 1:12

T hose whom God calls to a specific task He always enables.

When the Lord sees we have been faithful in a little, He gives us moreand His more will always stretch us. We would find it easier to continue being faithful where we already are than to go to the next level in our walk with God, but then we would stop growing. So God puts us in places of greater service where we will fail unless we develop a greater trust in Him than we have ever had before.

But along with every challenging call comes Gods perfect enabling. He is prepared to meet every need we will face as we step out in obedience and faith. He will grant us the strength we require to match every demand. He will bestow the wisdom we require to navigate every decision.

It is an awesome experience to realize that Almighty God is personally equipping you to serve Him. So if God is calling you to a new assignment, be encouraged! You are about to experience God in ways you have never known before.

God said to Moses,I AM WHO I AM.... Say to the children of Israel:The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.

EXODUS 3:1415

T he Hebrew word for Lord, Gods name, is YHWH. Translated I AM and used about seven thousand times in the Old Testament, this most sublime name of God was whispered by the high priest in the Most Holy Place once a year. Outside of that important occasion, the name was never written or uttered.

YHWH, or Yahweh, speaks of God as He that always was, always is, and ever is to come. God revealed this name to Moses, and it became the name associated with the covenant between God and His people.

That Old Testament covenant has been fulfilled in the New Testament, enabling you to find forgiveness for your sins and to enjoy an intimate relationship with your heavenly Father. As you live out your faith, you will come to know God as Healer, Protector, Provider, Comforter, and Savior.