Be Still

​Christmas is approaching fast! It’s a hectic time of year. I don’t know about you, but I’m finding it hard to fit it all in! I chose to wake up extra early today to try fit more into my day. Before getting out of bed I asked the Lord what he wanted to say to me today. He said, “Be Still”. He didn't mean for me to lay in bed longer, rather, I am to trust him with the things I'm pushing to make happen.

In Hebrew "be still" means to let go, stop striving, slacken and let drop. It was a reminder for me to loosen my grip on some circumstances and outcomes and trust God who is sovereign over both. The last time he gave me that instruction was earlier this year when I sold my family home. Today God is reminding me to trust him in the purchase of the new one. As I wait for the loan approval, I will “Be Still”, and trust God to bring about his good plans. If you are waiting for something, I encourage you to trust in God as you wait for him.
Advent is a time for waiting. We remember how God's people awaited Christ's first coming and now we await his second. This Sunday we look back and see how all God's promises were fulfilled in the past. We remember that Isaiah prophesied that one would come as a "voice crying in the wilderness; “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight”. John the Baptist fulfilled that prophecy. (See Isaiah 40, Matthew 3). John’s role was to prepare the way for the King’s advent. He preached a call to repentance from sin and baptised with water. He said the one coming would baptise with the Holy Spirit.
Jesus was the one prophesied to come after John and he fulfilled all the prophecies written about the long-awaited Messiah; the Son of God. Jesus said, he would send the Holy Spirit to continue on his work and we know he did that in a powerful way on the day of Pentecost. This was a fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies such as Joel 2:28, 29 which says “After all of this I will pour out my Spirit on all kinds of people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your elderly will have revelatory dreams; your young men will see prophetic visions. Even on male and female servants I will pour out my Spirit in those days”.

As we look back and see God's words fulfilled in the past, we can trust him for our now and future. We can choose to bring our lives under his reign, and receive the promised Holy Spirit to help us hear from God, speak and live his truth, and continue his work in his way, and his time. He will bring his good plans to pass. We can trust in him for that.
Have a great week.
Hope to see you at Munchies.
Rev Tanya