Properly Humbled, Mightily Lifted ~ Greg J

Psalm 46

   God is our mighty fortress,
      always ready to help in times of trouble.
   And so, we won’t be afraid!
   Let the earth tremble
      and the mountains tumble into the deepest sea.
   Let the ocean roar and foam,
      and its raging waves shake the mountains.

   A river and its streams bring joy to the city,
      which is the sacred home of God Most High.
   God is in that city, and it won’t be shaken.
      He will help it at dawn.

   Nations rage! Kingdoms fall!
   But at the voice of God the earth itself melts.
   The Lord All-Powerful is with us.
   The God of Jacob is our fortress.

   Come! See the fearsome things
      the Lord has done on earth.
   God brings wars to an end all over the world.
   He breaks the arrows,
      shatters the spears,
      and burns the shields.
   Our God says, “Calm down, and learn that I am God!
      All nations on earth will honor me.”
   The Lord All-Powerful is with us.
   The God of Jacob is our fortress.

In a church building of my youth, we kids had Sunday school in the basement.  Above the piano was a painting of Jesus.  To the right a sign admonished: "Be still and know that I am God." So I sang quietly. Later I figured out that Psalm 46 directs "be still" at boisterous heathen nations, not boisterous heathen boys. Indeed, a pile of Psalms incite, "make a joyful noise!"  Wish I'd known sooner.

Upstairs over the foyer door leading to the sanctuary was the line, "Enter to worship". Over the foyer door leading back outside was a companion line, "Depart to serve".  This pair bothered me.  Wasn't it called a "church service"? Why not have identical reminders both ways? "Worship. Serve." Love God, love people.

Some people post little scripture quotelets around their homes. I've seen this in a couple of bathrooms.

       Cast all your cares on him, for he cares for you.

This is a great reminder in these times.  Even greater is the entire sentence. Peter's point is not that if I talk to God, I will feel better.  The point is not to feel powerlessness against a virus nor against government. Nor ought I become cynical about idiots, including my unprepared self. Considering what the future holds, I need neither shiver nor shrug.

This promise activates in humbling myself before God, before the God who cares.

1 Peter chapter 5:
      Clothe yourselves, all of you,
        with humility toward one another,
         for “God opposes the proud
               but gives grace to the humble.”
      Humble yourselves, therefore,
         under the mighty hand of God
            so that at the proper time he may exalt you,
            casting all your cares on him, for he cares for you.
      Be sober-minded; be watchful.

(In the original Greek writing, "Be sober-minded; be watchful," is just two words:  "Nepho Gregoreo." When I get too flippant, you have a duty to admonish me:  Nepho Gregoreo! Nepho!)

      Your adversary the devil prowls around
          like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour.
      Resist him, firm in your faith,
      knowing that the same kinds of suffering
      are being experienced by your brotherhood
           throughout the world.
      And after you have suffered a little while,
      the God of all grace, who has called you
      to his eternal glory in Christ,
      will himself restore, confirm, strengthen,
            and establish you.
      To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.

This week I've been called on the phone by old friends who have control issues. They hope that as in the past I can talk them down from their agitation or talk them up from their despair. OK, that's flattering myself. They really want me to be still while they vent.  "Two ladies brushed by me at the grocery!" "I'll go crazy if I can't get out!" "I have no income." "I don't know, I just don't know!"

People more than ever find something humbling every day, every hour.  Rather, the path through scary times to "the proper time" is to feel humble under the mighty hand of God.

Jesus put it this way in Matthew chapter 10,
      "And do not fear those who kill the body
            but cannot kill the soul.
       Rather fear him who
            can destroy both soul and body in hell."

James chapter 4:
      Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord,
      and He shall lift you up.

2 Chronicles chapter 34:
      "Because your heart was tender
            and you humbled yourself before God
       when you heard his words
            against this place and its inhabitants, and
       you have humbled yourself before me
       and have torn your clothes and
       wept before me,
       I also have heard you, declares the Lord."

Daniel chapter 10:
      Then he said to me, “Fear not, Daniel,
      for from the first day that you
      set your heart to understand
      and humbled yourself before your God,
      your words have been heard."

Paul, in Romans chapter 8:
      Who shall separate us from the love of Christ?
      Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution,
      or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword?
      As it is written,
         “For your sake we are being killed all the day long;
          we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.”
      No, in all these things we are more than conquerors
      through him who loved us.
      For I am sure that neither death nor life,
         nor angels nor rulers,
            nor things present nor things to come,
                nor powers, nor height nor depth,
                     nor anything else in all creation,
      will be able to separate us from the love of God
           in Christ Jesus our Lord.

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