Philippians 4:6-7, “Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
I am a soldier in the army of the Lord Jesus Christ. I do not give orders. I receive orders and it is my job to fulfill those orders. I do not need to know why. I do not need to know how. I do not need to know the outcome. I am a soldier. Every soldier of every rank receives orders and is responsible to complete those orders. I will never be the Commander, so I just need to Trust and Obey. Trust that God has a perfect plan which is for His glory and My good. And then Obey my orders. Anxiety over what is going on and all the supposed chaos around me in sin on my part. I have been told, “Be anxious for nothing!” That is not just a good way to live. That is a direct command from my God. My responsibility is to pray and live in peace. That is: live an anxiety free life.
I recently spent a lot of time, energy and money on a particular project which I believe the Lord wanted me to do. Then at the last minute that entire project was laid aside by the hand of God and I had to move to a different project. Then that project hit a snag and is costing me more time and money. I don’t know why. I don’t know how. I do not know the outcome. I just know this is where my Commander (the Lord Jesus Christ) has me now. And as He supplies the time, energy and finances we will continue to move forward.
I know I referred to Trust and Obey in the above comments, but I believe the hymn “Be Still My Soul” fits for today. Read the word carefully and be encouraged.
BE STILL MY SOUL
Kathrina von Schlegel
- Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side;
bear patiently the cross of grief or pain;
leave to thy God to order and provide;
in ev’ry change He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul: thy best, thy heav’nly Friend
thro’ thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
- Be still, my soul: thy God doth undertake
to guide the future as He has the past.
Thy hope, thy confidence let nothing shake;
all now mysterious shall be bright at last.
Be still, my soul: the waves and winds still know
His voice who ruled them while He dwelt below.
- Be still, my soul: when dearest friends depart,
and all is darkened in the veil of tears,
then shalt thou better know His love, His heart,
who comes to soothe thy sorrow and thy fears.
Be still, my soul: thy Jesus can repay
from His own fullness all He takes away.
- Be still, my soul: the hour is hast’ning on
when we shall be forever with the Lord,
when disappointment, grief, and fear are gone,
sorrow forgot, love’s purest joys restored.
Be still, my soul: when change and tears are past,
all safe and blessed we shall meet at last.
We do not know much about Katharina vonSchlegel. What we do know is that she lived from 1697 to 1768. She was closely connected to the Pietist movement founded by German Lutheran Philipp Spener. The goal of this movement was to bring Scripture and holiness back in the lives of professing believers. Not having a history of her life. We can only assume that the verses of this song come from her own personal experiences. Which would also be common to each of us.
May God speak to you through this song and encourage you to rest in your Savior and He carries you through the challenges of life He has planned for you.
In Christ,
Pastor Rob
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