Latest / Eurasia Region Podcast / S1-E19 | Everyday Eurasia | Relu Cristurean
Transcript
- 0:00Hello and welcome to the Everyday Eurasia podcast,
- 0:04Inspiring Faith for Every Day. Each day we are on a journey
- 0:08with Jesus in our churches, our homes, our workplaces, and in so
- 0:13many different places around the world.
- 0:16Is it beautiful that no matter where we are, we can walk with
- 0:20him every single day? Jesus is the one who connects us
- 0:24all and stands at the very center of our lives day after
- 0:28day. Through this podcast, you'll
- 0:30hear voices from across the region sharing devotionals that
- 0:34reminds us of God's presence in our everyday moments.
- 0:44Today we will listen to Relu. He's bestor of the Church of the
- 0:47Nazarene in Romania. He will think with us about
- 0:50Psalm 46, verse 10. Hello, my name is Relu.
- 0:56I am pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Sigishwara, Romania.
- 1:04Now I want to draw your attention to a Bible verse that
- 1:08I've read these days and is in Psalm 46, verse 10, where he
- 1:14says be still and know that I am God.
- 1:17I will be exalted among the nations.
- 1:19I will be exalted in the earth now.
- 1:22Psalm 46 is a song of confidence is God in God.
- 1:27It begins with comforting words. In verse one says God is our
- 1:31refuge and strength and an ever present help in trouble.
- 1:37Then in verse 10 God himself speaks.
- 1:40Be still, he said, and know that I am God.
- 1:43Such a simple verse, yet profound.
- 1:47In a world that constantly pushes us to rush, to do more,
- 1:52to control, to fix everything. God comes and whispers be still.
- 1:58Sounds strange, isn't it? But he's not calling us to
- 2:03laziness or apathy, but to trust, to rest in his presence,
- 2:10to let him be the one who speaks, reassures, and brings
- 2:15peace that only His presence can give.
- 2:19First of all, he says be still. This is a call to rest in the
- 2:23midst of chaos. I looked for a Hebrew word for
- 2:28this and it means to let go, to cease striving or to stop
- 2:35fighting. It's as as if God is saying stop
- 2:40trying to control everything. Let me be God.
- 2:44We often wear ourselves out trying to hold everything
- 2:49together, our family, ministry, finances or health.
- 2:54But God calls us to stop, not just physically, but spiritually
- 2:59sometime to stop the inner noise, the anxiety, the endless
- 3:04effort to manage everything ourselves.
- 3:09Well, you know, sometimes I, when I walk with my three-year
- 3:12old son on the street, I, I tell him, hold my hand.
- 3:19And he grasped my hand, but his hands are tiny.
- 3:24So after a while he gets tired. And I said, I said to him, why
- 3:29don't you let me hold your hand instead?
- 3:33So I grab his tiny hand and I hold him.
- 3:35And my hand is holding me stronger than he can hold my
- 3:41hand. And this picture is like God is
- 3:45saying to us, let me hold you. You don't have to hold on to try
- 3:52to hold on tightly. Maybe today you feel like you
- 3:56must do something to fix everything.
- 4:00But God gently says be still. Let me, let me be your be, be
- 4:05with you. Let my presence be with you.
- 4:09And then he says be still and know.
- 4:14This is a call to deep personal knowledge of God.
- 4:18God doesn't just want to US, wants us to stop moving.
- 4:22He wants to know him not just in our minds, but in our hearts.
- 4:28This is not just theoretical knowledge, it's experiencing,
- 4:33experiencing him. Be still and know that I'm God,
- 4:38that no, to know God means to to live aware of his presence, to
- 4:46trust that he's there even when you don't feel or you don't
- 4:52understand it. This brings peace.
- 4:56You know when Elijah stood on Mount Horeb, God did not reveal
- 5:01himself in the wind or in the earth earthquake or in the fire,
- 5:05but in a gentle whisper says in first Kings chapter 19, Elijah
- 5:11had to stop and listen and recognize God's presence.
- 5:16The same is true for us. God often speaks in the
- 5:20stillness. Then says the verses to know and
- 5:26know that I am God. It's a declaration of serenity.
- 5:31This is the heart of the verse. God says I am God.
- 5:36In other words, I'm in control, I reign over all, I reign over
- 5:42earth, I reign over your over your life in a world that feels
- 5:47chaotic sometimes and uncertain. This is our anchor can hold on.
- 5:53He is God, he is on the throne. He is almighty God.
- 6:00What a what a relief is it is to say with faith, Lord, you are
- 6:06God, you are my God, you are my Lord.
- 6:10You lead, you know you can do wonderful things in stillness.
- 6:18God renews, renews our our soul, our heart.
- 6:24And the Psalm ends with a strong affirmation of faith.
- 6:28The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our
- 6:34fortress. When we stop, when we stay still
- 6:39and acknowledge his presence, sometimes that changes us
- 6:44inside. Fear is loosened, faith is
- 6:48strengthened, the heart becomes calm.
- 6:52Just as a lake becomes clear, when the the wind stops blowing,
- 6:59our souls become clear and when we are still before God.
- 7:04So I want to leave you with this, these words.
- 7:08Be still and know that I'm God, he said.
- 7:13He's inviting us to trust him completely.
- 7:20He's inviting us closer to him to trust Him.
- 7:25The Lord of hosts is with us, the God of Jacob.
- 7:29It's our fortress. God bless you my brothers and
- 7:33sisters. Thank you for listening to the
- 7:35Everyday Eurasia podcast, Inspiring Faith for Everyday.
- 7:40For more Everyday Stories, subscribe on this podcast
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- 7:46newsletter snapshots. For our newsletter and further
- 7:49information about the Euratia region, visit our website,
- 7:53euratiaregion.org.