DEVOTION: WEEK OF JAN 18

Psalm 46:10 tells us plainly that the entire reason we are to be still is so that we can know God. Restfulness of our minds and hearts are a wonderful byproduct of stillness, but the primary purpose of stillness is so we can know God.

Do we know Him? Do you know Him? Do you know His character, His personality, His love, His adorations, His abominations? Do we know who He is in relation to the creation and the entire universe, but also in relation to who we are? 

Knowing God has a two-prong benefit: the more we know Who God Is, the more settled we become into who we are. 

  • When we know He is Jehovah Jirah (He provides), then we’re confident we’re cared for and provided for. I don’t need to find acceptance, joy, love and peace from people, because I already have been provided it from God. 
  • When we know He is Jehovah Raphah (He heals), then we will be healed, here or in heaven. I don’t need to remain caught up in my brokenness, because by His stripes I am healed.
  • When we know He is Jehovah Shammah (He is there), we know we are never alone and never forsaken. I don’t have to cling to toxic relationships, or settle for unhealthy ones, because He is always with me and for me and desires better for me.

We struggle so much with identity in today’s day and age, and we confuse our performance with our personality, our existence with our execution. And God watches from above as we struggle and strive to figure out who we are, begging us to figure Him out first, because then who we are is clear as day:

We are His children, made in His image, to be image bearers for His son, Jesus Christ, to a world desperate for identity and purpose.

When we are still and know Him, we reflect Him better to those around us. 

“All of us, with no covering on our faces, show the shining-greatness of the Lord as in a mirror. All the time we are being changed to look like Him, with more and more of His shining-greatness. This change is from the Lord Who is the Spirit.” (2 Corinthians 3:18, New Life Version)

QUESTIONS FOR YOU THIS WEEK

Monday:

What do you know about God? What have you learned about His character and personality that makes you love Him? Do you think you have any misconceptions about who He is? Journal your answer, asking Him to show you the places you don’t know Him or trust Him. Ask Him to help your unbelief in those areas.

Tuesday:

Who is God to you, and how does that shape your identity in your daily life? Maybe you trust God to love you unconditionally, so that helps you not pressure others to play God in your life. Maybe you know God is always with you, so when you find yourself alone, you can turn to Him and not feel lonely. Research other names for God, and journal which one speaks to you the strongest in this season of your life.

Wednesday:

In what ways do you confuse your performance with your personality? What roles do you use to define yourself, instead of identifying the personality or characteristic that enables you to fulfill that role? Today, make yourself a Do list and a Be list. 

  • Under the Do list, write down how you would identify yourself — Mom, Wife, Writer, Runner, Artist, Designer.
  • Under the Be list, write down the qualities or characteristics you have that don’t involve a role. For example, instead of Mom, Wife, Writer, your Be list might be: Nurturing, Supportive, Objective, Perceptive, Creative.

Note the difference between who you are and what you do. Your “who” won’t change — those are qualities instilled in you by God. How you use those qualities may shift and sway, but the core of your identity will always be there.

Thursday:

Truth time, and this may hurt a little: do you think it’s obvious to those around you that you know God? Do you reflect Him well? Would others be able to tell you’ve been with God, based on your posts, tweets, words and actions daily? Journal your answer, and if the Spirit shows you areas in which you haven’t done this well, repent and ask for His strength (as well as the fruit of self-control) to make a change.

Friday:

What would you look like if you truly embraced the truth that we are made in God’s image? How would that impact how you treat people, how you interact with people, how you speak and think? Would it change how you post on social media and how you respond to road rage? Journal what it would look and feel like to live like a reflection of Jesus every single day. Ask for forgiveness where you need to, and ask for courage and self-control where you need to as well. 

WANT TO HEAR MORE?

Go back and listen to one of our very first podcasts on what it means to Be Still.