Sit Still

Sit Still

"Their strength is to sit still." Isaiah 30:7

Yesterday marked the second year anniversary of an amazing six week journey for our family. Some of you will remember that our precious granddaughter, Lindsay, had her first open heart surgery two years ago, beginning a six week journey that we have called the worst/best six weeks of our lives.

As men, we are fixers. I am sure you have heard your wife say as mine has had on numerous occasions, "I don't want you to fix this situation, just listen!" I wanted to fix Lindsay. I wanted to step in and take away the pain and hurt for my kids. But on the day of her surgery, God spoke to my heart and said "SIT STILL!"

He used the words from Streams in the Desert to quiet my heart when it was stirred with fear and anxiety. Listen to these words:

Inner stillness is an absolute necessity to truly knowing God. I remember learning this during a time of great crisis in my life. My entire being seemed to throb with anxiety, and the sense of need for immediate and powerful action was overwhelming. Yet the circumstances were such that I could do NOTHING, and the person who could have helped would not move.

For a time it seemed as if I would fall to pieces due to my inner turmoil. Then suddenly "a still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12) whispered in the depths of my soul, "Be still, and know that I am God" Psalm 46:10. The words were spoken with power and I obeyed. I composed myself, bringing my body to complete stillness, and forced my trouble spirit into quietness. Only then, while looking up and waiting, did I know that it was God who had spoken. He was in the midst of my crisis and my helplessness, and I rested in Him.

This was an experience I would not have missed for anything. I would also say it was from the stillness that the power seemed to arise to deal with the crisis, and that very quickly brought it to a successful resolution. It was during this crisis I effectively learned that my "strength is to sit still."

There is a perfect passivity that is not laziness. It is a living stillness born of trust. Quiet tension is not trust but simply compressed anxiety. -- Hannah Whitall Smith

Looking back today to two years ago -- we could have written those words. We give testimony to the fact that this was true! There was NOTHING we could do but to SIT STILL and wait on Him. What are YOU facing today in YOUR life? Is it something YOU can't fix? Then take His words into YOUR heart today -- SIT STILL! -- Bill Welte is President and CEO of America's KESWICK

Digging Deeper: Proverbs 8; 1 Samuel 10-12; Luke 9:37-62

Dig This Quote: Christ did not teach and suffer that we might become, even in the natural loves, more careful of our own happiness. If a man is not uncalculating towards the earthly beloveds whom he has seen, he is none the more likely to be so towards God whom he has not. We shall draw nearer to God, not by trying to avoid the sufferings inherent in all loves, but by accepting them and offering them to Him; throwing away all defensive armour. If our hearts need to be broken, and if He chooses this as the way in which they should break, so be it. C. S. Lewis (The Four Loves)

Determined Digging: Level 1 -- Psalm 119:11; Level 2 -- Psalm 51:5-9 TAKE THE CHALLENGE: May is fast approaching and we will be hosting our 2nd annual Family Freedom Walk on Saturday, May 8th. You can help in two ways. 1. walk – call guest services to obtain a walk package, solicit sponsors and come to the walk. 2. (this is a fun one) Sponsor Freedom Fighters for the walk. We are having a friendly competition between the 2 groups of devotional readers (Freedom Fighters and Victory Call). Our goal is to raise more funds for the Freedom Fighters team than the women raise for the Victory Call team.

If you would like to join the fun, simply go to this link on our website: Donate for Family Freedom Walk fill out the information and indicate in the “DESIGNATION” area : Family Freedom Walk: Freedom Fighters or if you prefer make your check out to America’s KESWICK and put in the memo line: FFW/Freedom Fighters and mail to : America’s KESWICK 601 Route 530 Whiting, NJ 08759. ALL DONATIONS MUST ARRIVE NO LATER THAN WEDNESDAY, MAY 5TH in order to be counted for our TEAM. Come on men, we can do it!!!