Dear Friends,

My son used to have a construction paper, mosaic craft hanging on his wall that said, “Be still and know that I am God.”  (Psalm 46:10) It hung there through his high school and college years – a reminder of a significant time at camp when he was a young teenager – and it reminded me of Truth every time I walked into his room.

“If God is for me, who is against me?”  Paul’s rhetorical question in Romans reminds me of God’s power and His ultimate goodness toward me, as expressed by His gift of redemption in Jesus Christ.  If He is good and if His work is finished, I can be still and rest in the reality of Who He is.

In a different version, Psalm 46:10 says, “Cease striving, and know that I am God.”  When I forget that God is for me, I often begin to strive.  Sometimes, I strive with myself – trying desperately to accomplish through my works what God already accomplished at Calvary through His grace.  Or, sometimes, I strive with others – trying desperately to gain the upper hand in relational areas that seem fraught with conflict or confusion.  But, when I remember, “If God is for me, who is against me?”, I can cease striving and rest in the reality of His power and His goodness.

May you know the peace of being perfectly and powerfully loved today.  May it free you from striving – within and without.

Blessings,

Ron