Just a quick note, this was written several weeks ago and originally meant to be a seminar

​Peace amidst the Chaos
 
We are living in what many are calling unprecedented times. I don’t know about that, exactly, but I do know that for most of us, we’ve never personally experienced anything like the global, national, and individual unrest that is happening right now. I personally feel things very deeply including the pain of people around me. The sights of men being murdered, the riots that followed that, the divisiveness of elections, and of course the stress and isolation as well as financial difficulties from quarantining due to Covid-19 have affected me as I am certain it has affected most. I was told by someone close to me that she saw me more acutely affected than many from the George Floyd and Ahmaud Aubrey murders. I don’t know about that, but I know I am profoundly angry and sad and hurt by those murders as well as the many other injustices I see around me.
I am Caucasian, and an African American friend made a general statement that any non-black person could not understand the unrest. Once again, I don’t know if that’s true or not. I am not black, but I am human. I was offended by her statements until I remembered nothing can truly offend me in Christ. I have to have mercy on others as Christ has mercy on me. She is hurting too, maybe more than I am hurting. I don’t know her life or experience and she doesn’t know mine.
As people fight over things like protests, riots, elections, masks, business, and leisure, I have been becoming increasingly anxious and depressed. I know I am not alone in this either. I’ve heard so many people talking about their own depression, some who have never experienced it before and don’t understand what it is, some who have suffered for years. I have listened as many talked about worries, anxiety, and even panic attacks. I have even been wrongly envious of people getting three to four times more per week from the government than I receive at my work as I experience the privilege to depend on the Lord my God.
But, as believers, we do not have to give in to the chaos and worry. We may be moved in love by the sad and broken world we live in, but we do not have to fall victim to the schemes of the enemy to destroy our hope, joy, or love. We do live in this world, but we are not of the world. We are not the same as the lost. We are in a position to change things, to control our responses, and to glorify God through any tribulation.
It is easier said than done, right? Where do we start? We start with Jesus. We start with believing God is who He says He is as Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Then, we take control of our thoughts and hearts, we respond rather than react. We depend on the LORD to be who He is so that we can be who He says we are. We remember that this earth is temporary but our life in Christ is eternal. We remembered that suffering and tribulation is promised and prophesied; but so is perfect peace, everlasting joy, and undying love.
God told us to “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).
Who is God? He is All-Powerful. He is Sovereign. He is Love. He is The LORD of Hosts. He is the Prince of Peace. He is Omniscient. He is Wonderful Counselor. He is Father. He is Savior. He is the Truth, the Way, and the Life. He is our Helper. He is the Great I Am.
He is the God who Sees you. He knows you perfectly. He created you with purpose and has good plans for you. He is with you and He will never leave you (Hebrews 13:5). He will fight for you and you only have to be silent (Exodus 14:14).
Our part is to be still and to be silent. We aren’t trying to find peace through works and labor. We don’t get to know God by laboring, we get to know Him through being still, letting Him be God, letting Him fight for us. We need to rest. Especially when all these circumstances exhaust us. The author of Hebrews told us to strive to enter God’s rest. It seems like a contradiction to strive to enter rest. It isn’t. Enter God’s rest and being still and silent are choices we make, especially when the natural reaction is to worry and cry and yell and fight.
Jesus, the Son of God, God Himself, our Savior purposely sought rest and solitude (Luke 5:16). He withdrew to be alone with the Father often. The scriptures share several instances when He took time alone with God and when He chose to withdraw with the twelve to teach. When others were reacting with fear to storms, Jesus exhibited His faith and peace by resting so He would be prepared to do the Father’s will. Matthew 8:23-27 tells us
And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being swamped by the waves; but he was asleep. 25 And they went and woke him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing.” 26 And he said to them, “Why are you afraid, O you of little faith?” Then he rose and rebuked the winds and the sea, and there was a great calm. 27 And the men marveled, saying, “What sort of man is this, that even winds and sea obey him?”
Even the winds and sea obey Jesus, why do we think He can’t or won’t be our Lord and Savior through any circumstance? He is able and willing (Matthew 8:3). He loves us and He thinks of us more than we could imagine. The world and everything in it belongs to God. We may see chaos, but the Creator knows His plan and we trust, we know nothing will thwart that plan. Acts 17:24-28 reads,
The God who made the world and everything in it, being Lord of heaven and earth, does not live in temples made by man, 25 nor is he served by human hands, as though he needed anything, since he himself gives to all mankind life and breath and everything. 26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place, 27 that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us, 28 for
“‘In him we live and move and have our being’;
as even some of your own poets have said,
“‘For we are indeed his offspring.
Job 42:2-6 says this,
“I know that you can do all things,
    and that no purpose of yours can be thwarted.
3 ‘Who is this that hides counsel without knowledge?’
Therefore I have uttered what I did not understand,
    things too wonderful for me, which I did not know.
4 ‘Hear, and I will speak;
    I will question you, and you make it known to me.’
5 I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
    but now my eye sees you;
6 therefore I despise myself,
    and repent in dust and ashes.”
What are God’s plans? Well, of course He has plans for us on this earth. Jeremiah 29:11-14 says this,
 For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. 13 You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile.
His plans for us are good, for a future, and a hope. Are we seeking Him? Do we really want to know Him? To know Him, to know who He is we need to seek Him. We seek Him not welfare, not a future, and not a hope, but God Himself. If we look seek to know Him, we will find Him. We will know He is God. Those are the plans He has for us.
But ultimately, His plan is for us to spend eternity with Him. This earth is just temporary, it is an opportunity to bring as many people to Him as possible. What will even a very long life of 120 years be like compared to a billion years, 10 trillion years, and forever?
This earth has to be destroyed before we get to the beautiful forever God has promised us. The bad stuff, the terrible stuff is not God’s doing but He is using it to bring people to Him, to give them every opportunity to confess He is Lord and be His very own. But then... Oh Believer, let’s read it in Revelation 21:1-8
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.”
5 And he who was seated on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Also he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.” 6 And he said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the beginning and the end. To the thirsty I will give from the spring of the water of life without payment. 7 The one who conquers will have this heritage, and I will be his God and he will be my son. 8 But as for the cowardly, the faithless, the detestable, as for murderers, the sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars, their portion will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur, which is the second death.”
This is our hope, this is our assurance. This is our promise! It is real. It feels far off. I know it does. After a thousand years with Jesus, I will not even think about the pain and suffering I went through in my earthly life, but right now, it is with me and I am in pain. I don’t know how much more of this injustice, pestilence, and war I can take. But eternal life doesn’t begin on the day we enter Heaven, eternal life began the day we confessed Jesus as Christ and Lord. God is with us and He will never leave us.
I don’t have to cry out for justice, because Justice will come! He will come riding on a white horse (Revelation 19:11-21). He has said, “Vengeance is Mine!” (Deuteronomy 32:35).
This life is difficult!. Yes, Jesus is coming and He is bringing us justice, but sometimes I forget. Sometimes, I give in to the selfishness of my humanity and I find myself too often giving into myself and becoming more depressed, anxious, and even bitter and angry. Believer, I am not alone, you are not alone! God is with us! He is Emmanuel. He will never leave you nor forsake you (Hebrews 13:5).
But, we are also a part of the body of Christ with brothers and sisters who walk beside us. If you are not part of a local church, if you are trying to be a Christian without being a part of the body, you are short-changing yourself and you are not walking the way Jesus intended. My own local church are so much a part of who I am, I understand the concept of the bride being united as one with the Groom. I could not go through any of this without my beloved brothers and sisters walking beside me.
How do we go through a time like this? How do we make a difference in a world that seems to be degenerating exponentially day by day? What can we do?
Paul said it this way in Romans 12:9-21,
Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.
14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
It may sound like too much. It really isn’t. Let’s look at that passage again, this time from The Living Bible.
Don’t just pretend that you love others: really love them. Hate what is wrong. Stand on the side of the good. 10 Love each other with brotherly affection and take delight in honoring each other. 11 Never be lazy in your work, but serve the Lord enthusiastically.
12 Be glad for all God is planning for you. Be patient in trouble, and prayerful always. 13 When God’s children are in need, you be the one to help them out. And get into the habit of inviting guests home for dinner or, if they need lodging, for the night.
14 If someone mistreats you because you are a Christian, don’t curse him; pray that God will bless him. 15 When others are happy, be happy with them. If they are sad, share their sorrow. 16 Work happily together. Don’t try to act big. Don’t try to get into the good graces of important people, but enjoy the company of ordinary folks. And don’t think you know it all!
17 Never pay back evil for evil. Do things in such a way that everyone can see you are honest clear through. 18 Don’t quarrel with anyone. Be at peace with everyone, just as much as possible.
19 Dear friends, never avenge yourselves. Leave that to God, for he has said that he will repay those who deserve it. Don’t take the law into your own hands. 20 Instead, feed your enemy if he is hungry. If he is thirsty give him something to drink and you will be “heaping coals of fire on his head.” In other words, he will feel ashamed of himself for what he has done to you. 21 Don’t let evil get the upper hand, but conquer evil by doing good.
Point by point this says,

• Really (tangibly) love others.
• Hate evil, stand on the side of good.
• Take care of one another. See a need? Meet it!
• Love each other with empathy, truly be happy for each other’s happiness, be truly distressed for each other’s sorrows.
• Don’t think you’re better than anyone else.
• Whatever you can do to live peacefully, harmoniously with everyone. (no arguing, fighting, etc.)
• Don’t payback evil for evil, be honorable.
• Don’t avenge yourself. Vengeance belongs to God.
• Conquer evil by doing good.

In other words, Love one another. Love others. Love in action as well as in your heart. Love.
I know we can still feel anxious, we can still feel so devastated we wonder if we even want to keep going. What then? Paul said this in Philippians 4:4-9
Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
Wait! How am I supposed to rejoice when people are fighting all around me, when I don’t know how the rent is going to get paid, when men are pointlessly murdered and the world is falling apart all around me? Well, Believer, firstly, you have the hope that we talked about in Revelation 21, you are saved. Your suffering, our suffering gives us all the more reason to rejoice! 1 Peter 1:3-12 in The Message describes it this way,
 What a God we have! And how fortunate we are to have him, this Father of our Master Jesus! Because Jesus was raised from the dead, we’ve been given a brand-new life and have everything to live for, including a future in heaven—and the future starts now! God is keeping careful watch over us and the future. The Day is coming when you’ll have it all—life healed and whole.
6-7 I know how great this makes you feel, even though you have to put up with every kind of aggravation in the meantime. Pure gold put in the fire comes out of it proved pure; genuine faith put through this suffering comes out proved genuine. When Jesus wraps this all up, it’s your faith, not your gold, that God will have on display as evidence of his victory.
8-9 You never saw him, yet you love him. You still don’t see him, yet you trust him—with laughter and singing. Because you kept on believing, you’ll get what you’re looking forward to: total salvation.
10-12 The prophets who told us this was coming asked a lot of questions about this gift of life God was preparing. The Messiah’s Spirit let them in on some of it—that the Messiah would experience suffering, followed by glory. They clamored to know who and when. All they were told was that they were serving you, you who by orders from heaven have now heard for yourselves—through the Holy Spirit—the Message of those prophecies fulfilled. Do you realize how fortunate you are? Angels would have given anything to be in on this!
You must purposely choose to rejoice, to bear in mind all this. We have that choice, we can control our thought life. And in controlling our thought life we control our responses and our actions. Paul tells us to fix our thoughts on what is true and good and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely, and dwell on the fine, good things in others. Think about all we can praise God for and be glad about. Purposely choose to think about what we can praise God for and do it.
2 Corinthians 10:3-6 says,
For though we walk in the flesh, we are not waging war according to the flesh. 4 For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. 5 We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ, 6 being ready to punish every disobedience, when your obedience is complete.
Yes, we can rejoice through any circumstance. There is always something to praise God for! Go ahead right now and make a list of five things for which you can praise the Lord. What is true? What is beautiful? What is good? What has God done for you? What is God doing for you? If you are able write the list down, add to it as often as you think of something to add. Do this, do this for yourself. You can even use social media to your advantage instead of your detriment by posting praise instead of complaints, blessings instead of curses, gratitude instead of grievances.
As a side note, personally, for the most part, I had to get off social media. People feel free to fight, be hateful, and angry or overshare their politics behind the safety of a smartphone or computer screen and I just had to stop reading all of that stuff. But that is me, not you. You might find there are certain people or situations that add to your stress, from which you may want to further yourself. You may not.
Let’s return to Philippians 4:4-9 Verse 5 tells us to “Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand.” What does that mean? Be levelheaded, don’t panic, don’t be the person running around screaming that the sky is falling because an acorn hit you on the head. Be rational, think. Be fair. Be sensible. Jesus is coming. We can’t forget that. That helps us remain reasonable and wise and it also helps us to glorify God as people observe us and note our calm faithful response to circumstances rather than our fear-fed reactions.
Verse 6 is the core to not worrying, it says, “do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” So, the key to not worrying is don’t worry? Yes, but not just don’t worry. Instead of worrying pray, pray about everything, tell it all to God, every need, every concern, every hope, every request. As you pray, thank Him, thank Him for what you are praying for, knowing that whatever you ask for in His name, He will give you. Let me list a few verses that repeat this promise: Matthew 18:19 and 21:22. Mark 11:24, John 14:13, 15:7, 15:16, and 16:23, James 1:17,and  1 John 5:14. Thank Him for what you have, thank Him for what He has given. Be thankful.
The Living Bible says it simply this way, “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything; tell God your needs, and don’t forget to thank him for his answers.” This is your choice, your response to what could make you worry rather than your fearful reaction to circumstances. The promise that comes with this command is in verse 7, “And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”
People really don’t understand that peace, they may question it and give the wonderful joy of an opportunity to share His love, word, and gospel with them. But it also benefits us personally peace in the midst of chaos, is wonderful. Peace feels good! Peace makes it easier to live out the Word of God to live in the love we have been commanded to live. Our lives transform to more naturally display love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,  gentleness and self-control. That leaves us free from law and rules; it leads to true freedom to love one another as Christ loves us. It is not freedom to sin, even though there is no sin in Christ (1 John 3:5); it is freedom to love more, to rejoice more, to have more peace, mercy, patience, faith, kindness, gentleness, and self-control.
Beloved Child of the Living God, have you like me been tormented by the pandemonium of this extraordinary time? Wash your hands of the worry, draw near to God. You will feel His closeness to you. Love, rejoice, pray, be thankful, take control of your thoughts. Be still and know He is God.
 
 

​When God gave me this revelation, I wondered how I could put it into words so that we could all be properly edified and encouraged. It took me some time to even figure out where to begin. The teaching is a little longer than most of my teachings but I hope you read it, because writing it taught me and brought me to a new place of intimacy with the Lord. I am certain it can do the same for you.
Do you seek God? Do you seek Him first? Do you seek to know God above anything else, like how to pay your bills, how to keep your family safe, even before things like serving Him? God wants us to know Him. One of my favorites of Jesus’ teachings is about how to know God more. It presents a profound picture of relationship that can and will change our lives if we let it.
John 14:8-21 reads,
Philip said to him, “Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us.” 9 Jesus said to him, “Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Whoever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? 10 Do you not believe that I am in the Father and the Father is in me? The words that I say to you I do not speak on my own authority, but the Father who dwells in me does his works. 11 Believe me that I am in the Father and the Father is in me, or else believe on account of the works themselves.
12 “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. 13 Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If you ask me anything in my name, I will do it.
15 “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. 16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, 17 even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.
18 “I will not leave you as orphans; I will come to you. 19 Yet a little while and the world will see me no more, but you will see me. Because I live, you also will live. 20 In that day you will know that I am in my Father, and you in me, and I in you. 21 Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” 
In response to Phillip’s request for Jesus to reveal the Father, Jesus replies that He has been with them all this time and they haven’t recognized Him or known Him yet. He said, “Whoever has seen me has seen the Father.” Why? How? Because as Jesus said, “I am in the Father and the Father is in me” we know that to know Jesus is to know the Father and to know the Father is to know Jesus. The intimacy of that relationship is just astounding.  A few verses later Jesus gives us the awesome news that we too can have that same relationship! He says,
 “If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!
18-20 “I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I’m in my Father, and you’re in me, and I’m in you” (John 14:15-20 The Message).
 
John 14 gives us several reasons why having God indwell us and dwelling in God is not only good and beautiful but mindbogglingly marvelously miraculous. Firstly, Jesus said that the Father dwelling in Him gave Him authority so that each word He spoke manifested to works. And He promised us that same authority when He said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever believes in me will also do the works that I do; and greater works than these will he do, because I am going to the Father. Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.”
Sometimes we can get confused about the definition of glorify as it has become known as worship  and exalt. And it means that, but it means it because we make God known, we make Him famous. The true definition of the glorify is the ultimate revealing of God. Jesus did everything He did to show us God and bring us to Him. He is the supreme and perfect image of the Father and believers will reach that glory as well as the Spirit transforms us to the image of Christ (Colossians 1:15). And this brings us to the next wonderful result of this dwelling and indwelling of God in us and we in God, He is glorified, He is made known. Jesus said that Philip and the other disciples would have known the Father had they known Him. People who know us, should be led to know Jesus because of who we are in Him. Do we obey Him? Do we love as He loved? Do people know us by our love? Perhaps, we are not as intimate with the Lord as we think. Perhaps, we are not abiding quite in God.
Next and perhaps the best part of is what Jesus promised in verse 21, “Whoever has my commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves me. And he who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and manifest myself to him.” Now, we know God loved us first, His love for us is not reliant on whether or not we love Him. It is, in fact, the other way around, our ability to love is because God loved us first and our love is proof and demonstration of God’s love. 1 John 4:13-21 says it this way,
By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
The love Jesus talked about in John 14 is a tangible active love that is demonstrated in obedience, faith, and the greater works He spoke about. This is real love. Like James said, to say ‘be well’ is just lip service, it is the deed that proves the love (James 2:15-16).
The fact that God abides in us is flabbergasting! We have authority to do the works that Jesus did, to make the Father known, to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ, to love as Jesus loved us, and to know that we have nothing to fear. We have the hope of Salvation. All because God chose to abide in us. The Spirit is powerful and He chooses to indwell you! That is the same Spirit who raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 8:11). He has the power to help you overcome sin and live in the freedom of grace as the sons and daughters of God. As His children we are heirs with Jesus Christ, carriers of His name, His image, and His authority, all because He abides in us.
Abide means to lodge or remain with to travel with. But there is some choice on our part. You see, we can choose to trust and obey, we can choose to rely on Him and recognize His power within us or we can choose to quench the Spirit and feed into our basal desires. While we walk with the Spirit, we glorify the Lord but when we stifle Him, we exalt ourselves. Let’s read what Paul said about this in 1 Corinthians 3:16-23
Don’t you realize that all of you together are the house of God, and that the Spirit of God lives among you in his house? 17 If anyone defiles and spoils God’s home, God will destroy him. For God’s home is holy and clean, and you are that home.
18 Stop fooling yourselves. If you count yourself above average in intelligence, as judged by this world’s standards, you had better put this all aside and be a fool rather than let it hold you back from the true wisdom from above. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness to God. As it says in the book of Job, God uses man’s own brilliance to trap him; he stumbles over his own “wisdom” and falls. 20 And again, in the book of Psalms, we are told that the Lord knows full well how the human mind reasons and how foolish and futile it is.
21 So don’t be proud of following the wise men of this world. For God has already given you everything you need. 22 He has given you Paul and Apollos and Peter as your helpers. He has given you the whole world to use, and life and even death are your servants. He has given you all of the present and all of the future. All are yours, 23 and you belong to Christ, and Christ is God’s (The Living Bible).
 
What about the other part of it, that is us dwelling in or abiding in God? Let’s take a look at the wonderful joy of abiding in God or dwelling in God. Dwelling in God is about your relational position to God, so you have a choice about what you believe, who you understand God to be, and how you understand He thinks of you. These choices affect your relationship with Him, the better you know Him, the closer you will be to Him. The more time you spend getting to know Him, the closer you will be to Him.
You can be in the same room as someone and be considered near to them, but if you are sitting by their side or at their feet, you are obviously closer than the person sitting across the room. If you spend every day with a friend, you are closer to them than the person who sees them once a week. If you spend your time with a person talking about yourself, you will not be as close as the friend who spends time in communication, listening, asking, and actively seeking to know the person. We can call ourselves a friend but really only be an acquaintance. It is no different with God. Let’s look at some of what the Word of God has to say about it.
Psalm 27 reads,
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
    whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
    of whom shall I be afraid?
2 When evildoers assail me
    to eat up my flesh,
my adversaries and foes,
    it is they who stumble and fall.
3 Though an army encamp against me,
    my heart shall not fear;
though war arise against me,
    yet I will be confident.
4 One thing have I asked of the Lord,
    that will I seek after:
that I may dwell in the house of the Lord
    all the days of my life,
to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord
    and to inquire in his temple.
5 For he will hide me in his shelter
    in the day of trouble;
he will conceal me under the cover of his tent;
    he will lift me high upon a rock.
6 And now my head shall be lifted up
    above my enemies all around me,
and I will offer in his tent
    sacrifices with shouts of joy;
I will sing and make melody to the Lord.
7 Hear, O Lord, when I cry aloud;
    be gracious to me and answer me!
8 You have said, “Seek my face.”
My heart says to you,
    “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”
9     Hide not your face from me.
Turn not your servant away in anger,
    O you who have been my help.
Cast me not off; forsake me not,
    O God of my salvation!
10 For my father and my mother have forsaken me,
    but the Lord will take me in.
11 Teach me your way, O Lord,
    and lead me on a level path
    because of my enemies.
12 Give me not up to the will of my adversaries;
    for false witnesses have risen against me,
    and they breathe out violence.
13 I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord
    in the land of the living!
14 Wait for the Lord;
    be strong, and let your heart take courage;
    wait for the Lord!
 
David’s desire is to dwell in the house of the Lord so that he can see Him and inquire of Him. Because David seeks God’s face, that is presence, voice, and will, he doesn’t fear, he is protected, and he knows his eternity is secure. And like us, as David’s enemies do all they can to hurt him, as chaos reigns around him, David declares his belief, as if to remind himself, “I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living!” He is saying, ‘I don’t have to wait until I am dead to see God, I see Him now while I live!’ Then David reminds himself what dwelling in God’s house means. It means to wait for the Lord; don’t fight the enemy without God, wait and see what God will do, wait and hear what God will say. That is what takes real courage and strength, letting God be God rather than letting us take action without God’s commandment.
 
Why do I say that dwelling in God is positional and we have a choice in that position? Because of statements like the one that beings Psalm 91
He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
    will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.
2 I will say to the Lord, “My refuge and my fortress,
    my God, in whom I trust.”
You see, the psalmist words it as our choice. “He who dwells,” the person who dwells in God’s shelter will abide in His shadow. His shadow doesn’t cover everyone, it covers those who are dwelling in His shelter or secret place.  The psalmist then goes on to tell us a few of the privileges of abiding in the shadow of the Almighty. He uses two awesome names for God here, first “the Most High” which explains God’s superior sovereignty over everything. Then He calls Him “Almighty” referring to His omnipotence, His power over everything.
  3 For he will deliver you from the snare of the fowler
    and from the deadly pestilence.
The first thing that is promised is that He will deliver you from the fowler’s trap, a bird trap. The trap killed the bird but more often it brought it into the use of the trapper or his customers’. If we are in God’s protection, no one will be able to use us for their purposes, we are set aside for God’s purposes, not the enemy’s.
Furthermore, we will not be given over to pestilence. Pestilence is specifically a deadly and overwhelming disease that affects an entire community, something like the black plague that killed 30% of Europe’s population in the mid fourteenth century. In the Bible, pestilence is a tool of the enemy that God uses to judge. Some might consider Covid-19 pestilence; the pandemic has affected the globe. Yet, many, not all Believers, have been in direct contact with the wildly contagious disease and have not contracted it. You see, not every believer is aware that they could be under God’s protection from pestilence. Some have simply stepped outside of His shadow. They are just not as close to God as they might think. Maybe they are not ascribing God’s attributes to Him, because they don’t know Him that well or they think He couldn’t love them enough to do all that He says He will or can. But, Believer, God loves you so much! He adores you. He can and will do what He says He can. He cannot deny who He is! But, we can and if we deny Him, He will deny us. 2 Timothy 2:11-13 says,
The saying is trustworthy, for:
If we have died with him, we will also live with him;
12 if we endure, we will also reign with him;
if we deny him, he also will deny us;
13 if we are faithless, he remains faithful--
for he cannot deny himself.
Denying God doesn’t merely mean, saying God doesn’t exists; it is refuting or negating who He is and what He is capable of. If you say, God will not protect me or God will not heal through me or speak through me, then you will be correct. You have denied Him, and He will stand behind your words or beliefs. He gave you authority to make your words manifest to works, denying Him does the same thing, you deny He can or will and He will not.
Let’s be encouraged by reading the rest of Psalm 91.
4 He will cover you with his pinions,
    and under his wings you will find refuge;
    his faithfulness is a shield and buckler.
5 You will not fear the terror of the night,
    nor the arrow that flies by day,
6 nor the pestilence that stalks in darkness,
    nor the destruction that wastes at noonday.
7 A thousand may fall at your side,
    ten thousand at your right hand,
    but it will not come near you.
8 You will only look with your eyes
    and see the recompense of the wicked.
9 Because you have made the Lord your dwelling place--
    the Most High, who is my refuge --
10 no evil shall be allowed to befall you,
    no plague come near your tent.
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
    to guard you in all your ways.

12 On their hands they will bear you up,
    lest you strike your foot against a stone.
13 You will tread on the lion and the adder;
    the young lion and the serpent you will trample underfoot.
14 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
15 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
16 With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”
Read that and accept that every promise is for you, Beloved. It is contingent on your position to God, are you dwelling in His shelter and abiding in His shadow? Do you know Him as your refuge and fortress? Do you actually trust Him?
If you find like so many of us, that you have moved away from that intimate position of being in His shadow? What can we do? Here is a very quick rundown on some postures or positions with God.

1. We need frequent time alone with God. Even Jesus took frequent time alone with God and He is God!
2. We need time with other believers. Jesus went to church, shouldn’t we? (Luke 21:37-38, Mark 14:49, Mark 11:27). Meeting with one another helps us to draw closer to God! (Hebrews 10:21-26).
3. We need to sit at Jesus’ feet, that is listen to Him, learn from Him, allow Him to teach you. Imagine the perspective from the position of sitting at anyone’s feet. You are close to them, you can hear everything they say, even if they whisper. You are aware of their breathing, their every movement. No one and nothing else can distract you from your closeness because your relationship is expressed physically, emotionally, and psychologically by your proximity. (Luke 10:38-42, Luke 8:26-39).
4. We need to pray to the Father, looking up, looking toward the Father for our needs and allowing people to know that this is where we are meeting our needs and theirs, such as telling people you are praying for them and doing it and asking for God’s blessing on food or service (Mark 6:41, John 11:41-43).
5. We need to kneel before God. This is not only about requesting something, it is also a position of acknowledging God’s authority and Kingship, additionally it is a position of worship. We bend our knees in submission and acknowledgment. One day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord! (Philippians 2:8-11).
6. We need to lift up our hands, this is another position of prayer, one that Paul said we should employ (1 Timothy 2:1-10). Paul wanted men everywhere to pray this way. That means that above all this pose is prayerful. It is one that speaks to God with and without our words. In addition, this position is often a public one which communicates a oneness with people sharing in that time of supplication, prayer, intercession, and thanksgiving. Finally, according this passage just as it conveys unity, it suggests respect, unpretentiousness, and self-control. It is an external display of our mind toward God. It is a posture of blessing others while we pray and worship (Luke:24-50-53). Additionally, this posture means we reach towards God’s holiness and sanctuary (Psalm 28:2). It is a posture of desire for God (Psalm 63:1-4).

If you look at each of the positions or postures I listed you will note that they are all about being with God, either speaking to Him, listening to Him, or worshipping Him. These positions are wrapped up with this, Psalm 46:10-11 says,
“Be still, and know that I am God.
    I will be exalted among the nations,
    I will be exalted in the earth!”
11 The Lord of hosts is with us;
    the God of Jacob is our fortress. Selah
Being still and knowing that God is God is so simple and beautiful and it is the key to dwelling in the secret place, the shelter of the Most High! Being still takes a deliberate effort and it demonstrates faith. It allows God to strengthen us and it glorifies God as His power is displayed instead of ours. Waiting on God is a magnificent expression and revelation of our faith. It is not doing nothing; it is an intentional seeking of God’s face, His will, and His voice.
Be blessed, be still, abide in the Lord, and know that you are the Temple of God and He abides in you as well. Jesus is in the Father, we are in Jesus, and His Spirit is in us. Believer, nothing is impossible with God! Nothing!