Be Still, My Soul

With it being January, I want to introduce one of my themes for the year, “be still.”

I really think it’s funny because I sorta picked out my own, but the Lord had other plans. I say, “One of my themes,” because I have two. I surrendered to the Lord in His thought of being still, and then everywhere I would read in my Bible I would see the phrase, “Arise and go” or “Rise.” The Holy Spirit then brought this thought to my mind- before I can arise and go, I must be still and know.

Be still doesn’t mean do nothing.

Jackie marie Carr

There’s a lot to do, but before you can reach the places you want to go, you must first be still in Him.

Being still doesn’t necessarily mean propping your feet up on the couch (although that can be part of it). Being still is about learning to wait on the Lord.

Psalm 43:5 says, “Why art thou cast down, O my soul? and why art thou disquieted within me? hope in God: for I shall yet praise him, who is the health of my countenance, and my God.”

Did you know something interesting? The Psalmist says almost the exact same words one chapter before in Psalm 42:11. I believe this is placing even more value on what point the writer is trying to make from the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He begins by asking himself a question. He’s searching the inner most parts of his soul to find out why he’s so depressed.

I can’t tell you how many good people are depressed.

You may know exactly why you are depressed and some people can’t even pinpoint why they are. I’ve heard some people say this about depression,

“Depression is smiling on the outside while crying and grieving on the inside.”

anonymous

Did you know that God can lead you through depression?

Depression is a desert place. You feel alone, thirsty, and starving to death on the inside. You feel like you are walking through a wilderness with no end in sight. But let me tell you, hope in God.

What does that mean?

According to this passage, waiting on God is being still but expecting on Him to bring you through.

When I was depressed, I stopped my normal Bible reading schedule which wasn’t like me. I’ve been reading my Bible through yearly since I was pregnant with my oldest son who is 14 now. A pastor gave this counsel, and it was so helpful. For most of that year I read Psalms over and over again. Then I began including a Proverb a day with my Psalms. This was the year 2017 and 2018. At the end of 2018 I began reading Isaiah also.

I remember reading how God can make streams in you desert. From those streams He can cause even a rose to blossom in your desert. I promise you, that moment my life was forever changed. I remember being in my bed with my Bible in my lap sobbing and sobbing.

In my most broken state, I knew God was using His Word to heal the broken places in my heart. I knew He was stitching up my depressed soul. I’m not sure what has caused your depression, but I am here to tell you that my God is the Great Physician! He can take the absolute most horrific things that have happened to you or your family and make you brand new.

Let’s look at the next part of the verse. “Why art thou disquieted within me?” Disquieted is where anxiety sets in.

Disquieted, according to Strong’s Concordance and Webster’s 1828 Dictionary, means: to make a loud sound, to be in great commotion or tumult, to rage, war, moan, clamor: to be troubled. Made uneasy or restless; disturbed; harassed.

Is your heart restless? Is it disturbed- pounding out of your chest- tight and irregular?

Friend, that’s anxiety at its’ finest. Anxiety is terrible and can make you feel awful and can be detrimental to your health.

Anxiety can feel as if someone puts you in a room without oxygen, and then stands on your chest.

Jackie Marie Carr

With part of my career being in the health and wellness industry, I constantly talk to people who are struggling with anxiety.

There’s so much noise in our world. Technology is rapidly evolving daily.

Last night my husband and I were on a date and he kept asking me, “Who’s texting you?”

I would respond, “No one; it’s just my notifications.”

My husband responded, “If I allowed all my notifications to come through then my phone would never quit going off!” (His Facebook page has touched 8.5 million people this month so far.)

With thinking about this, we live in a totally different world than we did 50 years ago.

It’s funny because we were talking on the way to church Sunday night about this topic, and my oldest son contributed a great thought. In early America, people were dealing with so many diseases like small pox, polio, dysentery, Scarlet fever, and so many sorts of diseases. And now, society suffers from depression and anxiety daily.

So, the Psalmist was in this place of depression and anxiety, but he tells himself, “Hope in God.” Be still, my soul.

Hope is simply being patient while waiting on God to do something.

Jackie Marie Carr

The Psalmist was praising God even in this state of being still in an anxious place.

You can’t wait to praise God until He answers you. Some people say, “I can’t sing, and I can’t go to church because I’m too depressed.” But many times when we take that step of faith to praise, and to still show up for others, that’s when we receive the stitching up that we need. Many times God’s ways of healing is the exact opposite of what the world teaches. God’s ways are higher than ours.

Being still for the Psalmist meant he knew that he was going to praise God who is the health…

Let’s stop there. This health here is a healing of deliverance, an aid, victory, prosperity even in trials, and salvation.

The Psalmist wanted to be completely healed inside and out, that even in his countenance or his appearance showed the work that God had done through him.

Whenever God began healing my anxiety and depression, He not only healed my heart through His Word, but led me to research and find the exact supplements I needed to heal my physical body.

Let’s turn to a couple chapters over and read the famous passage on this topic. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” I love this whole verse! He says, I will be exalted among the heathen. It may seem as if the ones who have hurt you have gotten by with it, and yet we are asked as Christians to forgive, to be stronger…

Being still doesn’t seem fair sometimes.

But God is exalted higher. Be still, my friend. You can’t do this in your own strength. If you read this chapter in context, in verse 1 says that He’s very present. Verse 5 says, “God is in the midst,” and verse 7 says, “The Lord of hosts is with us”.

This is a gentle reminder when you’re in the bed and can’t sleep, you feel like the ceiling is closing in… Friend, He’s never left your side. It’s true. I’ve read Psalm 139 more times than I can count. Although, this phrase stuck out to me the other day, “Even there,

Even there

EVEN THERE shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.”

Where is even there?

He says in the verses before, If I make my bed in Hell, if I dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea…

David was so still and had such a reliance on God that no matter what happened he knew God would be there.

In Psalm 46:1, the Bible says, “God is our refuge and strength.” Verse 7 says that God is our refuge, and verse 11 says that God is our refuge also. 3 times God’s Word says this back to back.

You know what a stronghold is? It’s a false thinking or belief made to be true in your mind.

Instead of believing you are alone, there’s no hope for my situation, there’s no way out, build a refuge and fortress in your mind of truth. Every time a lie is shot your way in the form of a thought (maybe from something you’ve heard, read, or seen), capture it and cast it down through the obedience of Christ by His Words of truth.

I hope this thought was a blessing to you! If you are not subscribed to the email list, please subscribe! Let me know if this encouraged your heart.

Love,

Jackie

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