Friday’s Column: Supplemental Strength
Brent Pollard
We find God not in an anxious mind, but a still heart. God exhorts us in Psalm 46.10a, “Be still, and know that I am God” (KJV). Contextually, this statement occurs amid the possibility of much turmoil. We admit sometimes we must move forward to receive God’s deliverance, as the Israelites did when pressed by pharaoh’s army at the Red Sea (Exodus 14.13-16). Yet, there are also times when we can do nothing. For those times, we’re to be still.
What do we mean by “still?” Without trying to sound like a Hebrew scholar which I’m not, allow me to suggest by using this word God is saying, “Drop your arms!” In other words, quit fighting or putting up a resistance. The New American Standard states in Psalm 46.10a we are to “cease striving.” Each of us reach a point in our life when the time for our struggle ends and we must enter the vestibule of God’s Providence.
What do we do, for example, when the doctor says we have cancer? The Kubler-Ross model of grief puts anger as third on its list of seven stages. We all experience grief differently, so anger may come either sooner or later for you than at stage three. However, I can tell you from experience, anger is something you feel dealing with cancer. “Why me? Why not this sinner over here? I never smoked. I never drank. I’ve been chaste.” Yet, God says, “Be still, and know that I am God.” He has shown us through His Word, His grace is enough (2 Corinthians 12.8-10). And for any lingering anxiety, there’s prayer. What does prayer do? It grants peace we cannot even comprehend (Philippians 4.6-7).
Though an entire lesson can be given about Providence, let me briefly suggest why it’s more awesome than the miracles for which people beg when they hear “cancer.” For a miracle, God instantaneously suspends natural law, and directly intervenes. It’s amazing, I admit. It shows His power in a way one cannot ignore (e.g. parting the Red Sea). Yet, it’s also not the thing to which He must resort to heal one’s body of a disease like cancer. His Providence is there to use the immune system which He placed within us. Providence is quiet. It requires that we be still to observe it. When we do, we see God in a thousand different things. Like a domino stacking champion, God aligns the bits and pieces that, when struck, fall into place revealing the beautiful mosaic He planned for us all along.
The more still you make yourself throughout life, the more you see His Providence. Through prayer comes peace, yes, but so, too, the wisdom to know when to move and when to be still (James 1.4-6). So, let go and let God. Live faithfully and trust Him do the rest.
The Preacher Pollard Blog 
“i am” doing this – in me ,
and it is true – and im at a moment in life where there is richness in life interiorly and its not showing outwardly, – i wait for it to do so, however, its a long pause, yet i see why as each day passes, God is showing me how i have not been ready previously, even as late as last
week, i wasnt ready, but each week goes by im asking God, please surely im ready now? Then another week passes, he shows again, see , you are not yet there, then i start to think with all these weeks, its getting too much, i will never be there on time as i thought, and i think God is saying, He is going to make that happen as perfectly as it ought to be , wether i get it right or not, though i am making impressive leaps of faith regularly, he showing me, my life is one big Miracle, sustained by God Alone, and my Passing from this Life will equal that too, so fear not the preparation, it is awesome, im scared what the end will be because of the awesomeness of my life, he has something in store for me , and i believe the life i had is showing me bits of what Heaven is going to be like, only im scared for other people around constantly trying to tune this out, ive got to pray for them as they are in terrible danger doing this, i wished it wasnt so, but its part of the hazards of the Job .
MJJJ.