Hey church family, welcome to Daily Dose Episode #1.  Daily Dose is a tool that will hopefully, on a daily basis, help provide encouragement and information to our Brooks Alliance Church family (and anyone else who wants it).  The hope is to do this via a daily short video blog (but I’ve hit some snags so today’s will be just via email).

As Jesus said in Matthew 4:4 - “Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.”

In these unprecedented times, many of us are receiving a steady diet of information from many sources - news media, Facebook, websites, family and friends, etc.  And as I said in the email to our church family yesterday, we want to encourage you to be mindful of the information you are feeding yourself.  Who are you getting your steady diet of information from?  What are you feeding your mind?  Can I encourage you to please be wise and careful about which voices you listen to during these days - and of course, I want to remind you that our primary source of information should still be for us to be grounded in God’s Word and the things He says to us.

And so, with that in mind, part of what each Daily Dose Episode will include is a portion of God’s Word - so today, this is what God says to us in Psalm 46:

“God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble.  Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging.  

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells.  God is within her, she will not fall; God will help her at break of day.  Nations are in uproar, kingdoms fall; he lifts his voice, the earth melts.”

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.

Come and see the works of the Lord, the desolations he has brought on the earth; he breaks the bow and shatters the spear, he burns the shields with fire.

‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’

The Lord Almighty is with us; the God of Jacob is our fortress.”

God is our refuge and strength - what a great reminder.  The Lord Almighty is with us - another great reminder.  And not only that, but in the midst of the chaos around us, we are reminded in verse 10 to “Be still, and know that I am God.”

With many of our minds no doubt racing about what is happening, and what may or may not come next, can I encourage each of us to create a practice that might be new for many - simply that of being still.  Many of us are not good at this discipline, and yet, in the midst of this growing crisis, God invites us to be still, and to know Him IN that stillness!  Did you notice the comma in verse 10?  It says, “Be still” and then there is a comma.  Being still is enough right now.  And in that stillness, God says we can experience Him and know Him.

God is still God - God is still the King of the Universe - and nothing is outside of His power and control at this moment in time.  So I invite you to be still, and rest in the presence of our God today.

And one final note as I wrap this up - let me remind you again that if you need any assistance during these days, please reach out to me or one of the Elders.  And may I also remind you, that if God puts someone on your mind, please reach out to them - don’t wait for someone to do it because God has put them on your mind for a reason.  So get in touch with them, and let’s, all of us, be the Body of Christ during these days.

Heavenly Father, may your presence be so very real to each of us today, and in the days ahead.  And Father, thank you for your sufficient grace that gives us what we need today, as well as each day going forward.  Would you please use these days to shape us more into the image of your Son Jesus, would you use them to build your Kingdom through a great spiritual harvest in the days ahead, and would you inspire your Church to be all you created her to be.  In the name of Jesus I pray, Amen!

Dave