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[0:00] I will direct you to Psalm 46 and the first part of verse 10.

[0:13] Be still and know that I am God. It stands out doesn't it?

[0:26] Be still and know that I am God. But what a depth.

[0:38] What a teaching. Do you know, it may take a lifetime to know this stillness.

[0:52] A lifetime to know that I am the great I am God.

[1:07] Be still. Do you know, I seem to remember that I might have taken this text here before.

[1:22] I know that I believe that once or twice in the ministry I have been directed to these words.

[1:36] But I do hope there is a purpose in it. I do hope that the Lord is with us this morning.

[1:46] That's my desire and I believe and I hope. It's your desire also that the Lord be with us and that he would open to us his word, the scriptures.

[2:03] Be still. You know, I've proved and I believe God's people have proved down through the ages and to this very day.

[2:23] That it's one of the hardest things to do in your pilgrimage. Be still.

[2:36] Because we seek, we look for, we watch for, we hope to follow every leading we might receive.

[2:53] And, you know, it's like this. You may have something come when you're in desperate straits.

[3:10] And you are in desperate straits when you're in these places where you don't know what to do. And you try to pray. And in that praying, you're looking and hoping and watching for a word of direction, a word of help from the Lord.

[3:37] But it doesn't come. It doesn't come. And you cry, Lord, be not silent to me.

[3:48] Lord, speak. Lord, look at the situation I'm in. Look at the state of my soul. Lord, I must have a word.

[3:59] I must have an answer from thee. But, Lord, thou art silent to me. And you go to chapel and you look and you hope to receive a word from the Lord through the ministry.

[4:19] And that may be, as it were, close to you. You may hope and you may pray that the Lord would direct his servant to take a certain text.

[4:38] And you would hope you would receive that as a token from him. There has been times. Don't misunderstand me.

[4:49] There have been times when the Lord is pleased to direct his servant into your very path.

[4:59] And he has directed them to the very text which is suitable to you.

[5:10] The very one that you've been praying for. I remember a case where a man, he was carrying an exercise to baptism.

[5:22] And he prayed to the Lord. He must know, you see, he must know from the Lord whether this exercise was really of the Lord or whether he was moving in presumption.

[5:45] Whether he had a false exercise or whether it was real or not. He had plenty in his heart and plenty in his life which showed him that he was not fit.

[6:02] Not fit to go forward. And this held him back. How can a man like me, how can one like me ever dream of being baptized?

[6:22] And yet, you see, it came upon him with such urgency. He had such a concern within his heart.

[6:37] Now, what caused this concern? I'll tell you what caused a concern.

[6:49] He had got an exercise. He'd got an exercise to baptism. And in this exercise of baptism, it waxed and waned.

[7:01] And you know, you'll find this in every exercise you come into. Especially spiritual exercise I'm speaking about. As distinct from providential exercises.

[7:16] The Lord may lay in your heart a persuasion or a promise, a command in your heart to follow him.

[7:34] It may be in the ordinance of baptism. It may be in something which you must do in his service.

[7:46] And you know, you come unfit for these things. Yes, you do. Unfit yourself. You feel that you're not a fit character.

[7:58] And you know, the heart is remarkable. The excuses which you may make.

[8:10] Oh, it is. I can tell you. There's so many things which come in, as it were, to block this exercise or to prevent this taking place which you carry in your heart.

[8:31] And stillness is not present in your heart. There's a going to and fro.

[8:45] Yes, there is. And, you know, you may come in these things just as this man came. He'd got the exercise, you see.

[8:57] He'd had the exercise over many years. But putting it off. Putting it off. Putting it off. And in putting it off, you see, the excuse was, I'm unfit.

[9:16] I haven't got a right exercise. I haven't got a depth of the exercise of baptism which I would expect. One that followed their Lord in such a way.

[9:32] How can I ever think of such a step? And so, you see, he, as it were, sat down in the exercise.

[9:45] But, unknown to him, Mark what I'm saying, unknown to him, the Lord is working within his wife.

[10:03] Working within his wife. But, you know, I know a number of cases like this. Working within his wife.

[10:14] And she, under the exercise, she came that she had to make a move.

[10:24] And she had to go forward in response to the leading of the Lord, speaking to her through the ministry.

[10:40] And she couldn't, she didn't dare delay. She felt that she had to go forward. So, she told her husband.

[10:51] And, of course, where was he? He was left out. Left out. Now, you see, he came into exercising. He came into a desperate state.

[11:05] What am I going to do with my exercise? What am I? I'm outside. I feel to be outside of it. Yes, I do.

[11:19] I remember once going to a baptism or service. And how I envied, or how I envied that one as they went through the waters of baptism.

[11:39] Oh, I did envy them. Where was my life? In tatters. Yes, it was. Absolutely in tatters. How I envied them, you see.

[11:52] The Lord had led them to his people, led them to the church. And now, you see, they were following their law through baptism.

[12:04] But to return to this man, he was in a desperate state now because his wife had moved and he hadn't.

[12:19] You see, you see, you see, he was constantly in prayer now. He couldn't go, he couldn't go without a word from the Lord.

[12:29] He needed a word from the Lord, you see. You see, a word from the Lord that he should go forward to be baptized. He didn't dare move without that word.

[12:47] And you know, he was in such a state that he went to the top, most room of the house he was in.

[13:00] Cried out to the Lord openly, not in secret, you know, the time, the time comes, you see, in some of these things, and no doubt, some of you may.

[13:14] In your exercises, you may have gone away from the haunts of man, you may have gone out into an open field and cried out to the Lord in your case in desperate circumstances.

[13:29] Lord, I must have an answer. Lord, do appear. Lord, do speak. And what was it he wanted?

[13:45] he wanted from the ministry, he wanted from the Lord through the ministry, and he prayed to the Lord that the Lord would, that the minister would mention baptism.

[14:08] That the Lord, the minister would speak on the path of baptism. He wanted the command of the Lord given through the minister to him that very day, that very time of the service.

[14:38] And I do know the case of the minister and I knew the minister. He was in a terrible state. He knew, he knew in himself that something was going on.

[14:52] He knew it. But you see the noise and you'll find this. You'll find this and we read it this morning with Israel when they were by the Red Sea.

[15:13] There was that sea in front of them and the Egyptians behind. No going back. And you know, you may come into that path, poor soul.

[15:27] You may come into a place where there's no going back, but how to go forward you do not know. what are you waiting for?

[15:37] What are you watching for? I tell you what you're watching for. You're watching for a word from the Lord. Be still. Oh, be still.

[15:50] Be still, my heart, these anxious cares. oh, to have that stillness within your heart, that peace within your heart.

[16:06] Now, you see, now this is how the minister came into the pulpit that morning, or that time. He came into the pulpit with all this noise, as it were, within your heart, all this tumult, all this conflict, all this trial within our heart, his heart.

[16:32] Longing for the Lord to speak, longing for the Lord to show him what he should say, what he should declare.

[16:47] And you know, the Lord broke in. There was this stillness, within his heart. Stillness, all the quietness.

[17:02] Oh, you know, when you've been through a storm, or in a storm, you come into a lull in the storm, you come into a time of peace.

[17:14] storm is still, still rumbling around, but there's that stillness, that peace. Sometimes, in that stillness, you hear a bird sing.

[17:32] And you see, you'll find this in the exercises, as this man found. did the Lord speak? Yes, he spoke.

[17:43] And the very words which he asked for, the minister declared it. He said, you will be baptized.

[17:58] That's all he wanted, that's what he was waiting for. And when he came, you see, he had to go forward. But that waiting period, now if I can describe that, I've given you that illustration.

[18:17] You see, in the way, be still, when the Lord says, be still, all the stillness must be in the heart.

[18:32] The stillness in the heart. And I often think, and I think of it in this sense, those things that I pass through personally, and am passing through, when the storm, that storm on the sea of Galilee, or on that lake of Galilee, where there was the disciples in that ship, in that boat, and the water coming into the boat, threatening to sink the boat, and Jesus asleep, asleep.

[19:22] You know, that's descriptive of it. Under the command of God, the Lord commanded him, Jesus commanded them to go to the other side, in the command of the Lord.

[19:46] And you, you see, you come into those places where you come. There is such a going on within, such a raging within, and the storms may be without threatening to engulf you.

[20:08] What shall I do? There's only one place you can go to. You see, the Lord, he brings you into that place. you don't appreciate it, you don't realize the power of God until you come into these things.

[20:28] To have all the winds blowing against you and the waves threatening to engulf you. Jesus says, peace, be still.

[20:45] commanded the winds. He didn't command them, he commanded the winds. Those things that were threatening the very elements that were threatening their very life.

[21:01] And you, in the very life which he has implanted within your heart, you may feel this, that that life is being taken away from you.

[21:15] And Jesus rebuked the wind. Rebuked the wind which was the cause of the waves threatening to engulf the ship.

[21:37] you see, the Lord, he goes to the very source. Yes, he does.

[21:47] The very source of the confusion, the very source of the conflict, the very cause of it, you see, the cause of the waves was the wind.

[22:01] wind. Have you got winds which are now threatening you?

[22:16] And you long for that peace? Peace be still. the Lord says, hear, be still.

[22:33] Now, I've said the stillness must be within your heart. Now, you will experience this. You, and I'll come again, I'll use that description of baptism again, in the exercise of baptism, you come, you see, with all these, the tumult within, and you may feel with all this tumult, all the questioning which you may feel within your heart, a stillness, and you may, you see, have looked for some great things, great words, a great command, but experience a stillness within your heart.

[23:41] Oh, I prize those times. Oh, I do. when nothing's changed outside, but to experience this peace.

[23:56] You see, in this stillness, there is this peace within your heart, and you will feel this.

[24:09] Jesus is with you in the trial. Oh, the peace that Jesus gives, peace that I never knew before.

[24:26] Oh, if you experience this peace, in whatever trial you may be walking in, experience that peace, the Lord is with you.

[24:41] peace. Yes, he was. And he may give you that command, be still. Be still.

[24:52] Do not, and you won't, when you feel this stillness within. I know there's another aspect with this, I know there's another interpretation with this stillness.

[25:10] when you may be, as it were, moving. And the Lord says, be still.

[25:24] I will work, and who shall let in? Now, you may say to me, well, isn't that wonderful? Isn't that sweet?

[25:36] to be still, and to see the Lord moving on your behalf. You see, whatever you may carry, the Lord goes before you.

[25:51] Be still. It, it does sound wonderful, and it is wonderful, when the Lord commands a soul to be still, and see my salvation.

[26:10] It says in our text, be still and know, and know that I am God. Be still, poor soul, be still.

[26:23] The Lord speaks it in your heart, be still all the ways, be still all the causes of your agitation, be still.

[26:35] Commands them to be still. Do you know, you may be harassed, you may be tormented by Satan, you may be tormented by a sin that you may have committed in the days of your childhood.

[27:09] And that's reached such great proportions. It is as a great mountain with you between command and the walking out of it.

[27:31] You see, the command is within your heart and there is that great mountain and that great mountain may be your sin.

[27:43] peace, be still, be still, be still.

[27:53] the Lord may take away, may bring you into a spot and place where he may speak into your heart complete forgiveness, the complete forgiveness of that sin.

[28:15] And you know, you may look at that, you may look for that sin, but it's gone, washed of that very sin.

[28:28] And what do you say then, what does hinder me? What doth hinder me, says the soul? Nothing. You see, with that stillness, with the Lord, when he said, be still.

[28:44] Now, I want if the Lord will help me to, I'm in his hands, I desire to speak those things which he lays within my heart to speak.

[29:02] Be still. Now, whatever you may have happening around you, whatever you may have, whether it's a path of persecution, whether it's a path of losses, whether it's a path of crosses, whatever it may be in your heart, and you may find that you come and you're in a path in a spiritual exercise where you do not know what to do.

[29:47] We've gone in a circle, haven't we? We've come back to it again. You don't know what to do. Be still.

[29:59] Be still. Was it Naomi said to Ruth, be still my daughter, was it sit still my daughter and see how the matter will fall.

[30:18] You see, the Lord when he works, the Lord when he's in a thing, the Lord when he comes into your case in answer to prayer, he may have brought you to that very spot and place where he speaks in your case.

[30:39] the Lord is in it, you see. I know there's a time of moving, I know that there's a time when the Lord says to you, it's time to move, I know that.

[30:56] But you see, what is in our text, be still, then said she, sit still my daughter until thou know how the matter will fall, for the man will not be in rest until he have finished the thing this day.

[31:21] Be still and know that I am God. You know the Lord, he brings his people into various experiences to prove his power, to prove to you that he is God and prove to you that he is able to do that which is impossible with man.

[31:56] Be still. this is so strong with me this morning. I don't know what you're walking in but you've got to be still poor soul.

[32:09] Yes you have. Do you know, and I've proved this, that the Lord may, you may be in a path where the Lord as it were, has shut you in and bringing you to nothing.

[32:33] But you, you may, it may be in the man, man, or woman, or mankind, those that are responsible for you may be, they may be determined, to bring you to nothing in persecution.

[32:59] And the Lord may say to you, be still. And you, you may do your best to get out of it.

[33:11] I can, I can tell you, I can tell you the experience I passed through. And you may get out of it. But you may come into the same lesson which the Lord is teaching you in your experience, teaching you in your path, you may come into the identical experience in another form.

[33:48] Now, do you understand what I'm saying? In this experience, where you're coming, where the Lord is determined to show you his power, and he instructed you to be still, and instead of being still, you did the opposite thing.

[34:18] And then, to come into, as it were, a worse fire, a worse experience. but, you see, the Lord has a blessing for you, which you do not realize, or you do not know of yet.

[34:46] Be still, and if I've got anyone here, in an experience, or in a pathway, where they're seeking to get out of it, because of the uncertainty, because they feel, they see, as it were, a coming to nothing, coming to nothing, and they feel that they have to, get out of it.

[35:23] And they take these means, to get out of it. But I, I, I exhort you, I plead with you, that if you're in such a path as this, you sit still.

[35:44] Sit still. Do you know, I tell you of one, that I knew, many, and this particular one, they were in a situation similar to this, and they, they even had words.

[36:09] Now, you see, this is what you want to watch for, because, because, the Satan can speak, your own natural desires can speak, and you know, you may find that that which is conducive to your way, or to your feelings, a path which, with everything about it, it seems to be right, and you may even have words.

[36:47] Do you know, my mind goes to Jonah, where he was fleeing from the presence of the Lord.

[37:00] He felt, you see, I mean, in those days, you do know that each nation, each land, had a God, the God of that land, and as the Lord was the God of the Hebrews, you see, they were limited in their understanding, limited in their belief.

[37:22] There were those prophets that spoke of the Lord as being the God of the whole earth, but you see, if he got away from the Lord, he fled from the presence of the Lord, so where would he have to flee from?

[37:37] He fled from the land of the Hebrews, he fled from Israel, he fled from Palestine, go down to Tarshish, you see, then he would be free from the presence of the Lord, and you know, what did he do?

[37:58] He went to Tarshish, and you know, it was marvelous, wasn't it? He went to the port to go to Tarshish, and what happened? He found a ship to go to Tarshish, and you know, you may be working it all out, in your case, you may say this, and you may say that, bear in mind, that this also may apply to a real exercise, this is the mystery, and this is the concern, you know, I've walked this, I've walked this on a number of occasions, this is why I'm saying it, you know, it's impossible, in some of these things, it's impossible to know a right exercise without the

[39:00] Holy Spirit making it manifest to you. so many voices, so many powers, Satan, how he can disguise himself, and come as an angel of light.

[39:25] You know, I remember reading a seven by one who was a shepherd in Scotland, and he said how they were troubled by mountain foxes, and he went, he took his gun, and he went to the top of the hill in the night, a moonlight night, to see if he could find one of these foxes who were, they were taking the land.

[40:00] Now he was in an advantage point, and he saw a mountain fox, and he came and approached the sheep, and he said he was amazed, amazed, because this fox imitated a sheep dog, and he herded those sheep as a sheep dog would herd them.

[40:42] But, whereas the sheep dog, in obedience to the command of the shepherd, herded the sheep and would take them to a place of safety, sheep, this fox was herding the sheep and bringing them to swampy land, to a place where he could get them trapped, and where he would be able to kill one of the lambs, or even the sheep, you see, where they would be trapped, in the marshy land.

[41:31] And, you know, the shepherd, he waited and he watched, he was amazed, you see, amazed at this fox, and when the fox had come to that point where he was going to make a kill, the shepherd moved, and the fox went, he saved the sheep, but you see, now likewise, Satan may come, and you know, this frightens, this frightens the people of God.

[42:06] Yes, it does. I've proved it. I've proved how he can instill in you, and you know, it was something attractive to me.

[42:19] this must be of the Lord who was attracted to my nature. Even, you see, as Jonah went, you see, he went to the port and he found the ship, everything dovetailed in, until the Lord came, you see, in the winds, and stopped him, you know the rest.

[42:44] but you'll find this in the interpretation of the Lord. The Lord may give you a promise, he may say to you, I am with you, and you may on that promise look in a certain direction, and you may move in that direction, and then come to prove that it's not of the Lord.

[43:22] Do you know, but in that, thanks be to God, in that, in those exercises, the Lord speaks. The Lord may speak to you, you see, you may say this, we'll do this, we'll go in this direction, and the Lord may speak these words to you, be still, be still, I know it's painful for you, poor soul, I know the Lord may speak, he may show his tenderness to you, be still, remain where you are, remain in this state, be still, and then you see, the Lord may give you that warning, and know, know that I am God, be still and know that I am God, because I am able to deliver you,

[44:29] I'm able to deliver you, I'm able to bring you forth, in this trial, which you are walking in, be still, oh yes, there's times when the Lord may speak to you, a time of moving, I realise that, but you see, our text says, be still and know that I am God, faith, faith looks up to the Lord, you see, that, in the Lord speaking that to you, be still, you know the Lord in me, speak to that word to you in power, power within your heart, be still, and you know you will hearken, hearken in there, Lord, Lord, I desire to do thy will, and Lord, if it's thy mind and will that I remain in this place, and I remain in this state, thou hast commanded me,

[45:50] Lord, I hope, I believe, it was thee, Lord, be still, be still, and you know, the soul in this trial, and outside of this, you know, outside of this, there may be many appealing things, many appealing things, do you know, the Lord may give you a warning of a certain matter coming before you, do you know, he spoke to me once, he said, I, he told me that I would receive a letter at a certain time, from a certain direction, do you know, that move, which I made before, proved to be a false move, and then you see, the Lord, you say, did he say to you, you will receive a letter in a few weeks' time?

[47:19] No, he didn't, no, it was, as it were, a persuasion, persuasion within my heart that I would receive this letter, not a word spoken, and did you receive the letter?

[47:37] Yes, but you see, I was enabled through that warning from the Lord, and he may give you a warning, you know, he may say to you, don't go that way, you may receive, as it were, a persuasion in your heart from the Lord, there is destruction that way, poor soul, and if I'd gone that way, there'd been destruction for me, I can assure you of that, but you see, be still, it was something that I wanted, this it was, something that I wanted, but he said, be still, oh, do you know, how often the child of grace, in,

[48:39]  I would say, in most trials, if not all trials that you come into, you know, the Lord may speak to you, and he may, he may say to you, be still and know that I am God, oh, to know that he is the Lord, and you know, in these things, when the Lord brings you, he brings you, you know, to that place to rest in him, this is what it is to rest in him, I'm sorry, the time's gone, I must leave it now, be still, I know, ce and