Week of Monday July 13 – July 19
Lasting Impression – Man as Instructor
"Be still and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10
There are certain conversations that leave a lasting impression. This morning, as I read Psalm 46, my mind went back more than seventy years to a conversation with my mother. She had only a high school education, but she was one of the wisest people I have ever known because she faithfully studied God's Word. As a young kid trying to make sense of the world around me, I remember asking her, "Mom, when is God going to step in and do something?"
Without hesitation she answered, "Son, the Bible says, 'Be still, and know that I am God.' We must trust Him and wait on Him." I remember those words as though she spoke them yesterday. Life has taught me she was right.
Psalm 46 was written during a time of upheaval. The earth was shaking, mountains were falling into the sea, nations were raging, and kingdoms were tottering. It is one of the Bible's greatest pictures of a world spinning out of control. Yet right in the middle of the chaos comes God's calm command: "Be still and know that I am God."
The point is not that God's people will never experience trouble. In fact, the psalm begins by assuming they will. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (v 1). The lesson is that when life becomes uncertain, our confidence rests in the unchanging character of God.
That is exactly what my mother understood. She didn't offer me her opinion or speculate about the future. She didn't try to explain everything God was doing. Instead, she answered my question with Scripture. She knew that God's Word would carry far more authority than her own thoughts ever could. Looking back, I realize she was doing something every Christian parent and grandparent is called to do. She was instructing the next generation with the truth of God's Word. That is one of the greatest responsibilities God gives a man.
As fathers and grandfathers, we spend a great deal of time teaching practical skills. We teach our children how to throw a ball, drive a car, balance a checkbook, work hard, and make good decisions. Those lessons are important. But none of them will matter more than teaching them how to think biblically when life doesn't make sense.
There will come a day when your son or daughter or grandchild asks a difficult question. "Why would God allow this?" "When is He going to do something?" "Why doesn't He answer my prayers?" In those moments, they don't simply need our opinions. They need God's truth.
That means we must know the Scriptures well enough that they become our first response rather than our last resort. The most effective instructors are not necessarily those with seminary degrees. They are men who have hidden God's Word in their hearts so deeply that it naturally comes out when others need guidance.
I don't remember every conversation I had with my mother. But I remember that one. One verse of Scripture, spoken at the right moment, became an anchor that has held me steady through decades of military service, public leadership, personal trials, and countless decisions. Never underestimate what God can do through one faithful conversation centered on His Word.
Your children may not remember every family devotion or every lesson around the dinner table. But they will remember the moments when life's biggest questions were answered with biblical truth. Long after you are gone, those conversations may continue guiding their decisions, strengthening their faith, and reminding them to trust the Lord when life seems uncertain. That is the legacy of a faithful instructor.
That’s why after seventy years I can still hear my mother's voice reminding me, "Be still, and know that I am God." May those entrusted to our care someday remember our voices pointing them to that same unchanging truth.
Lasting Impression – Man as Instructor
"Be still and know that I am God." — Psalm 46:10
There are certain conversations that leave a lasting impression. This morning, as I read Psalm 46, my mind went back more than seventy years to a conversation with my mother. She had only a high school education, but she was one of the wisest people I have ever known because she faithfully studied God's Word. As a young kid trying to make sense of the world around me, I remember asking her, "Mom, when is God going to step in and do something?"
Without hesitation she answered, "Son, the Bible says, 'Be still, and know that I am God.' We must trust Him and wait on Him." I remember those words as though she spoke them yesterday. Life has taught me she was right.
Psalm 46 was written during a time of upheaval. The earth was shaking, mountains were falling into the sea, nations were raging, and kingdoms were tottering. It is one of the Bible's greatest pictures of a world spinning out of control. Yet right in the middle of the chaos comes God's calm command: "Be still and know that I am God."
The point is not that God's people will never experience trouble. In fact, the psalm begins by assuming they will. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble" (v 1). The lesson is that when life becomes uncertain, our confidence rests in the unchanging character of God.
That is exactly what my mother understood. She didn't offer me her opinion or speculate about the future. She didn't try to explain everything God was doing. Instead, she answered my question with Scripture. She knew that God's Word would carry far more authority than her own thoughts ever could. Looking back, I realize she was doing something every Christian parent and grandparent is called to do. She was instructing the next generation with the truth of God's Word. That is one of the greatest responsibilities God gives a man.
As fathers and grandfathers, we spend a great deal of time teaching practical skills. We teach our children how to throw a ball, drive a car, balance a checkbook, work hard, and make good decisions. Those lessons are important. But none of them will matter more than teaching them how to think biblically when life doesn't make sense.
There will come a day when your son or daughter or grandchild asks a difficult question. "Why would God allow this?" "When is He going to do something?" "Why doesn't He answer my prayers?" In those moments, they don't simply need our opinions. They need God's truth.
That means we must know the Scriptures well enough that they become our first response rather than our last resort. The most effective instructors are not necessarily those with seminary degrees. They are men who have hidden God's Word in their hearts so deeply that it naturally comes out when others need guidance.
I don't remember every conversation I had with my mother. But I remember that one. One verse of Scripture, spoken at the right moment, became an anchor that has held me steady through decades of military service, public leadership, personal trials, and countless decisions. Never underestimate what God can do through one faithful conversation centered on His Word.
Your children may not remember every family devotion or every lesson around the dinner table. But they will remember the moments when life's biggest questions were answered with biblical truth. Long after you are gone, those conversations may continue guiding their decisions, strengthening their faith, and reminding them to trust the Lord when life seems uncertain. That is the legacy of a faithful instructor.
That’s why after seventy years I can still hear my mother's voice reminding me, "Be still, and know that I am God." May those entrusted to our care someday remember our voices pointing them to that same unchanging truth.
- If your child or grandchild came to you today with one of life's hardest questions, would your first response be your opinion or God's Word?
- What conversation could you have this week that might shape someone's faith for decades to come?
- Pray and ask the Lord to prepare you for those teachable moments by spending meaningful time in His word so that you can answer those challenging questions with Scripture.