Psalm 46:10 God alone is to be exalted not man

 Isaiah 2:11

The lofty looks of man shall be humbled,

The haughtiness of men shall be bowed down,

And the LORD alone shall be exalted in that day.

God reigns in heaven and earth is His footstool and He will teach us the lessons that we need. We can walk in the ways of Jesus or man but we cannot walk in both. We will learn our lessons as individuals and collectively as a nation in the world that He created. We choose whom we will serve. Satan and those who serve him seek to kill, steal and destroy. This is not the way of God. We depend on Him and only in Him is our hope. What does He require of us? He requires us to be fair, forgiving and humble in our walk with Him (Micah 6:8). He alone is God. He alone, by the power of Holy Spirit, can change the hearts of man. He alone is worthy of our praise…not man. Be still and hear His still, small voice that welcomes you into His family. His peace He gives to us, not the peace that man conjures up, but His peace that is beyond human understanding. With God we are a people of peace not war. Carla

Psalm 46:10

Be still, and know that I am God;

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!

(NKJV)

The call for stillness before the Lord is not a preparation for worship, but for impending judgment. God will be exalted. All the earth will bow before Him. The NKJV Study Bible

Isaiah 2:17

The loftiness of man shall be bowed down,

And the haughtiness of men shall be brought low;

The LORD alone will be exalted in that day,

Psalm 100:3

Know that the LORD, He is God;

It is He who has made us, and not we ourselves;

We are His people and the sheep of His pasture.

Deuteronomy 4:35

To you it was shown, that you might know that the LORD Himself is God; there is none other besides Him. 

In my memory I’m back in southern Michigan, the son of a brick mason. I’ve been on countless constructions sites. Most of them as a hod carrier (mixing mortar, lugging bricks). So many days eager to quit. And hearing my Father’s words, “Son, build this one like you’re building your own.” (Twenty-six years ago, my Father helped me build the house on Vashon Island.)

So yes. Let us remember; we make a difference with every nail we hammer, each board we choose, each brick we mortar, each window we put in place.

Because we live in a culture of bluster and ado, we forget that we can make a difference. And more often than not, the wrong people get the attention.

We are, all of us, builders. We are about the business of building places and spaces for human dignity and inclusion and justice and hope. For resilience and confidence and courage and safety and wellbeing.

But this is important. This parable is not meant to scold us into making a difference. It’s a recognition that we have been created and are able to do so. It's not about bootstraps and will power and consternation. This is about letting the language of our (replenished and not overwhelmed) heart speak.

When I live from overwhelmed, I react, I live fearful, I give in to cynicism. No wonder the first to go are my courage and my ability to laugh. Which is not good considering that they both come from the same muscle in our heart. Sabbath Moments