“If you can keep your head when all about you   
    Are losing theirs…” (Rudyard Kipling, 1985).

If anything in these days, we have seen the reality that people are quick to come undone, to panic, to lose their minds. It’s like dominoes as they start to fall. First, one goes, then another, and then another until it is a swelling tidal wave of pandemonium. We see it over and over. We even feel it creep in on us.

Truth – I do not want to be one of those swept away in a flood of emotions. I don’t want to be one following the crowd, consumed in panic.

I want to be steadfast. Unshakable. I want to make right decisions, great decisions. I want to make them quickly and have the resolve to see them out. Simply, I want to exhibit the faith I claim.

Truth – In His Word, God tells us how to stand — like a strong, old oak. He tells us how to stand, not blown about by the storms of life. More than that, He tells us how to prosper, succeeding in those times when others are uprooted around us.

The formula? To be filled with the Word of God. Maybe you were expecting something more complicated. Perhaps something flashier or en vogue. Still, the answer remains. We grow into that strong, impressive oak by being directed by God’s Word.

“But his delight is in the law of the LORD,
And in His law he meditates day and night.
He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,
Which yields its fruit in its season
And its leaf does not wither;
And in whatever he does, he prospers.”
– Psalm 1:2-3

The Process

How do we stand unshaken and uncompromising in these times?

• We have to delight in the Word of God.
  It has to become a joy to us, something we long for. It can no longer be a duty that we strain to check off a list of things to do. The good news is, as we see that God is truly speaking, and as we see God’s kind hand lead us to what is best, His Word increasingly becomes delightful to us. Our hearts yearn for Him, and so our hearts delight in His voice.
  “Your word is very pure,
  Therefore Your servant loves it.”
  – Psalm 119:140
  
• We have to know His Word.
  The word for “meditates” is to ponder, to consider, to think about. It is not enough to lightly read across our favorite verses or to cheerfully post them in places of prominence. We must study His Word, deeply digging in. We must think about context and application. We need to investigate word meanings and verb tenses. All of this is to build a breadth and depth of Biblical knowledge, a sure foundation of Truth. We must know His Word.
  
• We must be constantly and consistently in His Word.
  Notice the verse says, “day and night.” Last week’s feast does not suffice in this week’s famine. It is the daily intake of God’s Word that bears results, informing the mind and shaping the heart. We must be constantly and consistently in His Word.
  
  

The Promise

And, when we do those things, God promises these things:

• We are firmly planted.
  “He will be like a tree firmly planted.” We grow into a strong, mighty oak. An oak that stands after the storms have passed and the winds die down. An oak that is a testimony to our mighty God.
  
• We are abundantly fed.
  “…by streams of water…” The roots of this mighty tree are strong and grow deep. And, running through the veins of these roots, nourishing the life of this great tree, is the Word of God. Just like the growth caused by the supply of cool water, we grow in the abundant feeding of the words of our Lord.
  
• We are fruitful.
  “…Which yields its fruit in its season…” As we grow, and as we stand, all fed by the Word of God, He graciously produces fruit in us. Maybe it’s a harvest of truth proclaimed for others. Maybe it’s a harvest of faith visible to and encouraging others. Maybe it’s a harvest of kindness shown to others. Whatever the harvest, it is astounding that God allows our growth to be shared as seeds for future crops, instead of just solely spent on us.
  
• We are vibrantly flourishing.
  “…And its leaf does not wither; And in whatever he does, he prospers.” In the conditions that would cause others to cast off their leaves in discouragement and despair, those fed by God’s Word are found, not just surviving, but flourishing. Instead of defeat, operating in obedience to Him results in true victory.
  
  

Lord, in these days, help us not to lose our heads, not to be shaken, nor to compromise in despair. Help us to stand as tall, mighty, sure oaks — monuments to our mighty God and the blessing of Your Word. Lord, help us exhibit the faith we claim.