Power.
Strength.
These two words have something about them that makes you picture the vast ocean waves crashing all around. A forest of strong red oak trees with their leaves blowing in the wind sounding like an applause from creation to it’s creator.
What do these pictures have in common though?
That in both of them, there is more power and strength in the stillness than in the movement.
Jesus came onto an ocean storm and silenced the waves with His voice.
A tree is strong and powerful because of how it stands firm no matter what is happening around it. The tree sends it’s roots down deep and holds it’s ground in the storm and in the changing seasons.
The power is in the stillness.
My new team sat around at the foot of the cross on a mountain top in Antigua, tossing around all of these thoughts as God showed them to us. But we couldn’t quite decide what our team name should be. How did all of these things tie together?
“Power”
“Strength”
“Be Still”
“I am creating a new thing in this team”
As we continued on, praying about what God wanted our new team to be called, I finally asked “Have you guys ever done this? You type into Google ‘God, what do you want our team name to be?’ and see what comes up!”
We all laughed as I typed the phrase into the search engine on my phone.
The first entry said it all——- ELOHIM.
The search had brought up this word with a full description:
Elohim is the first word used to describe God in the Bible. It refers to God as the creator, and the only one who can create something out of nothing. The name is used to emphasize GOD’S POWER; the literal translation means ‘strong one’. It has to do with both God’s sovereignty and authority, reflecting the greatness of His power. The word is only used for God, because men only reconfigure, reform, or recalibrate. Only God CREATES OUT OF NOTHING.
‘God has both created and called us to live and work with one another. We are stronger together, and have been commanded to encourage one another. It is in doing this that you and I honor Him and find our greatest, collective strength. And when we honor and join with one another, we can advance His kingdom down the field of life bringing Him glory in all that we do.’
“WHAT!! THAT’S IT!”
We all could not believe it! We had even spent time looking up every greek word that had to do with “power”, “strength”, and “stillness”. We could not even pronounce any of the names we found, they just weren’t quite it.
We then found that Elohim is also the word used in the original verse that says, “Be still and know that I am God.”
We realized that this was God’s exhortation to us as a team of women- that our power would be found in the collective strength He gives us when we acknowledge Him and trust in His power above all else.
Emily, Rachel, Serena, Meghan, Kelsey, Catherine, and Myself.
7 girls walking in complete trust in God is a powerful thing. Walking in truth and love for one another. The more we choose to trust God and love one another, the more power and strength we have as a team.
We are doing something called Unsung Heros this month (which Rachel, Emily, and I specifically prayed for together!).
We travel through the country and ask God to lead us where to go and what to do with our time. We look for ministries to meet and serve with here in Zambia that the World Race could send teams to serve with in the future.
It has been such an incredible journey of faith, FILLED with God’s ABUNDANCE in every way! We have been blessed beyond all reason! Things like home-cooked American foods, beds with fluffy pillows, amazing kids that we have fallen in love with (both missionary kids and the beautiful little African orphans 🙂 ), making countless connections with American missionaries, sweet tea, the list goes on. We have seen God’s provision, favor, and hand in everything happening around us- small and big!
And all of this power and strength we have been able to walk confidently in comes from knowing who is fighting for us. Knowing that God is our firm ground, the one who calms the ocean waves. And walking in His power instead of our own gives us the stillness to experience His strength.
