Your Defender and Redeemer

Be Stilll and Stop Fighting October 15, 2026 André K. Dugger Psalm 46:10 (NIV) “He says, ‘Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.’” Psalm 46:10 (CSB) “Stop fighting, and know that I am God, exalted among the nations, exalted on the earth.” “Be still” sounds like an invitation to rest. “Stop fighting” sounds like a command to surrender. Together, these translations help you hear a powerful message: release your struggle for control and recognize that God is God. Psalm 46 describes a world shaken by upheaval, raging nations, and war. Into that turmoil, God speaks with authority. His command reaches beyond finding a quiet moment. He calls for striving to cease and His sovereignty to be acknowledged. The peace you need begins with knowing the God Who rules over everything you can’t control. During my years of disability following my traumatic brain injury, I had to learn both expressions personally. For the first seven years, I spent twenty hours a day, each day of my life, in bed. The next six years continued with more of the same, with the difference being I was only confined to bed about fifteen hours each day. My body was still, but that didn’t mean my heart was at rest. Inside, I struggled with what I had lost and what I could no longer do. I wanted to be the husband, father, and pastor I had been. My inability to fulfill those roles as before left me questioning my meaning and purpose. Yet God reminded me that loving Him was my primary calling. Before anything I could accomplish for Him, He wanted my heart. I had to be still enough to listen and stop fighting His right to work in my life in ways I had not chosen. Surrender meant entrusting Him with my limitations, my future, and the person He was shaping me to become. You may be physically busy or painfully confined. Either way, your heart can keep fighting for control. Being still means making room to listen to God. Stopping the fight means yielding to what He reveals. Both lead you toward the same confession: “You are God, and I trust You.” You can continue praying, pursuing healing, and taking faithful steps while surrendering the outcome. Your circumstances don’t have to change before you acknowledge His authority. Even here, He can accomplish His purposes and reveal His glory. Reflection Question: Where do you need to become still before God and stop fighting for control? Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, quiet my heart and help me surrender what I cannot control. Teach me to listen, trust, and welcome Your work in my life. Be exalted through me, even in my limitations. In Jesus' Name, Amen.

The Nearness of the Lord October 12, 2026 André K. Dugger “You are near, Lord, and all your commands are true. Long ago I learned from your decrees that you have established them forever. Consider my affliction and rescue me, for I have not forgotten your instruction.” Psalm 119:151-153 (CSB) There are moments when affliction feels like abandonment; when your heart wonders if God has turned His face away. Yet, the psalmist declares a truth that every believer must hold onto: “ You are near, Lord. ” God’s nearness is not based on what you feel but on what He has promised. His presence is constant, even when your pain tries to convince you otherwise. The psalmist clings to this truth precisely because he is in distress. His plea; “ Consider my affliction and rescue me, ” flows from faith, not fear. He knows that God’s commands are true, and therefore, God’s character is trustworthy. The same God who spoke creation into being and established His Word forever cannot be unfaithful to His promises. When you remember that God’s Word is eternal, you can rest in the assurance that His love and justice are, too. What He decreed long ago still stands today. His Word doesn’t bend with the culture or fade with time; it anchors you when everything else shifts. Even in hardship, the psalmist’s devotion remains firm: “ I have not forgotten your instruction. ” He doesn’t allow affliction to draw him away from God’s truth; it drives him deeper into it. That is the mark of mature faith. Affliction may test your endurance, but it also refines your love for God. It exposes what you truly trust. When you walk through suffering, God’s nearness is your lifeline. His truth steadies you. His promises sustain you. And His presence becomes more precious than relief itself. You can take comfort knowing that the One who is near to the brokenhearted ( Psalm 34:18 ) is the same Lord who established His Word forever and will never fail you. Reflection Question: When hardship makes God feel distant, how can you remind your heart that He is near and His Word still stands true? Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, thank You that Your nearness is not based on my feelings but on Your unchanging truth. In my affliction, remind me of Your Word, sustain me by Your presence, and rescue me according to Your faithful love. In Jesus' Name, Amen.