• 雅各书 4:13-14

13注意！有人说：“今天或明天我们要往某城去，在那里住一年，做买卖赚钱。” 14其实明天如何，你们还不知道。你们的生命是什么呢？你们原来是一片云雾，出现片刻就不见了。

• 诗篇 46:9-11

9他止息战争，直到地极；

他折弓、断枪，把战车焚烧在火中。

10你们要休息，要知道我是上帝！

我必在列国中受尊崇，在全地也受尊崇。

11万军之耶和华与我们同在，

雅各的上帝是我们的避难所！

• 出埃及记 14:10-14

10法老逼近的时候，以色列人举目，看哪，埃及人追来了，就非常惧怕，以色列人向耶和华哀求。 11他们对摩西说：“难道埃及没有坟地，你要把我们带来死在旷野吗？你为什么这样待我们，将我们从埃及领出来呢？ 12我们在埃及岂没有对你说过，不要搅扰我们，让我们服事埃及人吗？因为服事埃及人总比死在旷野好。” 13摩西对百姓说：“不要怕，要站稳，看耶和华今天向你们所要施行的拯救，因为你们今天所看见的埃及人必永远不再看见了。 14耶和华必为你们争战，你们要安静！”

“耶和华必为你们争战；你们只管静默，不要作声。”（出埃及记14:14）

当他们逃离了埃及之后，摩西用这些话来鼓励以色列人。也许他了解在人们面对未知时，直接的反应会是心浮气躁地在焦虑和绝望之间往转。

面对未知的恐慌感会导致脑部前额叶皮层的“停工”：阻碍你解决问题、注意力，和保持灵活性。这将导致你做出非理性的行为，和给你造成焦虑、沮丧和压力的机会就会大大的增加。

这就是为什么我们必要保有以神的真理为中心的心态，来专注在真正重要的事情上面。静默无声是一个纪律，需要不断刻意的操练。当我们静默无声时，我们的感官就会变得更敏锐，更能察觉在我们目前的处境中神与我们同在。

那么，你如何操练静默无声呢？一个实用的方法就是练习本周已讨论过的三个步骤：

1. 认知你的有限： 花几分钟关注一下你的感觉并清楚指出每一个情绪。允许自己有不好的感觉。此步骤会帮助打断任何具侵略性的焦虑思想循环，让你的脑子开始用新的方法来处理不稳定的局面。

2. 放下你的期盼： 有什么事情现在正在令你感到焦虑或惧怕？想象你把这些担忧都放入一个盒子内，然后把盒子交给神。请他提醒你他对你的应许，用它们来替代你的忧虑。（你可能需要将此步骤重复几遍才会觉得能够开始下一个步骤。）

3. 高举神的宣告：花起码5分钟的时间来思考神的应许。想象你在穿衣服一样的把它们穿上，并问神你在当天最适合穿哪几件。（有些时候，神好像有许多话要交代，但有些时候却感到神很安静。两者以健康的人际关系而言，都属于正常自然的波动。）

无论你在接下来的几周会遭遇什么，记得没有任何遭遇对神来说是未知的。他在你的过去有动过工，此时他也与你同在，将来的一切更是在他的掌握中。抓紧他的应许并确信他是全然美好的。

• 花点时间向神献上感恩与祈求

• James 4:13-14

13Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes.

• Psalm 46:9-11

9 He makes wars cease to the end of the earth;

he breaks the bow and shatters the spear;

he burns the chariots with fire.

10 “Be still, and know that I am God.

I will be exalted among the nations,

I will be exalted in the earth!”

11 The Lord of hosts is with us;

the God of Jacob is our fortress.

• Exodus 14:10-14

10When Pharaoh drew near, the people of Israel lifted up their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they feared greatly. And the people of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt? 12Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” 13And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”

“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” - Exodus 14:14

Just after they escaped from Egypt, Moses encouraged the Israelites with those words. Perhaps he understood that our natural reaction in moments of uncertainty is to restlessly bounce between anxiety and despair.

Feelings of uncertainty can result in the prefrontal cortex in your brain “shutting down”: impairing your ability to solve problems, pay attention, and stay flexible. This increases your chances of engaging in irrational behavior and makes you more prone to anxiety, depression, and stress.

That’s why it’s important to fix your mind on what matters by centering your heart on God’s truths. Stillness is a discipline that takes continual, conscious practice, but the act of stillness sharpens our senses and makes us more aware of God’s presence in our present circumstances.

So, how do you practice being still? One practical way is by walking through the 3 action steps discussed this week:

1. Acknowledge your limitations: Spend a couple of minutes paying attention to what you’re feeling, and name those emotions. Give yourself permission to not feel okay. This process helps break the cycle of intrusive, anxious thoughts, and helps your brain start to think through new ways to handle uncertain situations.

2. Lay down your expectations: What’s currently causing you to feel anxious or afraid? Visualize putting those concerns into a box, and then give that box over to God. Ask Him to replace your worries with reminders of His promises. (You may have to repeat this process several times before you feel ready to move on.)

3. Pick up God’s declarations: Spend at least 5 minutes poring over God’s promises. Imagine putting them on like clothing, and ask God to show you which ones He wants you to focus on that day. (Some days, it may seem like God has a lot to say, and other days, it may feel like God is quiet. Both are normal, natural fluctuations in healthy relationships.)

Whatever you face in the weeks ahead, remember that nothing you experience is uncertain to God. He was at work in your past, He’s here in your present, and He holds your future. Hold fast to His promises and trust that He is good.

• Take a moment to give thanks and prayers to God