POWER OF 4 & 6

Show Notes

Summary

In this episode of the Ray Sanders Leadership Podcast, Ray Sanders discusses the topic of worry and how to live with less of it. He shares insights from the book of Psalms and the book of Philippians, highlighting the importance of finding refuge and strength in God, turning worries into prayers, being still and knowing God, and not relying on our own abilities. Sanders emphasizes the power of leaning on God and the peace that comes from trusting in Him.

Takeaways

Find refuge and strength in God during times of worry. Turn worries into prayers and communicate with God. Practice being still and knowing God's presence. Avoid relying solely on your own abilities and understanding.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction 01:29 Finding Refuge and Strength in God 05:24 God as an Ever-Present Help 06:00 Being Still and Knowing God 09:20 What Are You Leaning On? 11:43 The Power of Four and Six 15:30 Conclusion

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Ray: 00:00

I have a few questions for you today. Hey. Are you a worrier?

Ray: 00:05

Do you ever get anxious about how things might turn out? How much of what you worry about ever actually comes true? You know, for a lot of us, the challenges and struggles of everyday life have a way of stealing our peace and robbing us of our joy. We go through life fretting and sweating all the uncertainty of what might be and what could be and what might happen. Well, on today's podcast, I wanna let you in on a little discovery I made and how I learned to live with less worry.

Ray: 00:39

Stay with me, stay tuned, and you will learn how the numbers 46 can lead to a more worry free lifestyle. Hello, everyone. I'm Ray Sanders, and you're listening to the Ray Sanders Leadership Podcast. Podcast. Welcome back to the Ray Sanders Leadership Podcast.

Ray: 01:01

It really means a lot to me that you would spend some time with me here on this podcast. I really enjoy the time together, and I hope you do too. As part of my daily routine, I have a time of meditation and reflection. Some of you may refer to that as your time of devotion or just some quiet time to set aside as you begin your day. You know, I recently came across an interesting piece of ancient literature in my time that really caught my attention.

Ray: 01:29

You probably heard of this guy. His name was King David, and he was one of the most beloved kings that ever lived, and he was the king of Israel. You know, it's fair to say that as a person and leader, he had many ups and downs. He had all types of screw ups. He had a lot of victories.

Ray: 01:44

But one thing's for sure, he probably had a lot of reasons to worry. When you're taking care of so many people, your wife, your kids, your warriors, your entire country, you have to think that as a leader there's a lot of things that are going on throughout his mind. What's interesting is he wrote an entire book that really is a series of his personal journals, journals entries that he made about his personal life, and we get to get a peek of those entries through the book of Psalms. One such entry really captured my attention, and it was on the passage of Psalm 46. And that's where I began to see a unique pattern and theme in the numbers 4 and 6.

Ray: 02:28

Now hang with me. I know you're probably thinking, where is he going with this? Well, I think by the end of this podcast, you're gonna see it's pretty neat how it all came together. So King David, he wrote Psalms 46. And I love this passage.

Ray: 02:40

It says, God is our refuge and strength and an ever present help in time of need. Holy cow. What was David thinking when he referenced God in such a way? He said, God is our refuge. He is our strength and an and an ever present help in time of need.

Ray: 03:04

I have to think that that probably came during a time that he was worrying and fretting and wondering what to do. But what he discovered was that the creator of the universe, and I don't know where you stand, I don't know what you think about all those kind of things, but I think if you've been hanging out for me or with me long enough, you know that I kinda have a spiritual perspective on the way I go about my life. And I really, kind of like David, looked to something outside of myself and he was looking to God for his refuge. What is a refuge? A refuge is a safe place.

Ray: 03:36

A lot of times when I think about a refuge, I think about how I feel when I come into my home after a long day of work or if I've been anywhere, I've done anything. It's just my safe place. Isn't that great to know and to think that the creator of the universe is a safe place? So many times, we don't think of God in that way. We think of him as somebody who's out to get us or someone who's trying to we're trying to live up to a certain standard.

Ray: 04:02

But David, when he was worrying, when he was trying to think through things, he began to think about God as his refuge, his safe place. The second thing I see here is he looked at God for his strength. Now that's a key key point that we're gonna pick up on. It wasn't so much that David depended on his own strength, but he began to realize that if he was willing, god would strengthen him with the strength that came from him alone. And then I love this thought.

Ray: 04:32

And I think this is where I personally begin to mess up and maybe you do too. When I get all tied up and I'm worried about decisions that I wanna make and I'm worried about how things might turn out, I forget this point that he makes, an ever present help in time of need. Ever present, always, right there with me. Someone I can lean on. Someone I can lean into.

Ray: 04:55

Oh, that I would realize that that ever present help is always with me. Even that, just that thought makes me think, what

Ray: 05:05

am I worrying about? He's right here with me. He's going through it with me. He's willing to strengthen me. He's my refuge.

Ray: 05:12

I'm in a safe place. It already begins to help me calm down and begin to relax and realize that I'm not alone. Interesting thing about Psalms 46 is how it ends. It says, to be still.

Ray: 05:29

Oh, I'm a man of action. Be still?

Ray: 05:33

Are you kidding? Let's get with it. Let's get going. Saddle up. We're burning daylight as John Wayne would say.

Ray: 05:39

But this passage ends by David saying, be still. He's saying that the Lord is saying

Ray: 05:46

to him and has told him over and over again, David, David, David, remember, I'm your refuge. I'm your strength. I'm an ever present help in time of need. Be still. And what's the second part

Ray: 05:57

of that verse? And know and know that I'm god. Oh, my goodness. If I just be still and recognize what god wants to do and that god's god's got this, no wonder

Ray: 06:08

I can be still. It's kind of like being out in the middle of an ocean with a big storm, and everything's going on around me. Lightning's striking. One of my sons is a producer on a, on a television program you may have heard of The Deadliest Catch. And if you've ever watched that program, you know that the the rough seas can be really crazy.

Ray: 06:27

And he's let us know of times that he was literally rocking back and forth in his boat. All of his crewmates were being shaken from one side to the other, and guys are about to fall off. And can you imagine the cap the captain coming over the loudspeaker? Hey, everybody. Just be still.

Ray: 06:40

Calm down. God's got this. But that's what

Ray: 06:44

God's saying. Be still. I've got this.

Ray: 06:48

Here's what I think. I think as a

Ray: 06:50

leader, King David learned to lean. He learned to lean. Where did he learn to lean? Well, as a leader, what are you leaning on? I think King David learned to lean on God.

Ray: 07:05

He learned to lean on God. He leaned on God. We all lean on something. What are you leaning on?

Ray: 07:12

I was inspired by Psalm 46 and I was even more encouraged when I was reminded of another passage during the same meditation time and it also referenced these numbers 46. Can you guess where this passage is found? You have probably heard of it. It's Philippians 46. So think about this.

Ray: 07:32

Psalms 46, god is our refuge and strength and an ever present help in time of need, and it concludes by saying be still and know that I'm god. It's almost as if there's a threaded conversation that leads you to Philippians 46

Ray: 07:48

and ties it in with this passage that says, do not

Ray: 07:53

be anxious about anything. But in every situation, by prayer and petition with thanksgiving, present your request to god And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts. It's almost as if David and the writer of Philippians were together and they were having a conversation and David ends by be still and know that I'm God. And then we we hear this this other author step up and say, yeah, don't be anxious about anything. We're just gonna be still.

Ray: 08:24

So do do you catch it? Did you catch it? Both of these passages reference the numbers 46, Psalms 46, Philippians 46. And they give us clues to overcoming our worries as leaders. And like I

Ray: 08:40

said earlier, the key is to lean on God. Again, I ask you, as a leader, what are you leaning on? You're leaning on something. Are you leaning on your own understanding? It's sure tempting.

Ray: 08:57

We live in a time of all knowing, doctor Google, you know, search Google, Bing this, search that, gain knowledge, gain understanding.

Ray: 09:08

I'm gonna lean on what all I can figure out. Are you leaning just on your own understanding? We all have a a capacity. We all have certain aptitudes, and we all have certain limitations. And if we're not careful, if we lean too much on our own understanding, we can we have a reason to worry because we don't know.

Ray: 09:24

We don't have all the answers. Or how about this? Are you relying on your own abilities or your own strengths? As I've reflected on these insights, another ancient check another ancient text came to

Ray: 09:37

mind, And that's probably why I wanted to

Ray: 09:39

share this with you today. I started off by reading Psalms 46, and then I went to Philippians 46. And then I began thinking and reflecting on my lie on my own life asking myself, well, why am I worried? What am I relying on? What am I leaning on?

Ray: 09:53

And this passage

Ray: 09:54

came to mind, and and this passage says it well. And it's back into the old testament, and it's from a prophet, the, the prophet Zechariah. In Zechariah 46, it says this, not by might nor by power but by my spirit, says the lord.

Ray: 10:13

Now can I just tell you I'm a driven dude? I'm the kind of guy that, you know what? If it's gonna get done, let's make it happen. I'm about action. Let's take initiative.

Ray: 10:24

Use the skills you've got. Let's roll, soldier, up the hill. March on. But if I'm not careful, I can begin to rely on my own strength and get out of sync and what I've soon learned is I'm not enough. I'm inadequate.

Ray: 10:41

And now, I really do have reason to worry. So again,

Ray: 10:45

I ask you, as a leader, what are you leaning on? Are you leaning on your own understanding, your abilities, your own strengths? How about this, are you relying on your bank account? Money. Are there people in your life that you're really leaning on and counting on?

Ray: 11:02

Do I think the numbers 46 hold some sort of magic or mysterious power or is it some kind of code for deciphering worry? No. I don't think that. But in my own personal life, my own personal walk, my own personal devotion time, these numbers came up in 3 different passages and it really did impact me and they all tied together. But I do think this ancient wisdom points us to the key to overcoming worry.

Ray: 11:29

And let me sum it

Ray: 11:30

up for you. What are the keys? This is what I think. Four points. Realize the

Ray: 11:36

god of the universe serves as a source of refuge. He's safe. He cares for you. He loves you. He welcomes you home.

Ray: 11:46

You're safe in his arms. He's ready to listen and he'll give you his strength.

Ray: 11:51

And he's an ever present help in time of need. Ever present. Always. He's there.

Ray: 12:00

Number 2. We can gain relief from our anxious thoughts when

Ray: 12:04

we turn those thoughts into prayers. And what does

Ray: 12:08

that mean? Do we have to hold a certain posture? Do we have to be down on our knees? Do we have to bow our heads and close our eyes? No.

Ray: 12:16

All can you imagine? I don't think King David I mean, he certainly did these things, but I have a feeling that when you have an ever present help with you, you're talking to him. It might have been in a chariot or on his horse or walking down a path. He was just basically talking to God, expressing himself. So here's another idea on that line.

Ray: 12:35

Don't just think about it, pray about it. Talk to God about it. He's there. He's willing

Ray: 12:40

to listen. And then be still. Be still. Be still and watch what happens. Sometimes with my clients, I'll ask them that question

Ray: 12:55

or ask them this question. I'll say, when was the last time that you were still? If we had time and weren't wasting the airwaves, I would probably just say, hey. Let's be still for 30 seconds. That's silence.

Ray: 13:09

It's amazing what happens in that 30 seconds of silence. You should try it. You should just be still. Don't listen to anything. Don't watch anything.

Ray: 13:16

You should just set and be still and see what happens. Don't require yourself to think. Just be still and see what happens. And then number 4, don't lean

Ray: 13:27

on your own abilities, your understanding, or your strength. Count on him to lead you through and strengthen you as you yield to that still small voice, that spirit, not by might, not by strength, not by, you know, by my by my own power, but by the spirit, that still small voice that whispers in our ears, I'm with you. I got you, kid. Let's do this. There's no need to worry.

Ray: 13:56

Be still. I'm with you. Here's what I

Ray: 13:59

think will happen. When you do, there is a peace, and I can't explain it. No. I don't think it's magic. I do think it's spiritual.

Ray: 14:08

But this is what I think you'll soon discover the more you practice this this this idea that David had and this approach that he took. There is a peace that will come that is hard to explain. You won't know why you're so peaceful. In fact, you might be thinking, I I have a

Ray: 14:23

whole lot to worry about. But, my friend, that is what I refer to as the power of 46.

Ray: 14:32

Hey. I hope this has been helpful for you today. Thanks for stopping by. And if you're encouraged or inspired with what you've heard, we'd love for you to hit the like button. We'd even like for you to subscribe.

Ray: 14:42

Hey. And better yet, why not share this podcast with a friend? Reach out to

Ray: 14:47

us at ray sanders.com. We'd love to hear from you. And that pretty much sums it up today. Don't be

Ray: 14:53

a worrier. Turn those worrying thoughts into prayers. Be still. Realize that it's not all about you, and you can't probably fix it all anyway. And lean on the lord.

Ray: 15:04

He's an ever present help in time of need. Thanks for joining us on the Ray Sanders Leadership Podcast today, and remember, we're in your corner for life and work.