What obstacles do you face today? Are there enemies who are looking to destroy you? Do you have a mountain to climb? Are you facing a major test? Are you hoping help will arrive soon? Have you thought of being still?
We face many challenges throughout our lives. Someone is facing an uphill battle today. Another is being chased by an enemy. Still others are being tested to the point of breaking. All are longing for someone to help, someone to pull them through.
We may lean on family and friends to help us in time of need. We may lean on the government to provide for us. Those may be good options. They may be able to provide for the physical needs temporarily, which may be enough to get us over the hump. They may be able to provide some emotional support for a while. Yet, there is another who can provide for every need.
God is always available to us. He promises to fulfill our needs. Not merely our physical and emotional needs, but our spiritual needs, too. Our spiritual needs are very important. Without those filled our lives are imbalanced. There is no peace.
God works in unconventional ways. He tells us to be still and allow Him to work on our behalf. That isn’t exactly our way of going about it. Most of us are doers. We take care of things ourselves. If we can’t get it done, we hire someone else, or rely on family or friends to get it done. Being still, doing nothing is not how we approach things.
Our approach is fine, if we’re talking about repairing a vehicle, buying groceries, planning a wedding, and the like. But it doesn’t work well when we are struggling with emotional and spiritual issues. God’s way of tackling it works. Our way often falls short.
There are times God steps in to take care of our physical needs, much like He did for the Israelites when they were fleeing the Egyptians. Notice when God is going to take care of it, He gives a clear message to be still. In other words, He tells us to get out of the way, to sit on the sidelines and observe. It is nonintuitive for us. We want to be in middle of the fight. We want to do something. But God says to stop striving, take a rest, and watch Him work.
I pray we all take time to be still. I pray we stop striving to fix things only God can fix. I pray each one of us recognize when God is telling us to step aside and allow Him to work. Be still. Trust God. Watch God work. Rely on God. Trust His promises.
Exodus 14:13-14 Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Marty Pressey 