Stand Still & Watch

We are in Football Season here in the South and it’s nearly its own religion. It is a bit fun to watch grown men and women get so excited watching other people do stuff. I admit that I like a good football match up. I remember hearing someone say years ago that football is a sport where thousands of people, who are out of shape, gather to watch players who are in top physical condition hit each other and push a pigskin up and down the field. If you are playing football or lots of other sports, the way to succeed is to keep moving.

The Israelites have just celebrated the first Passover and escaped the abuse of the Egyptians. They are headed to the land that God had promised them. The Lord is leading them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. The Egyptians change their mind and the Lord intends to show His glory to his people, but the Egyptians too. The people of Israel see the cloud of dust stirred up by the Egyptians who are now in pursuit. They are freaking out as they think about facing an army when they are not organized to defend themselves against the Egyptians. The Lord speaks to Moses and then Moses relays a message that is hard to hear. Check this out….

¹³ But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. ¹⁴ The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”(Exodus 14:13-14 NLT)

My heart was stirred with this verse. I’m not used to standing still when my life is threatened. If I can run, hide or prepare to defend myself. I’m not good at staying calm and not being afraid. The Lord did show up (as He always does) and showed off. He displayed His Power for all to see. He opened the sea so that His people could go through the sea on dry ground. The Egyptians pursued, but the Lord threw them in to confusion and they couldn’t get out and the sea closed back on them and the entire Egyptian army was destroyed. The people of Israel didn’t defend themselves, they just walked where the Lord told them and showed them where to walk.

I think there are times in my life when the Lord tells me to stand still and watch. There are other times when He prompts me to move or do something. The big takeaway that I got from these two simple verses is that I should listen carefully to the Lord’s instructions every day. Pray about everything and worry about nothing. I loved that one line that said: “The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

I need the Lords Presence and Guidance in the little decisions and the big decisions of my day today and every day of my life. I want to walk in humble obedience to His leadership and His rescue of me.  His Presence in me can give me peace and calm in the middle of stressful and chaotic situations. His Presence in me can give me wisdom that can ONLY come from Him because I’m just not that wise.  I want to practice standing still and watching until the Lord tells me to move. Whichever instruction He gives me leads to His rescue of me.

Pressing On!

Dwayne