Stand Still

“Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you and you shall hold your peace.” Exodus 14:13

We see leading up to this verse that Pharaoh had just let the people go and they were leaving Egypt heading for the Promised Land. But instead of going through the land of the Philistines; which would have been the faster, easier route, God led them through the edge of the wilderness. The Philistines were at war and God didn’t want the Israelites to change their minds and head back to Egypt when they saw the war-torn turmoil laying waste ahead of them. God took them by the way of the wilderness.

I have to stop and ponder the fact that God didn’t allow the Israelites to take the closer, quicker way out of Egypt. There have been many times in my own life when I have prayed for a quick deliverance only to realize the road to my answered prayer was going to be paved with knee prints. Although delay is not denial, I sometimes begin to grow weary in the battle. We see in Exodus that God instead led the Israelites through the wilderness. This was not supposed to be a place to take up refuge. I believe God did this because the Israelites needed to learn to fully rely on Him. They often would doubt God’s provision and He wanted to reveal Himself as Jehovah-Jireh their provider.

As Pharaoh’s heart grew harder, and the Egyptians began to surround the Israelites, fear began to rise in the hearts of the people and they began to cry out to God. We see in Exodus 14:15 that God asks Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. God’s reply was to stop crying and start moving forward. God had a beautiful pathway of deliverance set out for the Israelites if they would only trust Him. God would fight their battle…they only needed to stand still. How many times in our lives do we forget the fact that God wants to fight our battles for us? We may not be chased by an army but we sometimes feel as trapped as the Israelites felt. Instead of giving in to complaining and despair, we need to stand still and watch the salvation of our God. Listen for His still, small voice and be obedient to His leading.

If you’re like me, it’s not always easy to hear His still, small voice in the noisy chaos of life. If a battle begins to rage I usually panic, then pray, rebuke something, quote scriptures, or fast all the while not asking God what He wants me to do to win my battle. After being brought down to my knees from the weariness I just caused myself, I realize that my own efforts are not working and I need to stand still and listen for God’s voice and His leading.

Many times, God will bring us to our knees so He can raise us up again. It is at this moment that we hear the loving voice of our Father telling us, “Do not be afraid. Stand still and allow me to fight this battle for you.” You see, God never intended for us to fight our own battles. So many times we forget this and we allow our pride to set in and we miss the very miracle God wants to do in our lives. We stop just before the breakthrough. I have to wonder how many miracles I have missed because I didn’t allow God to fight my battle for me. I took matters into my own hands and grew faint fighting my battle and I gave up instead of just standing still and letting God work in my life.

I believe God will sometimes make things so uncomfortable for us that we have nowhere else to go but on our knees. When we have completely emptied ourselves of us, we realize how much we need God. With our complete surrender and our broken hallelujahs, He is able to move on our behalf. We are no longer in the way. When you feel like the battle is raging the most, surrender. Not to the enemy’s thoughts, but to the God who can overcome the enemy. Stand and watch what God will do for you!

The Israelites stood and saw the deliverance of God. Exodus 14:21 says:

“Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the waters divide.”

God had a way out of the battle the Israelites were going through. They only needed to stand still and trust God to protect and deliver them. To man, things looked impossible, but God always has a way of deliverance. In fact, verse 25 says:

“Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

The enemy knows the power of our God. We need to stop allowing the battles of our lives to cause us to forget the power of our God. When the battles are raging, and everything is falling apart, we need to dig in our heels and stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. Begin to give your worries and problems over to God and allow Him to fight for you. You can maintain your peace and find joy in today!