Stand Still

 


Very recently, I wrote about how Psalms 46:10 is my favorite verse because of its reminder that we need to be still, then I came across 1 Samuel 12:16 that, again, reminds us to stand still. This verse made me curious about how often those type of phrases show up in the Bible, so I tried to do some research; however, it is nearly impossible for me to pin down an exact number because there are so many variations of this reminder throughout the scriptures. One thing that did begin to stand out to me as I read multiple verses was the similarity of things connected to these reminders to be still:
Be still and know that I am God... (Psalms 46:10)
Now therefore stand still and see this great thing that the Lord will do before your eyes. (1 Samuel 12:16)
The Lord will fight for you; you must be quiet. (Exodus 14:14)
Be silent before the Lord and wait expectantly for Him... (Psalms 37:7)
Let all people be silent before the Lord, for He is coming from His holy dwelling. (Zechariah 2:13)
But the Lord is in His holy temple; let everyone on earth be silent in His presence. (Habakkuk 2:20)
Nearly every time the phrases "be still" or "be quiet" or "be silent" are commanded, it is connected to being reverent to the Lord and letting Him do His work. (Side note: The wording of all the verses I quoted above come from the Holman Christian Standard Bible. In other translations, different wording may be used, but they all connect the ideas of being still and letting God work.) When the same command occurs over and over throughout the Bible, it has to be important.

I have admitted before that I struggle with being patient and waiting for God to do His work, so these verses can be difficult for me. On the other hand, I take comfort in one other verse I found in my research because it reminds me that it is okay to be human:
I cannot relax or be still; I have no rest, for trouble comes.
The person most known in the entire Bible for being patient is Job, yet the quote above comes from him (Job 3:26). Yes, I know that I need to be patient and wait for God to take care of all my troubles, but it sure makes me feel better to know that even Job struggled with patience. Some days, I don't see how I can possibly make it through the day, but then I think about everything Job faced and his ability to persevere and I know I can stand still and see the great things the Lord is going to do.

(One last side note: One other, significant time when someone in the Bible was told to be quiet is when Bartimaeus called out to Jesus as he walked by. Instead of being quiet, Bartimaeus yelled out even more, and Jesus rewarded him for his faith and healed him of his blindness. In my mind, that scene emphasizes the point that being still does not mean to quit calling out to God, but to get out of the way and let Him heal us.)

Heavenly Father, once again today, I thank you for the great things you are going to do, and I am sorry for my lack of patience. Give me strength to stand still and give me rest in times of trouble. Most of all, I thank you, Lord, for your patience with me. In the long-suffering name of Jesus I pray, Amen.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

That Light Shines in the Darkness

Image
  My favorite poem includes the phrase "The woods are lovely, dark, and deep." This year, I have experienced much of the darkness of God's woods, along with its loveliness and depth, but one thing has remained true: Jesus is my light shining in the darkness. I may not be able to see what might be around the next turn, but the darkness will not overcome my guiding light. For the past few weeks, I have not written as much as when I started recording this journey, and part of the reason is that I have wandered a little too much in the darkness. Once again, things have not gone the way I would have planned, and I have allowed the twisting path through the woods to cause me to become scared and anxious, instead of looking where the light shines. Today, I feel like the woods are a little less dense, and it is easier to see where I am supposed to be heading. I am not out of the darkness of the woods yet, but it feels like the trees are spread a little further apart. All I have t...
Read more

He Will Turn the Hearts of Fathers to Their Children

Image
Yesterday was the first day of classes at both Appalachian State University and NC State University, and I spent a large portion of my day thinking about and praying for both Rayne and Abe, our two sons. Both of these young men have overcome some major obstacles to make it to college, and I am beyond proud of the work, both academic and personal, that each of them has done to make it this far. I feel truly blessed to know that both boys are starting on the path to adulthood, and even if they don't need me by their side at all times, I pray that they know that I am right behind them, cheering them on. Truthfully, yesterday was a very hard day for me because it reminded me of the contrast between the two boys' situations. I sent a text to both boys to remind them that we love them, we are proud of them, and we are praying for them. According to my phone, Rayne read his text a little before he went to his first college class. Unfortunately, it appears that Abe has blocked my text ...
Read more

Be Still

Image
  Our pastor referenced this verse in the last sermon of his "Trust the Process" series. Truthfully, it was not the main verse of the message, but for me, it was one more reminder that God sees me. He knows my deepest pains, He knows my deepest desires, He knows my deepest fears, He knows my deepest anxieties, and He knows my deepest needs. When I really focus on this verse, I am reminded that those pains, desires, fears, anxieties, and needs are really not mine to worry about. God tells me to be still because I know that He is God. For a long time, I have said that this is my favorite verse. Now, it not only reminds me that I need to approach life's challenges calmly, but it also reminds me that I am not God. I am NOT the one to be exalted. For most of my life, I have been a very easy-going person who doesn't let much worry me. I used to think of this verse as my kind of "motto" in life, explaining why I didn't worry about things--I was just being still...
Read more