The advantages of Standing Still
Exodus 14: 10-14
In these times in which you and I live, life presents us all kinds of problems and challenges. We are busy seeking ways to handle the situations and issues in our lives. Life is like a roller coaster. Some days you are up and some days you are down. Some days you have good days and some days you have bad days. Some days you have dark days and some days you have sun shinny days. Job says that a man that is born of a woman is only a few days and those days are full of “trouble”.
As children of God, we know that Jesus is our savior. We know that he is our Lord. We know that if it had not been for him that was on our side, we don’t know where we would be today. We know that it was him that helped us in past situations. Oh, when our bills were overdue and they were going to cut the lights off and the gas off and they were going to put you out, it was him that made a way out of no way. It was him that opened up doors that were closed in your face. It was the Lord who put food on our tables and healed our bodies when the Doctor had given us up.
But, even though we acknowledge this it doesn’t seem to be enough in the face of our trials and tribulations and it is just hard for us to stand still. It’s hard for us to stand still when we hear on the news that there are wars and rumors of wars. It’s hard for us to stand still when the Secretary of defense says that it’s just a matter of time when there will be another attack on the United States that will be worse than September 11th. It’s hard for us to stand still when we hear that there will be suicide bombings on our American soil just like they are experiencing in Israel. It’s hard to stand still when we are living in an unstable world with an unstable economy.
But this morning I want to let you know that instead of wasting a lot of time seeking our own way out, we need to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.
Many of us are struggling today because we want God to bless our agenda rather than our fulfilling His agenda. We want God to O.K. our plans rather than our fulfilling His plans. We want God to bring us glory rather than our bringing Him glory.
When we stand still, we can let God do the leading. It wasn’t Moses who led the people out of Egypt. It was the Lord. He led them by a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Moses didn’t even know how to get out of Egypt. He was just following instructions. Sometimes we need to just follow instructions from the Lord. It doesn’t matter what folk say you ought to do, it doesn’t matter what it looks like to folk, what matters is what it looks like to God. That’s all God’s leader is doing, following instructions.
If Moses had been doing the leading, he would have taken them on the shortest route. That’s the way we are, always looking for the fastest, shortest, and easiest way to get something done. But God doesn’t work that way. In fact God doesn’t’ always work in the way that seems best to us. Instead of leading the children of Israel on the shortest route from Egypt to the Promised Land, He took them the long way. Some of us are going through some trials and tribulations right now, because God is taking us the long way. But God has a reason and a plan for taking you the long way. When God doesn’t take you the shortest way to your goal, don’t complain and don’t resist, just stand still and trust God to lead you safely around unseen obstacles. Remember, God can see the end. He may be taking you the long way, but I declare that it’s the best way.
When we stand still, God can teach us something. When I look back over my life and think about the times when I wanted to take the short way to get what I wanted, but the Lord made me wait longer than I wanted too. I was able to wait on him because I heard Isaih say the other day, “They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” He was teaching me something. My way looked like the fastest and best way, but now I know He wanted me to learn something. He had a lesson I needed to learn along the way. There are some unseen dangers on the short route. There are some pitfalls on the short route. There are some dead ends on the short route. There are some closed doors on the short route.
Matthew 11:29, “Take My yoke upon you, and learn of me, for my yoke is easy and my burdens are light. For I am meek and lowly in heart; and ye shall find rest unto your souls.” God may be taking you the long way to teach you something. He may not come when you want him, but He’s always on time.
When we stand still we can listen to God just like Moses did. Moses listened for the Lord’s instructions. He realized that without listening to God, he couldn’t get where God wanted him to go. Without God’s instructions, his leadership, his guidance we cannot be successful as God’s people. If you want to be successful, stand still and listen to what God has to say.
When Pharaoh’s army was pressing down behind Moses and the children of Israel, they found themselves faced with mountains on both sides, and the Red Sea in front. Moses took the position of standing firm on the word of God. I heard the Lord say just the other day, “If I’m for you, I’m more than the world against you. I hard him also say, Lo, I am with you always even unto the end of the world.
The Children of Israel were moving but Moses told them to “stand still.” Sometimes when your enemies are pressing down on you, the best thing for you to do is stand still. If God says, “stand still,” he will be with you. He will be a present help in the time of trouble. He will not only guide you but He will protect you from your enemies. When the world is running from place to place looking for a solution, God’s people can just stand still. When everybody else is crying and complaining about their situation, God’s people can stand still.
I wonder can I get any witnesses this morning:
When the 3 Hebrew boys: Shadrach, Meshack, and Abednego were told, either bow down to the golden image or be thrown into a fiery furnace, They decided to “stand still.” They told Nebuchadnezzar, “we don’t know how we’re going to get out of this mess, but one thing we do know is that the “God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace.”
Daniel was told that if he prayed to any God but the king, he would be placed in a lion’s den. But Daniel decided to stand still and pray to God any how and God shut up the jaws of the hungry lions.
Paul and Silas were in jail and at midnight they decided to stand still and pray and sing praises to the Lord. Sometimes standing still means giving God praise in the midnight hour. Somebody here today is approaching midnight in their lives. But I JSB to tell you even in the midnight hour give God the praise. It may be 11:30 right now, but midnight is coming soon, you ought to give God the praise. It might be a quarter to midnight in your life; you ought to give God the praise. It might even be 5 minutes to midnight in your life; you ought to give God the praise. Because on the other side of midnight, there is Joy. There is peace on the other side of midnight. There is happiness on the other side of midnight. “Weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning.”
Before I sit down, let me give you one more example of someone who stood still. When they talked about Him, he just decided He would stand still. When they lied on Him, he just decided He would stand still. In the Garden of Gethsemane, he decided to stand still. When they marched him from judgement hall to judgement hall, he decided to stand still. When they nailed Him to an old rugged cross, He decided to stand still. He died and was buried. Stayed there 3 days. But early Sunday morning. He got up with all power….
I don’t know about you, but I’m going to look to the author and finisher of my faith. His name is Jesus. The one, who for the joy that was before him, went to the cross of sin for us. I don’t have to wait unto the battle is over, I can shout right now because I’ve already won the battle. Victory, Victory shall be mine. If I hold my peace and let the Lord fight my battle.
