Stand Still And See

Text: “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the LORD will give you” (2 Chronicles 20:17).

If you stop and think for a moment, you and I have faced many enemies in our life time. As a child there were other children who thought they were big and tough who proceeded to take advantage of us. Sometimes we actually fought with them and at other times we just walked away feeling like a scolded dog.

Young people today often come face to face with enemies such as: illegal drugs, alcohol and sex which leads to unwanted babies and diseases for which there are no cures. Even young people who have been raised by Christian parents face the enemy of temptation which they are unable to resist using their own power.

Young and middle-age adults in the course of their everyday work life often face enemies that overcome them. Males and females in the workforce get together and form a relationship that leads to the enemy of adultery, disloyalty or fornication.

It is nice to lend a shoulder to lean on or an ear to listen, but care must be taken so this endeavor will not lead to something unfavorable in the eyes of Almighty God. It is good to show your Christian attributes of love, compassion, understanding and caring, but your actions must not lead to disobedience to God.

We have and we will continue to be faced with temptation because we are Christians and temptation is a tool of Satan. As you recall, Jesus was tempted by Satan three times. The first time, Satan wanted Him to turn stones into bread. The second time, Satan wanted Jesus to through Himself down from the pinnacle of the temple. The third and last time, Satan wanted Jesus to fall down and worship Him.

Each time, Jesus quoted the Word of God. The Word was Jesus’ defense against the commands of Satan. This same Word is our defense when we are tempted. There is no doubt that temptation is a real enemy that will haunt us each day we live here on earth. Satan is working hard to cause division between us and Jesus.

Satan is trying to fill the rooms of Hell with lost souls because he knows that his time is coming to an end. Satan knows what is in store for him and he wants to take as many with him as possible.

Our defense against Satan’s wishes is the Word. There is no other defense as great as the Word. Hebrews 4:12 says, “For the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the divisions of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.”

God’s Word is the only weapon we have and the only weapon we need to defend ourselves against the temptations brought upon us by Satan. He does not like when we say we live by “…every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” (Matthew 4:4).

Sometimes life is difficult and we feel as though we do not know which way to turn. There are situations which make us feel trapped and no way to escape. For example; the loss of a loved one, financial burden, unemployment or natural disaster such as hurricane or tornado, or devastation caused by fire or flooding are happenings that place us in unfavorable situations.

The Israelites found themselves in unfavorable situations more than once. When the famine came upon the earth, they had to seek food outside of their country Canaan. They found food in Egypt and later on, at Joseph’s request, they moved to Egypt. Life seemed to be going well and the population of Israelites grew.

As you recall, after the death of Joseph a new and different Pharaoh came upon the throne. He immediately looked out at the population of Hebrews or Israelites and determined they were getting too strong and mighty and might cause a problem for the Egyptians.

The new Pharaoh made slaves of the Israelites. Pharaoh’s officials or taskmasters afflicted them with many burdens. The idea of making them slaves and making them perform heavy and difficult tasks would oppress them and destroy their spirit. The great pyramids of Egypt were built using slave labor. The Israelites were kept under bondage and were slaves for 430 years.

During this period of time, slavery became a way of life for these Hebrew people. Their needs were provided as long as they kept working for Pharaoh and doing what he commanded. Although the people were content for the most part, God had a plan in mind. His plan was to liberate these people and his plan included a person by the name of Moses.