I have really been chewing on the scripture I used for this past week’s message at Lighthouse UMC. As I began working on the message, my intent was to focus on Moses parting the Red Sea, enabling the Israelites to cross the riverbed on dry ground. The more I worked on that story, however, three verses (well before the sea was parted) stood out, practically screaming at me for a closer look. Take a gander at Exodus 14.13-15, “Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.’ Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.”
I’m not sure if you caught that, but in successive verses, we read, “be still” and “move on.” The Israelites were fleeing Egypt after the plague that killed all of the first-born in the country. Suffice it to say, Egypt wasn’t too happy with God and His people. Pharaoh’s anger was getting the best of him, so he pursued the Israelites to kill every last one of them. As terror gripped the Israelites, hearing the Egyptian charge, God reminded them that they would be delivered. As this is taking place, Moses tells the people to be still.
When we perceive a potentially perilous situation, our bodies experience the physiological condition known as “fight or flight.” This means that we go through a conscious and subconscious deliberation to find out if it’s wiser for us to stand and fight or run away. Our pertinent senses become keener. Adrenaline rushes. It often happens in a split second, and while we’re at it, we’re gauging our own well-being. It really is amazing to try and comprehend what our brains can do, and this was happening to anywhere from 20,000 to 2,000,000 individuals hearing the Egyptian battle cries, horse hooves and chariot wheels bearing down on them. Some, I’m sure, wanted to run where some wanted to fight. Through it all, Moses says, be still. What!?!?!
God wants us to be still, but He doesn’t necessarily want us to stay that way. For in Exodus 14.15, He tells the Israelites to move. Is this a contradiction or a mistake? It’s neither. The people – even in the middle of the crisis with Pharaoh – needed to stop, regroup, and focus on God. He had done so much for them to that point, He wasn’t about to leave them at the water’s edge to meet their demise. He did want them to move, but he wanted them to move in His direction under His purpose.
The same is true for us today. It isn’t that God only wants us to be still … He does want us to go … He just wants us to go His way. When “fight or flight kicks” in, God wants us to know that if we are to fight, He is there with us. If we are called to flee, then He is leading the way.
How good are you at standing still? We don’t do that very well anymore, do we? From our hyper-active culture to the rapidly emerging reliance on up-to-the-second technology and media, standing still seems like a need for ages past. Yet, we can see that Scripture tells to be still and know who is God* – not a smart phone, day planner, laptop, or any other modern convenience. Let’s face it, God has been telling us for millennia that we need to be still and we’re making it harder and harder in the name of advancement and convenience.
I want to invite you to join me in a little exercise today and for the remainder of the week. Take some time to be still, and while standing still, look to the Lord to see where He wants you to go. He will show you; He might even be screaming it at you, but the loudness of the world is making you oblivious to His call. Once you know how and where to go, then go; but make sure you are going with God.
The Lord is delivering you. He is fighting for you. He is also leading you to safety. Let’s go with Him and make sure we are going with God!
I’m not sure if you caught that, but in successive verses, we read, “be still” and “move on.” The Israelites were fleeing Egypt after the plague that killed all of the first-born in the country. Suffice it to say, Egypt wasn’t too happy with God and His people. Pharaoh’s anger was getting the best of him, so he pursued the Israelites to kill every last one of them. As terror gripped the Israelites, hearing the Egyptian charge, God reminded them that they would be delivered. As this is taking place, Moses tells the people to be still.
When we perceive a potentially perilous situation, our bodies experience the physiological condition known as “fight or flight.” This means that we go through a conscious and subconscious deliberation to find out if it’s wiser for us to stand and fight or run away. Our pertinent senses become keener. Adrenaline rushes. It often happens in a split second, and while we’re at it, we’re gauging our own well-being. It really is amazing to try and comprehend what our brains can do, and this was happening to anywhere from 20,000 to 2,000,000 individuals hearing the Egyptian battle cries, horse hooves and chariot wheels bearing down on them. Some, I’m sure, wanted to run where some wanted to fight. Through it all, Moses says, be still. What!?!?!
God wants us to be still, but He doesn’t necessarily want us to stay that way. For in Exodus 14.15, He tells the Israelites to move. Is this a contradiction or a mistake? It’s neither. The people – even in the middle of the crisis with Pharaoh – needed to stop, regroup, and focus on God. He had done so much for them to that point, He wasn’t about to leave them at the water’s edge to meet their demise. He did want them to move, but he wanted them to move in His direction under His purpose.
The same is true for us today. It isn’t that God only wants us to be still … He does want us to go … He just wants us to go His way. When “fight or flight kicks” in, God wants us to know that if we are to fight, He is there with us. If we are called to flee, then He is leading the way.
How good are you at standing still? We don’t do that very well anymore, do we? From our hyper-active culture to the rapidly emerging reliance on up-to-the-second technology and media, standing still seems like a need for ages past. Yet, we can see that Scripture tells to be still and know who is God* – not a smart phone, day planner, laptop, or any other modern convenience. Let’s face it, God has been telling us for millennia that we need to be still and we’re making it harder and harder in the name of advancement and convenience.
I want to invite you to join me in a little exercise today and for the remainder of the week. Take some time to be still, and while standing still, look to the Lord to see where He wants you to go. He will show you; He might even be screaming it at you, but the loudness of the world is making you oblivious to His call. Once you know how and where to go, then go; but make sure you are going with God.
The Lord is delivering you. He is fighting for you. He is also leading you to safety. Let’s go with Him and make sure we are going with God!
*Psalm 46.10
1 comment:
I heard a pastor once say he went for a walk and chanted "Be still and know that I am God." Then after a little while he changed it to, "Be still and know that I am" then "Be still and know that I" then "Be still and know that" then "Be still and know" then "Be still" then just "Be". He paused in between each changed to listen and ended up walking to the rhythm of the words. I did it once too and ended up finishing my walk chanting "Be. Be. Be." with each step. It was weird to be still and to walk at the same time. But it really worked.
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