The advantages of Standing Still
Today’s Scripture: As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
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."
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 to stand still when we have came so far from the time of 60’s racism ,when people out there are talking about assonating our president elect Obama because he is a black man, 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 you get a notice that your employment might not be needed anymore , 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.
Believe me folks , I have been though a lot of trials in my life, and I do know it is hard to be still. I have cried and holler why God, why is this happening to me? And I just get no answer(confused) , but I remember my mother telling me ,”son our time is different from God’s time, He will answer your prayers at the right time, Just know that God is always on time” I had to think that I have heard that from my grand-mother, and great-grand mother and other elderly people also. Elderly people have been through all kinds of trials, and learned to wait on God, because back in the day it was harder to live that way than it is now. We have it easy than those in the past, because there was not to much necessities to help you make it like all the things wee have now, like vacuum cleaners, dishwashers, cell phones , faster transportation, because they learned to do without and wait try to do on what they have and wait on God to get them through. Our society have grown so fast with all these things that God has blessed us with, that we need everything fast and now. We have invented things to get what we need now and leave God out the way of waiting on Him.(whew), I’m guilty also, buying things that I can’t even work, I’m always asking Lorie , Chris or Anthony my co-workers on how to operate the new electronic cell phone or lap top that I have bought to feel like I’m up with the present time.(hahaha)
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. Amen.




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