Be Still...

We heard a wonderful message at church this morning about standing still and allowing God to be God. It was one of those messages that was exactly for me to hear. Now that we are home I have been looking back to all that happened to us during our travels. Many of the things that came our way were not circumstances that we would have asked for (we have not even left home if we knew ahead of time what was before us.) For me it wasn't just the "big" things like car repairs or illness, it was also the small things like missing family and friends, having to use yet another gas station bathroom, putting my son to bed way past his bedtime again... that caused me to question why God has called us into this ministry right now. Whether big or small problems, it does no good for me as a Christian who has hope in Christ and the promise of His CONTINUAL presence with me to question whether He knows what is best or to cry out to Him with a complaining heart when things seem unfair.

Today's message focused how the Lord lead the children of Israel to be "trapped" between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. Moses' command to the Israelites was to "Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord" (Ex. 14:13). Standing still at that point doesn't seem like the first option I would I have chosen. I would instinctively say "Run!" or "Hide!" But when they stood still, God did greater things than they could have ever imagined!

It may feel at times that the Lord has backed me into a corner and I have the option of either trying to find my own way out or simply standing still to see what God will do AND what He wants to teach me through it. I know how hard it is for me to stand still and wait for God when I don't physically see anything taking place or I don't have the answer handed to me in clear terms. But, I do have the unfailing promise from God that He will never leave me nor forsake me (Hebrews 13:5).