Stillness...a weapon.

The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still. -Exodus 14:14

To be still. I've noticed that in the quiet times, in the times I've tried to be still before God, I have noticed my brain begins to want to move so much faster because I have allowed it freedom. It begins to want to process the future, or the to-do's or even the what-ifs as far out as they possible can be sometimes. But what exactly does it mean to be still before God?

Psalms 46:10 tells us Be still, and know that I am God. Psalm 37:7 says, Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him. Calm, quiet, peaceful, stable, untroubled.

*Deep breath*...eyes closed...I begin to shut out the world, the lists, the problems, the desires and I think about Jesus. I think about the miracle when after hours of teaching, Jesus and his disciples board a boat to sail to the other side of the lake to get away from the crowd. Jesus crawls under the main deck and goes to sleep and a terrible storm begins and the disciples get so scared they wake Jesus in fear to save them from the storm and what better words does Jesus use than "Be still"...and the waves obeyed. I think about the immediacies of the winds and the waves stopping at the sound of His voice and what that might have been like for the disciples to witness. But then I realize it is with that same command that He asks all the "stuff" going on in our lives to "Be still" so that we can commune with Him. 

Jesus has the power to fight the winds and waves that control our lives. He has the power to stop them if that is His will, He also has the ability to see us through them, no matter how scary they may seem. He asks us to turn off this world, turn off all the technologies and distractions and be still before Him. As for the heavy workload that is to continue tomorrow and through these next two weeks, if I can be still before the Lord when I begin to get overwhelmed, His Word says that He will fight for me. In the waiting to hear back from the field, He commands me to be still and wait patiently for Him to work out all the details. 

I love how in each command He gives us to Be still, that there is a response on His part. And maybe the response is an action, him fighting for us as Exodus 14:14 says, or Him working behind the scenes while we wait as Psalm 37:7 tells us. But maybe the response isn't an action, but rather a revelation. In the stillness, in the calm, in the quiet, we can begin to imagine Jesus, we see His creation, we notice small details, we begin to just realize who He is. Sometimes, while we are still before Him, all He needs to do is remind us of Himself and that is all we need. This afternoon, there were moments of stillness. And I really began to see that Jesus really has been showing me what He is up to. If I'm not careful, I can totally miss them. But as I read His Word in the quiet, I realized that He is my deliverer, my provider, my protector, my healer, and is worthy of praise. These are the points that we will be making with the kids at Summer Blast next week and I'm realizing just how amazing they are. It's in the stillness that I realize how much He has delivered me from, all the amazing things He does to provide way more than I could ever need; I really have no idea how often He protects me from harm, the amazing way He healed me from my sins, and because of all that, out of the stillness, comes praises of thanksgiving. 

As I try to wrap my mind around all of these things, I can't help but begin thanking Him for all He has done for me. Jesus, thank you for bearing my sins on the cross. Thank you for shedding your blood so that I will get to see the streets of gold one day. Thank you for the example of perfection that I can only strive for as you work in and through me to make me the person you want me to be. Thank you for the ultimate healing that you give me through your rising from death so that I no longer have to carry the weight of my sins, but when I become still before you, sense forgiveness and redemption and not shame and judgement. Thank you Jesus for the perfect plan that you have written from day 1 of creation and the amazing way you have of using your people to further your kingdom. Thank you Jesus for allowing me to see glimpses of your kingdom work being done and many times getting to see firsthand the way you bring people to Yourself. Thank you for the gift of serving you. Thank you for the opportunities you give me to serve others and in turn serve you. Thank you for the future plans you have for me. Thank you for working out the details so that you are the one glorified. I praise you Jesus for who you are. 

Eternal. Infinite. Immutable. Omniscient. Wise. Omnipotent. Transcendent. Omnipresent. Faithful. Good. Just. Merciful. Graceful. Loving. Holy. Sovereign. (Tozer, The Knowledge of the Holy)

I can't help but want these moments of stillness to last forever. But because I believe in who Jesus is and attempt to wrap my mind around just how much He loves me, I can't think of a better attitude that one of praise and service to Him. And these next few weeks,(and full life ahead) could be stressful, and will at times be overwhelming. But today. I feel as though God has given me a weapon. Stillness. When the to-do's get too long, the future full of more unknowns than knowns, and the what-ifs almost unbearable, I can receive the command that Jesus gave to be still before Him. I can remember that He is God. He is fighting for me. And He is working out all the details in His timing.