Standing Still Is Not Inactivity

Exodus 14, verses 13 and 14, could quite possibly be the most misinterpreted verses in all of scripture.  For me, at times, they has been at least.

“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."

There seems to be as sort of “permission” for idleness here.  This grant given for inaction.

My niece recently got her wisdom teeth removed.
The education given by the clinic was fairly straightforward and the instructions were pretty clear that she would likely need to spend 1-2 days in rest following her surgical procedure.  The doctor told us that she would, “be sore” and should “reduce her activity for the next 24-48 hours.”

Somehow 7 days later I was still hearing my niece remind me that she was to be, “taking it easy”, however it was long after healing should have been well under way.  I was having a hard time believing that continued “rest” was necessary.  Or helpful even.  In my opinion, an increase of mobility would serve best, and a return to “normal activities” would speed up the process of restoration.

And yet sometimes we’re like that, aren’t we?
We get sluggish, lethargic, stagnant, even, and we justify it with scriptures that say things like, “you only need to be still.”

We wrongfully assume that being “still” means doing nothing.  And yet in Kingdom living we may be incorrect to assume such prescriptive assignment.

According to Charles Spurgeon on this topic, he says there are 4, “evil advisers” to extraordinary difficulties.  They are despair, cowardice, precipitancy, and presumption.  Despair tells us to give up.  Cowardice tells us that it’s time to retreat, this way of Christian living is too difficult.  Precipitancy says to execute with impatience, too quickly rushing to action that often leads to regret.  And Presumption tells us to behave with arrogance and overzealous confidence, that often is the result of “getting ahead of God” and assuming just because something worked once a specific way, it it sure to be the outcome again.

And all of this advice would be harmful.

Spurgeon’s words are this, “Faith listens neither to presumption or despair, nor cowardice, not precipitancy… but hears God say, ‘stand still’.  Keep the posture of an upright man, ready for action, expecting further orders, cheerfully and patiently awaiting the directing voice, and it will not be long God shall say to you, as distinctly as Moses said to the people of Israel, ‘Go forward.’”

So perhaps, “being still” has it’s directive.  It’s charge.  It’s responsibility.
To keep the posture of readiness.  To expect further orders.  To cheerfully and patiently wait on the voice of God.
Maybe it’s finding ways to serve in your season of stillness and rest.
Maybe it’s an increase of prayer time - the moments that bring me to my knees in surrender.
Maybe it’s keeping an active Gratitude Journal to keep aware of God’s goodness and faithfulness.

While there ARE battles we are called to “sit out” due to the threat of eminent danger, there are times where “being still” requires an alertness on our part.  Movement of muscles that risk atrophy if we stay sedentary for too long.

Pause as long as only necessary to recharge inwardly, receive instruction, and reset initiatives.

Standing still is not inactivity.