65: More of Being Still

Don't you love when it seems a sermon was written JUST for you? That was the case in church this morning. The scripture was Psalm 46 and the theme was about being still regardless of the storm around you.

I think many of us can relate to that topic (especially amidst so much economic uncertainty) and it was certainly true of myself this morning.

As the pastor spoke, he reminded us of the Israelites fleeing their Egyptian captors only to run right into the Red Sea. Enemies closing in behind them, large body of water in front of them. I'm pretty sure no one calmly said, "Hey! Don't worry - I bet God's getting ready to split that thing wide open!" No, I'm pretty sure there was widespread panic. Can you blame them? And to top it off check out what Moses unleashes on them:

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 14:13-14

Right.

Can you imagine the reaction of the people to THAT statement? Trapped between two versions of certain death the people are told to BE STILL.

But then the sea parted. And millions of people walked through on dry land. Don't let the familiarity of that scenario overshadow the awesomeness of it. God did something so beyond any solution, any imagined deliverance, that it was obvious GOD was in charge.

I am the worst at imagining myself trapped with no viable solution in sight. This story reminds me that God is on His throne. Always. Just because I can't see or envision a solution doesn't mean one isn't coming. And more than likely it will be something that will make me go, "Yup. That had to be GOD."

Admittedly, it still doesn't make being still any easier. It's not in my (or most of our) nature to stop striving, worrying, fretting. So that's my goal this week. To try to be still every single day. I have a feeling it will be a moment by moment surrender. And maybe that's part of the idea.

(I randomly stumbled upon this video while looking for a different one. I think it was made for a youth meeting or something but still so powerful for any of us. Got my attention for sure . . .)