Wait For God’s Best

Thoughts from daily Bible reading for today – December 8, 2020

I believe that I shall look upon the goodness of the Lord in the land of the living! Wait for the Lord; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the Lord! Psalm 27:13-14.

There are times in all our lives when we feel the pressure of trouble and we cry out, “Lord, deliver me now!” But still, in our distress, we want to immediately move forward, find the answer, solve the problem, bypass the crisis, and save ourselves. However, there are times God doesn’t want us to fix it ourselves. He wants us to stand still and wait for Him to deliver us so we depend on Him, and He can show Himself faithful, loving, powerful, and mighty. 

In Exodus 14, God led the Israelites to the Red Sea—but they were in a tight spot. Pharaoh’s army was approaching quickly and there was nowhere to run and hide. The mountains on both sides were bare without trees or caves. What could they do?  

In their moment of trouble, the Lord said through Moses, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus 14:13-14) (NKJV)

In their trial, the Lord wanted to press them into a place where they could not help themselves so they would see that He alone was their deliverer. He pressed them into a tight spot so they would be forced to rely on Him alone. When God has called you to stand still, when you have been pressed into a narrow place without escape, He wants to show Himself faithful to you. 

Standing still means you choose to quiet the part of you that wants to soothe your own anxiousness by choosing a direction or an answer right now. Standing still means you choose to be okay with the “not yet” while you wait for God’s salvation. In standing still, rather than moving forward, you make a declaration to yourself, and to others around you, that you have faith and that you’re not leaning on your own wisdom to figure it out. 

In standing still, you choose not to listen to shouting voices that say you are wasting your time, that you must move or miss out, that you will lose the progress you have made by not doing anything, or that you will be destroyed. Standing still means you don’t frantically try to orchestrate your own deliverance while you say you trust God. Instead, you focus on Jesus to steady you.  But standing still doesn’t mean you aren’t doing anything; it means you are waiting for God’s best. Rather than push for a quick answer, or rush through the first open door that looks like it could solve your problem, you wait for Him. Standing still means you don’t give into fear. Instead, you trust in the certainty of God’s faithfulness and love. It’s not easy to trust and stand still when there are threats and trouble all around. Could it be that the problems you are experiencing now are God’s opportunity to reveal that He loves you more than you can imagine? 

“So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand” (Isaiah 41:10).

Prayer

Lord, when I am pressed into a tight spot, my first response is to try and save myself, to try and fix the problem. Please help me to listen to see if you want me just to stand still and wait for you. I want to trust you. Amen.

Application

During those times when you know you should stand still and not move forward, what are the internal obstacles that can keep you from obeying the Lord?

Related Reading

Joshua 1:9; Proverbs 29:25; Psalm 28:7

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Waiting means you don’t give into fear. Instead, you trust in the certainty of God’s faithfulness and love. #WisdomHunters #Jesus #truth

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