Just Be Still - Martin Wiles

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. Exodus 14:13 NLT

Telling two of my grandboys to be still wastes my breath.

My daughters two boys—a five and a three-year-old—are typical boys. They don’t know the meaning of being still. Asking them to sit still while I read them a book or while they eat at the table proves difficult. As does sitting still in a chair on the occasions when we put them in time out for not listening. Their age … and personality … makes them want to move.

I can’t say much. When still, I feel as if I’m wasting time. Perhaps because my dad said, “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.” I suppose I transferred that to an idle body, too.

I discovered how difficult remaining still is when I had an MRI on my back. The technician said, “Don’t move.” Doing so would distort the images. Every part of my body that never itches, itched. But I dared not scratch.

Being still must have challenged the Israelites as well. Egypt lay behind them—but so did the Egyptian army which was hot on their tails. In front of them lay the Red Sea. They couldn’t move in either direction. Moses instructed them to remain still. God would rescue them. And He did by parting the Red Sea.

Being still is difficult in our noisy world. After teaching middle schoolers all day, my wife doesn’t understand why I want quiet when I get home. She’s listened to whining youngins all day and wants to watch TV or listen to music. I want to hear nothing. I need quiet to think … to hear God.

Busyness and noise drown out God’s voice. We need quiet to hear Him, and this won’t come unless we’re intentional about creating quiet time in our day. When we don’t, we miss out on what God wants to say to us. And what He says is always important to our life journey. He may just want to say that He loves us. Or remind us that He hasn’t forgotten us. Or that He has our situation under control. But we must be still to hear.

Find a quiet time each day where You can listen to God’s still small voice.

Prayer: Father, take us to those quiet places where we can hear from You.

Tweetable: Do you know how to be still? 

Thanks to all our faithful followers who share our posts! We also invite you to follow and like us on Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, and Instagram. Help us spread God's encouragement through His Love Lines.