God has a knack for suggesting stillness when it sounds like the worst possible idea. Imagine the Israelites leaving behind hundreds of years of slavery in Egypt, and suddenly seeing the Egyptian army coming after them as they approach the Red Sea. Terrified, they declare they would rather go back to be slaves than die. Sounds logical to me. But Moses says, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” (Exodus 14:13,14 NLT) “Just stay calm”? Really, God? You’re just going to say that? Of all the times to stand still, this seems like the worst. 

On some level I can relate to the Israelites, being trapped between slavery and salvation. My brokenness—from which God has already delivered me in Christ—pursues and traps me. Fear and anxiety rush in and I am ready to run back to my slavery: impatience, control, and being right. I would rather perform than be set free. I am afraid of myself and the cavernous ugliness I have seen inside. When things are not turning out how I want, it sounds much safer to reach for control than to sit between the enemy and an unknown outcome. But sometimes that is exactly what I am invited to do. And sometimes watching and waiting is the catalyst for victory.

Last winter our marriage stepped off solid ground onto a suspension bridge. There was a bit of wobbling and a few moments where we held our breath. After one of many difficult conversations, I was left looking down at the chasm below and wondering if that’s where we were going to end up. As I prayed, I had a strong impression that I was to watch and wait—that God was on the move but I needed to be still. So I was. By God’s grace I didn’t dwell on painful words or unanswerable questions. I waited. When fear rolled in with a choking sensation and suggested that I fight or flee, I prayed aloud, reminding God what He had asked of me and asking for His help to continue watching and waiting. After several days I saw God’s handiwork, in the form of a handwritten letter from my husband. God fought the battle for me as I watched and waited.

When God is involved, stillness can be productive. Look at the moment of stillness in this story of Jesus going to Nain:

Now it happened… that [Jesus] went into a city called Nain… and when He came near the gate of the city, behold, a dead man was being carried out, the only son of his mother; and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the city was with her. When the Lord saw her, He had compassion on her and said to her, “Do not weep.” Then He came and touched the open coffin, and those who carried him stood still. And He said, “Young man, I say to you, arise.” So he who was dead sat up and began to speak. And He presented him to his mother. (Luke 7:11-15, NKJV)

Did you catch it? The pallbearers stand still. 

When something is dead—whether it be a dream, an opportunity, a relationship—we take the next logical step and bury it. And rightly so, for dead things left in the open begin to stink. But Jesus may be audacious enough to stop us on the way to the hole in the ground. I want to get the ordeal over with. But if I pay attention to Jesus, He may simply be asking me to pause. 

I realize when I look at these stories that it can be ill-advised to be logical with Jesus. He may ask me sometimes to stop and be still when I am taking what is the undeniably obvious next step. Am I willing to still myself and see what He is going to do?

There are times to take action, yes. There are also times to stand still. Permit me one more Bible story: Judah’s king, Jehoshaphat, is terrified by the approach of not one, but three armies. He fasts and prays, and orders his whole kingdom to do the same. In response, God’s Spirit comes upon a guy named Jahaziel, and this is what he says: “‘Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s… you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory’” (2 Chronicles 20:15-17b, NLT, emphasis added). Sure enough, the enemies coming against Judah in battle kill each other, and Jehoshaphat’s army just watches. 

Isn’t that crazy? 

Is it possible that sometimes I miss what God is saying because I’m only listening for actions I can take? Maybe I give God multiple-choice, but His answer isn’t on the list. Doing nothing seems counterintuitive to problem solving. 

If we are parents, sometimes we have to tell our kids to wait: for cookies to cool, for glue to dry, for the day of the party to arrive. By the same token, we may be asked by Daddy God to wait when it seems obvious what the next step ought to be. The antidote for white-knuckled waiting—or rushing in headlong—is the slow building of trust, creating a safe space for stillness. As God shows His heart to us, we let His love soak deep into our bones so that we may trust Him, crazy though He may be.

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A couple things to check out: 1) this freeing song about stillness, by Hillary Scott. 2) my new Facebook page @jesusmyfavoritesubject. Love ya’ll. Thanks for reading.