“Their strength is to sit still.” Isaiah 30:7b
We live in a fast-paced, busy world. Most people are on the run constantly and take very little time to sit still. We see all the activities that others are involved with and feel guilty if we sit still. Many of us are fixers, so when a situation arises, we want to act immediately with some kind of advice or solution. We are tempted to work things out for ourselves or our loved ones. When we work things out on our own without seeking God’s will, we may not get to witness His hand in our situation. God wants to reveal Himself to us by providing strength and guidance while He fulfills His plan in our lives. Sitting still and waiting upon the Lord is an essential part of good spiritual self-care.
Newly retired, I find that I sit still more than I like. Sitting still physically does not necessarily mean that my mind is at rest. I have contemplated all kinds of options for my future. What should I do next? How can I continue to use my gifts for Christ? What opportunities should I take advantage of? Which options should I pursue in publishing a new book? Many more questions have been contemplated, so I’m grateful the Lord still speaks to me through His Word. I was reminded in my reading of Isaiah to sit in quietness and wait upon the Lord for guidance and clarity about His specific will in my life. Once God reveals His plan, I must be patient to walk in the Spirit and follow His timing.
As Matt taught on one of the Patriarchs, I jotted down a note, “be careful about completing God’s plan because you think He is working too slowly in your life or in those around you.” Abraham and Sarah come to mind. They were promised a son by God, but that promise was not fulfilled quickly enough for them. Sarah thought she would assist God by giving her handmaid, Hagar, to Abraham so they could have a child. That relationship and the birth of Ishmael caused grief to Sarah and Abraham. That conflict and grief could have been avoided if both Abraham and Sarah had waited upon the Lord. God was faithful to fulfill His 25-year-old promise and blessed them with Isaac. He was a miracle! God revealed Himself when a 90-year-old woman and 100-year-old man brought forth a child. To God be the glory! Much of our own grief can be avoided if we rest in the promises of God and His Word.
It can be difficult to sit and wait for something that you have been promised and know to be God’s plan. Our job is to sit still until God directs us to move. I wonder how God would have worked out His plan for Jacob if Rebekah had not interfered. Before the twins were born, God told Rebekah that Esau would serve his brother, and that Jacob would receive the birthright and family blessing. Isaac was going to bless Esau instead of Jacob, so Rebekah came up with a plan for Jacob to deceive his father for the blessing. That choice to work out God’s plan brought a great division between the brothers, a move away from family for over 20 years by Jacob, and Rebekah died before she and Jacob could reunite. Working out God’s plan wasn’t without a cost and would have been fulfilled by God in His own way if Rebekah and Jacob had waited for His guidance. So, with caution, as God’s promises and will are revealed to me, I choose to only act when He leads me to act.
Wait! Be still! Stay quiet and let God reveal Himself to you! Once there is a clear direction, walk in the Spirit and follow His guidance. His timing is not always our timing, but we can be assured that God is faithful and always fulfills His promises and plans.
“Be still, and know that I am God:” Psalm 46:10a
*Possible passage to ponder today: Isaiah 40
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