Stand part 3
There's a story in Exodus chapter 14 where Moses is leading the people out of bondage. And the people--who have been slaves for, like, hundreds of years--start grumbling and complaining. Exodus 14:12, "Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness." Better to live as a slave then die as a freeman, was their opinion. Which, I have to say, as a little bit of a "Don't tread on me" kind of guy, I don't really agree with. Look what Moses said, "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more forever" (Exodus 14:13). Fear not. Stand still. Such a simple message. And, notice, he didn't say anything about attacking the Egyptians. He didn't say anything about fleeing from them. He said, basically, be still and know that HE is God. Know that GOD will take care of you. If you fear not, if you stand still, that's when you will see the salvation of the Lord. When you work, God will rest. But when you rest, God will work. That's something we really need to come to an understanding with. His strength is made perfect in our weakness. He will--for the most part--let us do what we're going to do. But when we stop running around like a chicken with its head cut off... that's when God has the opportunity to do what HE wants to do. When we stand on the foundation of love... the Rock that is Jesus... that's when we can withstand whatever is coming at us. That's when we can hold fast and not be shaken. And, guys, that's when things like patience and longsuffering come into play. Rome wasn't built in a day. Sometimes standing means standing... and standing... and standing. Weathering the storm. Not giving up. Letting God--letting LOVE--hold you up. For as long as it takes. Because love never fails. Because love endures. That's the true test of love--standing by someone through the good, the bad, and the ugly. Standing still and letting God take care of things. Let go and let God, right? Cast your cares on Him, because He cares for you. God wants what's best for you. He knows the end from the beginning. He knows how things WILL go, and He knows how things SHOULD go. And if you let Him be involved... things will go the way they SHOULD a lot more often than not. Letting God be involved in the situation always makes things better. Always. Letting love be involved in the situation always makes things better. Love will make things better. Standing on love. Giving what you've got. Letting what's inside come out. Not by forcing it... but by standing. By standing strong. Standing still. Being still and letting God do what HE'S of a mind to do. We don't have to do everything (anything!) ourselves. Things work out better when we work together, and things work out best when we are letting our heavenly Father take care of them!