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This prayer invites the weary believer to let go of striving and embrace spiritual stillness.
TONIGHT’S SCRIPTURE
“Be still, and know that I am God.” (Psalm 46:10, NIV).
SOMETHING TO PONDER
In Exodus 14, the Israelites are weary from a never-ending battle. After facing 400 years of abuse and imprisonment from the Egyptians, they finally see a glimmer of hope. Moses is going to lead them to the Promised Land, but it won’t be without a fight.
Plague after plague, Pharaoh wouldn’t let the people go. It wasn’t until after God took his son that he told Moses and the people to get out of there. “Gladly,” you can almost hear the Israelites retort. But suddenly, the plans change. Pharaoh realizes he’s made a mistake and begins chasing after the Israelites. Suddenly, instead of pressing on, God tells Moses to stop.
Exodus 14:2-4 reads this way: “Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.’ And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.” So the Israelites did this” (NIV).
I don’t know about you, but resting instead of running in this scenario doesn’t sound like the normal human reaction. I’m not much of a fight person, but I am a flight one. Choosing to be still in this moment would be incredibly difficult to fathom, let alone obey. And yet, that’s exactly what God told Moses and the people of Israel to do. Be still. Stay. Let me fight this battle for you.
Today, I have to wonder how many of us feel like these Israelites. Not just in our battles, but in our everyday faith. We feel like we have to work so hard and prove ourselves just to be able to call ourselves Christians. But friend, it’s grace through faith that saves you, not what you do. You can never do enough to receive that free gift, and that’s why Jesus had to come and die for us.