Be Still

I have been studying the word in Exodus. 

The lord has just delivered the Israelites from bondage. 

Time after time, Pharaoh hardened his heart and the Israelites were not released. But finally, after death swept through Egypt, Pharaoh finally listened. 

The Israelites were traveling back to Israel, but The Lord did not want to take them the way of the philistines, so he took them the way around the red sea, through the desert. 

All throughout their journey, they were desperate for food to eat and water to drink. As soon as they became hungry, they regretted leaving Egypt for there, they did not go hungry. What the Israelites did not see then is that The Lord was guiding them all along and was working to guard their hearts. Through their natural eyes, all they could see was the pain of the journey and no light at the end of the tunnel—or desert. 

The best part of this scripture is when The Lord says in chapter 14, verse 14—The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still. 

One of the Bible’s most popular commands…. Be still. 

Senior year is a time in which everything seems so crucial. I’m told that the decisions you’re making now are key ingredients to your life. In the midst of all the fluttering emotions and planning, God, for some reason, allows a tragedy to strike and leaves me (and many others, I'm sure) doubting God’s plan all together. Just when you begin to think you’ve got a good thing going, Satan knocks you off your feet. The pressures of choosing a college, choosing a career, choosing to pursue relationships..or not… it’s a lot. 

Yet recently, I’ve learned that I don’t have to have a color-coordinated agenda with all of my plans laid out even if graduation is less than 3 months away. I don’t have to hold it together and be strong in the midst of trials. 

Why? Because God gets it. He knows our pain. He sees the frustration. He is okay with you wondering “why?”. He hears our cries and yet all along He is saying “My child, if you would just BE STILL and TRUST ME”. 

At times I feel like an Israelite that was released from bondage, yet they still had the audacity to complain about lacking food and water. That’s just what the enemy wants us to believe; that our circumstances are bigger than our God. All the Israelites could see was the problem, rather than the promise. Trying to grasp the idea that God actually does have a good plan, isn’t an easy task. But the joy that comes from a place of surrender and TRUST that He does have a greater plan, is so worth it. It is my prayer that we do not regret obedience to God's will just because we cannot see the whole picture. Just as the Israelites story ends with the promise, SO WILL YOURS. 

In a place in which I was filled with doubt, a friend of mine reminded me of another truth simply written in Isaiah 55:8-9; “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts”. 

THANK YOU JESUS. 

MY FRIEND- if you’re having a hard time trusting that God’s got a good plan for your life… you’re not alone. I feel ya and the Israelites felt ya. 

When the process feels like it is dragging... BE STILL. The lord could be taking you the long way around to guard YOUR heart. 

When tragedy strikes, and it feels like all hope is gone… BE STILL. He is turning your mourning into dancing. 

When the pressure is heavy, and you feel like you don’t have it together…BE STILL. Your Heavenly Father has it all together. 

Trust the Process. He is the author and perfecter of our faith. IF we would just be still and know that God’s Got This under control. 

Hey God, 

I thank You for the fact that although you owe us nothing, You still desire to take care of us. Give us the peace of mind to know that you are sovereign. Give us the joy that comes from surrender. Give us clarity to follow Your lead. Give us faith to trust the promise rather than the problem. You’re a GOOD GOOD Father. 

Amen. 

With all my love, 

Brooke