The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still. (Exodus 14:14)
THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU; YOU NEED ONLY TO BE STILL (Exodus 14:14)
What a promise and what a challenge! Be still when the world says take charge, run faster, push harder, do more, make it happen – whatever it is. Just do it!
This passage is written as a command, to be “done” or really not done without exception. How do you reconcile the line between being a wise advocate and when you shouldn’t push forward? Consider the word “push.” Is this a clue?
WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE STILL?
It is a call for those involved in the war to stop fighting, to be still. The word still is a translation of the Hebrew word rapa, meaning “to slacken, let down, or cease.” In some instances, the word carries the idea of “to drop, be weak, or faint.” It suggests two people fighting until someone separates them and makes them drop their weapons. But it is only after the fighting has stopped that the warriors can acknowledge their trust in God. We might interpret the command to “be still” as “to be quiet in God’s presence.” While quietness is certainly helpful, the phrase means to stop frantic activity, to let down, and to be still. Being “still” would involve looking to the Lord for help and would mean ceasing to fight a battle that cannot be won.
WHAT BATTLE ARE YOU FIGHTING?
Consider the idea that The Lord will fight for you. But what if He is waiting to begin fighting for you until you stop frantic physical and/or mental activity?
Practically speaking what would it look like for you to be still? Not only quieting yourself, but releasing your grip on a difficult situation or circumstance?
Do you ever find yourself uttering, “What if I am too weak? I feel like I am going to faint. Or I am sorry I have dropped the ball.” But what if this very weakness is the place where God wants to show us how He is fighting the battle for us?
Pamela Piquette
Executive Director and Co-Founder of Chronic Joy®
Pamela, a leader and a visionary following God's call to inspire those affected by chronic illness, mental illness, and chronic pain, believes that every precious life impacted by illness is both vital and purposed.
Pamela is a wife of more than 35 years, the mom of three married children, and a grandma of six. She is diagnosed with chronic migraines and other chronic conditions. She enjoys baking sourdough bread and chocolate chip cookies, drinking hot tea, being outdoors, and reading (almost always more than one book at a time).
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