Stand Still
My memories of growing up in Alaska are marked by hunting season. Each September was the time to fill our freezer with the game that we would hunt. The big prize was a bull moose. This would be enough meat for our family for the entire year. My father and I, and usually some other men, would set up our camp far from inhabited areas and then get up early in the morning to find a place where we would have a good view of the meadows. Then we would just wait. We had to be extremely quiet and listen for the game to pass. The animals could hear and see better that we could, so our advantage was in our stillness.
Being still opens up to us the wonderful world of nature. By just quieting ourselves, it is amazing what we are able to observe. The buzzing of bees, the dragon fly passing by, the wind in the willows and the singing of numerous types of birds are all accentuated in the stillness of the morning. Some people have a hard time being quiet. It seems they need the constant noise of the TV, radio or a house full of people to combat their feelings of loneliness. Even just a few minutes of silence become awkward and undesirable.
When the children of Israel were at the shores of the Red Sea and the armies of Pharaoh were coming down upon them, the people were anything but quiet. Their fear screamed out: “What have you done to us…? Leave us alone…” They felt their circumstances demanded action. Everyone had something to say. The people were anything but quiet and as Moses stood before them he said: “Fear not, stand still, and you will see the salvation of the Lord.” (Ex. 14.13) Turn off the noise; the voices of despair, the presumptions, the doubts, the fears. Just listen and watch. Be ready for action, be ready to move forward, but not until the Lord speaks. Then, in the stillness of the night, the Lord said: “Tell the people of Israel to go forward.” (v.15)
How much to we miss when being so busy in our soul? Elijah, in fearing the wrath of Queen Jezebel, hid himself in a cave on Mount Horeb. The Lord came to him in his despair, drew him out of his isolation and began to speak to him, but first the noise of the wind, the earthquake and fire had to subside. Then in the stillness of His presence, God whispered His message.
There is an old hymn, written by Katharina von Schlegel, entitled: “Be Still, My Soul”. It was a favorite of Eric Liddell, the British athlete who became famous in the 1924 Olympics for refusing to run on the Sabbath. He later became a missionary to China and while in a prison camp, during World War II, he taught this song to those around him. Let us quiet our soul and listen to what the Lord has to say.
Be still, my soul: the Lord is on thy side.
Bear patiently the cross of grief or pain.
Leave to thy God to order and provide;
In every change, He faithful will remain.
Be still, my soul; thy best, they heavenly Friend
Through thorny ways leads to a joyful end.
Scriptures to meditate on:
Ex. 14.13; Dan. 11.32; I Kings 19.9-18; Prov. 1.33; 8.34-35