Ecclesiastes
3:1-8 says, “To everything there is a season,
A time for every purpose under heaven: A time to be born, And a
time to die; A time to plant, And a time to pluck what is planted; A
time to kill, And a time to heal; A time to break down, And a time to build up;
A time to weep, And a time to laugh; A time to mourn, And a time to dance;
A time to cast away stones, And a time to gather stones; A time to embrace, And
a time to refrain from embracing; A time to gain, And a time to lose; A time to
keep, And a time to throw away; A time to tear, And a time to sew; A time to
keep silence, And a time to speak; A time to love, And a time
to hate; A time of war, And a time of peace.”
What season are we
in? We may be pushing ahead into the kingdom of God and working as hard as we
can. But, what happens when God takes us aside to be still? Can we understand
when it is the hand of God at work in us? We need to know the times and know
when to do what. We can only do that as God reveals it to us.
From the foundation
of the world, God has had a plan and has carried it out in His wisdom and power
exactly as He intended it to be and exactly when He intended it to be.
Between the end
of the Old Testament writings and the New Testament, there were 400 years of
silence from God. But when He spoke next, what exciting news He brought.
Galatians 4:4-5
tells us: “But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His
Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those
who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.” There
was a time for that Son to become flesh and dwell among us. There was a time
for Him to sow the Word. A time to gather His disciples. A time to speak and a
time to be silent. There was also a time for that Son to die.
Hebrews 2:10
tells us: “For it was fitting for Him, for whom are all things
and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to make
the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings.” But it was only for a time. Jesus was only
on the cross for a time. He was only in the tomb for a time. He was only “made
flesh and dwelt among us” for a time. When He rose, it was forever!
Through Jesus
Christ, mankind will once again be in perfect union with Him in a perfect
place, and all gathered together unto Him…in God’s time.
Satan is trying
to bring the whole world together under the canopy of evil…a new world order
under his rule. But it can only last for a time. Because God has a purpose and
it is not for the devil to reign. And when all evil is vanquished (destroyed),
nothing will be left except those who are one with God. God’s purpose is to
bring everything into one in Christ. That is true peace. Just as Jesus was
born, lived and died in the fullness of time, He will return in the fullness of
time and set up His kingdom in the fullness of time, bringing everything into
one in Him. Nothing will stop Him.
I
know there are times when God brings a pause into our lives and we feel as if
we just need to move a little. But there is a time to move and a time to remain
still, motionless. We need to distinguish the times and seasons we find
ourselves in. If this is a season for you to be still, embrace it. Listen for
the voice of God and remain calm even in the midst of the turmoil around you.
Let Him impart to you the wisdom and strength to be able to continue on the
journey He has ahead for you. We can learn so much when we remain still in the
presence of the Almighty Lord God.
Don’t
allow yourself to feel neglected or useless. God took years to prepare Moses
for the task He had for him to accomplish. He sent David through many harsh
conditions before he was able to be used by God in a powerful way. Don’t pull
away from God in silent times. Draw closer to Him and let Him accomplish in you
what He needs to do so He can use you in a powerful way. Being still seems to be
the exact opposite of becoming powerful, but in reality it is a powerful tool
used by God. Jesus Himself pulled aside often to be still in His Father’s
presence and gain wisdom, strength and guidance for what lay ahead. Surely we
need to do the same.
The word ‘still’
has several meanings. Here are a few:
Remaining in place or at rest; When we are
unsure of a time or season in our lives, it is imperative that we not push
forward on our own trying to create something outstanding for us to do. We need
to remain at rest in the place God has ordained for us to be until the fullness
of time comes. Then when the season comes for us to accomplish God’s purpose,
we will be prepared and ready to face the task.
Free from turbulence or commotion; Many times we have no choice but to
remain still, but we are turbulent inside. There have been many times when we
had ministry scheduled for a certain place at a certain time when something
came up that made it impossible. I would get turbulent inside, trying to think
of a way to make it happen anyway. All it did was cause turmoil inside me and
prolong the inevitable. The truth was we were going to have to cancel and
re-schedule. Rather than pushing to make something happen, we need to learn to
be still and let God work out His will through us.
Peaceful; tranquil; We can only be
at peace when we are at one with God. In her book, “Suffering Is Never For
Nothing”, Elizabeth Elliot wrote about arriving at the airport and finding the airport
was closed when they arrived for their flight although they had tickets to
leave for their destination that day. She said that everyone was upset and
ranting, raving and crying. There were fist fights and people who wouldn’t get
off the plane even after they had been told the airport had closed. There was
total chaos. Although she and her husband had people expecting them on the
other end of the line, they had peace. This is what she said about it all. “Lars
and I were not at the mercy of the weather, let alone of the airport. We’re not
adrift in chaos. We’re held in the everlasting arms. And therefore, and this
makes a difference, we can be at peace and we can accept. We can say yes, Lord,
I’ll take it. The faculty by which I apprehend God is the faculty of faith.” We can trust God in all our ways, knowing
that He knows best.”
Without waves or perceptible current; not flowing,
as water.
The water that the Lord, our Shepherd, leads us to drink from is not an ocean
or the rapids. He leads us beside the still waters. There we can drink our fill
without fear of drowning or being overcome by the tide. God gives us precious
times beside the still waters to refresh and restore our souls. There is time
enough to face the wiles of the devil and do the work of God’s kingdom as we
face persecution. But in these moments of stillness, we gain courage to walk
through the valley of the shadow of death and fear no evil.
The seasons of
stillness in our lives are for our good. They are to teach us the value of
waiting on the Lord. Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “But
they that wait upon the Lord shall
renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run,
and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” That scripture applies
to those who wait on the Lord. Those who accept His times of stillness when He
prescribes it for them. Those who rest in His hands.
Psalm 46:10
says, “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I
will be exalted in the
earth!”
Embrace your
moments of stillness and learn afresh and anew that He indeed is God.
