Why "Standing Still"?

---

“Now then, stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes!” 1 Samuel 12: 16

I’m very much a “do-er” – if there’s a problem, I try to find a solution and then I do it! I tried that when my marriage crisis first occurred – I did everything I could to work out what the problem was and why my husband felt that walking away from our marriage was the right thing to do. I came up with theories and then worked out action plans based on those theories. I tried absolutely everything I could think of. And nothing worked.

I’ve always had a real sense that God will be glorified through my marriage crisis, and that He will be the one to do the work and restore our marriage. God doesn’t need my help! He has a plan, and it’s all His; I need only to stand still and let Him work; stand on the solid foundation of His promises, stand before Him as my loving father and tell him my needs; and stand firm in my faith – ignoring the circumstances and keeping my eyes firmly on Him. 

There are so many examples in the bible of God instructing His people to just stand still for different reasons:

There are times when God tells his people to stand still and let Him fight their battles for them. My marriage crisis is a spiritual battle – my husband’s belief that leaving our marriage is the right thing to do, has not come from God, but rather it’s come from the worldly belief that keeping marriage vows is optional and that they only apply when life is easy and feelings of love are high. My husband is deceived and held in bondage by an enemy who would love nothing more than to see our marriage destroyed. But this is not my battle, it’s God’s, and He will fight it; I need only to stand still.

The bible tells us of several battles that God's people faced, and were overwhelmingly victorious, despite seemingly impossible circumstances. God fought these battles for them and the glory was all His! Here are a couple of examples:

- In Exodus 14 God’s people are panicking because they’re being pursued by pharaoh’s army – the circumstances looks grim (pharaoh had his whole army after them), but Moses tells them “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today…The Lord will fight of you; you need only to be still”. 

- In 2 Chronicles 20:17 God’s people are facing a battle in which they’re outnumbered, but God tells them “You will not have to fight this battle. Take up your positions; stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord will give you”. 

Early on in my marriage crisis I heard someone say “even when you hit rock bottom, you stand on solid ground when you stand with Jesus”. There have been times during this process where I have hit lows that I never imagined I would. There have been days where I’ve been unable to eat or drink, days when simply opening the curtains has been a struggle, days where the pain of abandonment has felt so intense and unmanageable that I couldn't see how I'd ever get through it and where life hasn't felt worth living. But even on those days, when I’ve felt hopeless and desperate and alone, God has never left me; even when I am collapsed on the floor in a pile of grief and agony and fear and confusion, God has not allowed the ground to collapse under me or to swallow me up. His foundation is secure.

- He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. Psalm 40:2

- When the storm has swept by, the wicked are gone, but the righteous stand firm forever. Proverbs 10:25

- Nevertheless, God’s solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: “The Lord knows those who are his.” 2 Timothy 2:19

- My feet stand on level ground; in the great congregation I will praise the Lord. Psalm 26:12

God is our loving father, and He calls us to stand before him, present our needs to Him and to trust Him to answer. Whilst this process has been (and continues to be) the worst time of my life, it’s also been the time of greatest spiritual growth. It’s transformed my faith from lacklustre to all-consuming. This process has completely changed my relationship with God, and has opened my eyes to parts of my life which were hurting my relationship with God, my husband and those around me. 

This crisis has taught me that God is completely trustworthy and that I can rely on Him to meet all my needs; this has freed me from the fear that was previously hindering my life and means that I can face this crisis with confidence and that my marriage, once restored, will be fuller and more joyful. 

- If calamity comes upon us, whether the sword of judgment, or plague or famine, we will stand in your presence before this temple that bears your name and will cry out to you in our distress, and you will hear us and save us.’ 2 Chronicles 20:9

- Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God. They are brought to their knees and fall, but we rise up and stand firm. Psalm 20:7-8

- I stand in awe of your deeds, Lord. Repeat them in our day, in our time make them known; in wrath remember mercy. Habakkuk 3:2

- Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. Psalm 37:7

-  “Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” Psalm 46:10

- Be still before the Lord, all mankind, because he has roused himself from his holy dwelling.” Zechariah 2:13

- I will declare that your love stands firm forever, that you have established your faithfulness in heaven itself. Psalm 89:2

God instructs us to stand firm in our faith, no matter what our circumstances. We know that as followers of Jesus we will face opposition because we live in a world that is broken and increasingly accepting of things that go against God’s teachings and intentions. This is particularly true when it comes to marriage. We live in a world where there is such great focus on personal short-term happiness and such little regard for the promises that we make when we get married. 

Our friends and family will tell us to move on with our lives when our marriages aren’t making us happy or when our spouse makes clear that they no longer want to be with us. They’ll tell us to put ourselves first, to prioritise our own happiness or that our spouse’s behaviour means that they no longer deserve us. None of this is the true intention of marriage, where we are called to be selfless, kind, patient, forgiving, keeping no record of wrongs; where we are told that we are made “one flesh”, completely bound to our spouse for the duration of our earthly lives in both good times and in bad – whether they have been treating us badly or have abandoned us, or whether we feel that we don’t love them. 

So, what do we do when, out of genuine love and care for us, our friends and family try to tell us that we should just give up and walk away? We must stand firm in our beliefs, in God’s teaching and His promises; drawing on Him for strength and protection.

- Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Ephesians 6:13

- The Lord foils the plans of the nations; he thwarts the purposes of the peoples. But the plans of the Lord stand firm forever, the purposes of his heart through all generations. Psalm 33:10-11

- If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.’” Isaiah 7:9

- But the one who stands firm to the end will be saved. Matthew 24:13

- You will be betrayed even by parents, brothers and sisters, relatives and friends, and they will put some of you to death.  Everyone will hate you because of me.  But not a hair of your head will perish. Stand firm, and you will win life. Luke 21: 16-19

- Therefore, my dear brothers and sisters, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labour in the Lord is not in vain. 1 Corinthians 15:58

- Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. 1 Corinthians 16:13

- You too, be patient and stand firm, because the Lord’s coming is near. James 5:8

- Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. Resist him, standing firm in the faith, because you know that the family of believers throughout the world is undergoing the same kind of sufferings. 1 Peter 5: 8-9