Address—J. Hyland
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Turn with me first of all, please, to the book of Ecclesiastes.
Ecclesiastes, Chapter 9.
Ecclesiastes Chapter 9 and I just want to read the first part of verse 10.
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it withal, or do it with thy might.
I read this verse at the beginning of the meeting because we're going to go on with the Lord's help and look at some scriptures that bring before us the need in our Christian pathway of being still. You know this is a day of activity, but you know there are times in our Christian pathway where we have to learn to be still.
But before I do that, I'd like, by way of introduction, to just make some comments in connection with this expression we've just read.
Because in further comments on the subject of being still, I don't want to give the impression that activity isn't important and relevant in its place. You know, as we were saying at Lassen with the young people, God never encourages laziness or slothfulness in any aspect of our Christian life, whether it's in our personal lives, in our business lives, in our assembly life.
In our spiritual life, whatever it is, God always encourages.
Spiritual energy. And I don't want to take away from that this afternoon. And so I begin with this verse here where Solomon records by inspiration these words that whatever our hand finds to do, were to do with our might. And again, whether it's our schoolwork, whether it's our job, whether it's helping out in the local assembly, whether it's some little service for Christ that he gives us, and we'll speak of those things as we go along.
But we are to do it with all our might, and there needs to be real energy of faith with us. You know, you young people, you have a lot of energy. And I know some of you are disciplined enough that you get up early in the morning and you maybe go for a job or you have a membership at the gym and you go two or three times a week and you workout. And that's good. Scripture says the glory of young men is their strength. But you know, there's something that's even more important than physical exercise. Timothy Timothy was told that bodily exercise profits for a little time.
But he also was told that he was to exercise himself rather unto godliness. And if there's going to be proper activity in our lives, and a proper balance in our lives, then there needs to be that spiritual energy and exercise, and it takes discipline, just as it does in natural things. And so again, whatsoever thy hand find us to do, do with all thy might.
But as I say, I'd like to look at some scriptures this afternoon that bring before us another aspect, another side of things.
This is a day of real haste. This is a day of activity, and you've heard me say before, but, you know, it just seems that we are all young and old on a treadmill of society that seems to be pumped up faster and faster all the time. And it seems hard to slow the treadmill down sometimes. And I know it takes all. You have young people to survive in the daily grind of life in which you find yourself.
I know your curriculum at school is full. I know that it takes all you have to survive in the workplace today and to keep up.
With the changes that are going on all all the time in this fast-paced world. But that's why I believe we need to again exercise special discipline in our Christian pathway. If there's going to be the proper time spent in quiet and stillness. And if there's going to be a real understanding of God's dealings with us in our lives. Because if we are just always in a rush in our Christian pathway.
Ever going to learn the lessons that God has for us. We're never really going to understand his purposes and ways with us. We're going to miss a great deal. There's an expression in the world haste makes waste and we might apply that this afternoon. Now young people, as we speak of these things and look at these scriptures, I don't want you to think that I've arrived. Sometimes my schedule is too full as well.
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Sometimes I rush too much as well, and So what I want to take up this afternoon, I hesitated to take it up, but I felt before the Lord it would be as good for my own soul as anyone's. And so I trust that you will take it from the Lord in that way. And if what exercises my own soul this afternoon from the word of God exercises yours as well, then so be it. Let's first of all connect four portions of scripture.
First of all, back in Exodus chapter 14.
Exodus Chapter 14.
And verse 13.
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.
Which he will show you today. For the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more forever.
The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
And then in the book of numbers.
Numbers, Chapter 9.
Numbers Chapter 9 and verse 6. And there were certain men who were defiled by the dead body of a man.
That they could not keep the Passover on that day. And they came before Moses, and before Aaron on that day. And those men said unto him, We are defiled by the dead body of a man. Wherefore are we kept back, that we may not offer an offering of the Lord?
In his appointed season, among the children of Israel, and Moses said unto them, Stand still, and I will hear what the Lord will command concerning you. And then in first Samuel.
First Samuel, Chapter 12.
And verse 6 And Samuel said unto the people, It is the Lord that advanced Moses and Aaron, and that brought your Father's up out of the land of Egypt. Now therefore stand still, that I may reason with you before the Lord of all the righteous acts of the Lord, which he did to you and to your Father's, And one more portion for now in the book of Job.
Job, Chapter 37.
Job chapter 37 and verse 14. Hearken unto this O Job, stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.
Well, the first thing I want to speak about is standing still, as it's brought before us in these four portions that we read. We know the story well in Exodus. We know that the children of Israel had been under the ******* of Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
And God had told them, having heard their groanings, that he was going to redeem them and deliver them from the hand of Pharaoh and the Egyptians.
And he did just that. But where we read here in the 14th chapter, we find that they had eaten of the Passover with the blood upon the door they'd been brought out. And now they had come to the banks of the Red Sea. And the children of Israel looked back and they saw the Egyptians pursuing them from behind and all how frightened they were. But, you know, God hadn't brought them to the banks of the Red Sea to let them be taken back and made slaves again in Egypt.
God was not only going to redeem them by the blood of the Passover lamb, but he was going to deliver them by a mighty hand through the Red Sea. He told them that the Egyptians, whom they had seen that day, they would see no more.
And Moses tells the children of Israel to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.
You know, it's very interesting. But later on there were some battles that the children of Israel were to fight.
Because you know in our Christian pathway there are some spiritual battles in the wilderness. The children of Israel had a battle with Amalek. Amalek is a picture of Satan's working on the flesh and Satan seeking to hinder our walk with God through this wilderness world. Later on they had some battles with the enemies as they entered the land of Canaan and those enemies speak of Satan's work to hinder the people of God from enjoying.
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Their inheritance. Those things that we were Speaking of this morning in Ephesians Chapter One.
That rich panorama of spiritual blessings, because in the measure in which you and I seek to enjoy what is ours in Christ.
The enemy is going to be there in one way or another to rob us of that enjoyment. But here was a battle that they were not going to fight. They could not fight this battle, nor were they required to. God was going to deliver his people. And aren't we thankful that we look back to that time in our lives when God delivered us fully from the enemy? Not that there aren't still those battles, but positionally we've been delivered from the enemy.
In this world, we're no longer part of it. You know, the children of Israel, after being delivered by the mighty hand of God through the Red Sea, they never got back to Egypt. And thank God they never did. In their hearts, they returned into Egypt. And you and I in our hearts can return to this world. Our hearts can go after and crave the things of this world if they're not full of Christ. And we're not careful. But we will never be part of this world again.
And so they were to stand still and I just want to say before we pass on.
If there's someone here in this room and you haven't experienced in your soul this deliverance, oh stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. He wants to give you full deliverance. He wants you to look back and see that the work has been done done by God's almighty Son. And he wants you to have that peace that comes from knowing that you are redeemed by the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ and that you are delivered from this world.
Because it's the cross of Christ that does separate us from this world.
God forbid that I should boast save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
By whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world. But then we find in the book of numbers something else. A question had come up. There was a difficulty Now a question had come up in connection with the defilement that came through the touching of a dead body. And there were those who, having touched a dead body, could not keep the Passover as God had instituted.
And they wondered what should be done.
And so Moses, in desiring the mind of the Lord in this matter, he commanded that they stand still and hear the word of the Lord. Now, I don't want to go into the typical teaching of what we have here. I simply want to make an application for the encouragement of us all, but especially those who are younger. You know, when we're younger and matters come up amongst the people of God may be a difficulty in the assembly, and there just doesn't seem to be scripture to answer the question. You know, the initial reaction so often is.
Something has to be done to straighten out this problem. We've got to act. What are we do? What are we going to do?
You know, in business there's a 800 number and a speed dial and high speed Internet and a website to answer every problem and difficulty. But you know, God doesn't operate that like that in spiritual things. If we're going to know the mind of the Lord in certain matters, we're going to have to stand still. Now, that's not to say there aren't infallible guidelines in the word of God to answer every question and difficulty that arises.
Amongst the people of God.
Even in 2010, know the Canon of Scripture is complete, and there's a principle to guide us in every step of those decisions that have to be made not only in our personal lives, but in our collective lives in the assembly as well. But you know it, we're never going to know the mind of the Lord in certain matters unless we just stop and stand still, unless we take the time to go through the exercises that he may allow, because he doesn't always give the answers right away.
Often he allows us to go through certain exercises, but if you and I are willing to stop and to be exercised before the Lord prayerfully and in searching the word of God.
Then in his own time and way, he's going to give us scripture. He's going to reveal his mind so that when we take the step, it's going to be according to what he would have us to do. And young people, brethren, if a situation arises in the assembly and there doesn't seem to be the light to act on it at the time, then all we can do is commit the matter to the one who is head over all things to the church, which is his body.
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And leave the matter with him be exercised before him until such time that he reveals his mind, so that we can take that step in confidence, knowing that it is according to the word of God.
You know, there was a difficulty in Corinth in the New Testament. It was a very serious problem. And when Paul wrote to them, he left nothing unexplained as to how they were to take up that matter and deal with it for the clearing of sin from the assembly and the glory of the Lord. So that when they finally took the step, they had the authority of God's word for what they did. They acted in the name of the Lord with the authority of God's word. And here we find back in the days of Moses.
That they did nothing until they had a word from the Lord. And this is vital. Again, I know we want everything solved immediately, and I want to be careful and temper my remarks because we can hold back too. When we do have the mind of the Lord. When He does show us what we are to do, we don't want to hold back either. We need to act for the Lord's glory. But I say I believe that we need to wait to wait on the Lord.
Is the exhortation so often given us, and when they waited here, when they stood still to see what the Lord had for them?
Why? The Lord reveals His mind. He left nothing unexplained, and everything was clarified for them. And there was a provision made even in their failure. And maybe sometimes we feel we failed, and maybe failed so bad that. Is there really a way through this? Not that God ever justifies our failure, but He makes a way through it. God is greater than our failure. Where sin abounds, grace does much more abound. And there was a wonderful provision made for these men.
At that time, when they stood still and heard what he had to say.
Well, as we come over to First Samuel, we find more failure had come in between the days of Moses and the days of Samuel and King Saul, More failure had come in. Don't we feel that way? Sometimes we just feel, well, you know, we get one problem solved, 1 difficulty behind this and something else crops up. Well, you know, young people, there's always going to be difficulties and problems we're going to have until we reach the glory. We're going to have the flesh and we're going to have.
The work of the enemy. But I want to encourage you again. There is a way to go on. There is a path of faith for us even in in failure. And God desires that there would be that spiritual energy and exercise that we spoke of earlier that we might go on in spite of it. And so we find in First Samuel much failure had come in here. The people had desired a king, and God had told Samuel to go ahead.
And to appoint that king. And the People's Choice was King Saul. And we know the sad results that came from it.
But here we find that as this failure had come in that Samuel again.
He encourages the people of God to stand still. He was going to reason with them. He was going to bring the truth before them. They were going to have a rebuke from Sam, from the Lord, through his prophet Samuel. And they were to stand still and listen to it. Now again, we can't bring out everything that's in these portions. I just want to make some applications for our exercise and for our encouragement. But young people, are you and I willing.
To stand still when there's a rebuke given, when there's failure, that comes in. Perhaps we've been part of the failure, perhaps something we've done. Are we willing to stand still and listen? Maybe our older brethren have something to say to us. Are we willing to listen to it? Our brethren have good things to say to us. I know sometimes it may seem so, so sharp. I've had people speak very sharply.
And very directly to me. I haven't always appreciated it at the time, but you know, it's good for a man to bear the yoke in his youth. We need that. We need the direction. We need the guidance of our older brethren. And Samuel here had a rebuke. And it was a very timely and seasonal rebuke. The people needed it because of their failure. You know, it's interesting. And I say this to my own soul as one who can no longer be.
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Categorized as a young brother.
After this rebuke, Samuel cried all night to the Lord.
On behalf of the people of God. And that's something. If we who were older would cry all night to the Lord on behalf of the people of God, maybe God could use us in a far greater way. Maybe when we do have opportunity and have to rebuke and reprove and correct and admonish, maybe the spirit of it would be a lot different. Maybe it would be taken a lot better. And I just say that to those of us who are a little older, Do we really have the people of God on our heart? I have to confess, I've never spent all night in prayer on behalf of the people of God.
But, you know, Epiphyse, it says he labored in prayer for the people of God. Do you and I know what it is to labor in prayer for the people of God? Well, you know, again, we find that God was so gracious to the people here. He was so gracious. And I know there's brethren here and young people, and your heart is burdened. We have this little Oasis this weekend. But you say, Jim, I've got to go back on Monday if the Lord leaves us here and there's so many.
Problems in the assembly and things aren't often always taken up in the right way. And so on.
But remember again, the Lord is gracious. If we're willing to stand still, let him work, listen to his voice, then he'll pull through for us. It doesn't depend on us, but it does depend on His faithfulness, even when we're not faithful. It says He abides faithful. He cannot deny himself. All the promises of God in him are Yeah, and in him. Amen. To the glory of God by us. His promises depend on himself.
Not anything that we can do.
Well, I read the portion in job two and here we have Eli Hughes speaking to Job.
And you know, with those who spoke to Job, Job had to say at the end of it all miserable comforters are ye all you know, they didn't always speak to him with the right tone of voice. They didn't have the right attitude. But you know, many of the things they said were right. They might not have been said in the right spirit. And here we find that a lie. Who says, Hearken unto this O Job, stand still and consider.
The Wondrous Works of God. Now, if we were to read the context of this chapter, we would find that there is much brought out in connection.
With God controlling the circumstances of the weather and this creation, and aren't we thankful that He is controlling, Our Lord is in full control. It tells us of the Lord Jesus in the New Testament. He upholds all things by the word of his power. And you remember the Lord Jesus asleep in the boat. He was upholding all things by the word of his power, and he arose and rebuked the wind and the waves. He said, Peace be still.
And there was a great calm and as we see the Lord Jesus in full control.
Of the universe. Can we doubt that He isn't in control of your life and mine? If you ever doubt, read Isaiah 40 in this connection. Because there we find that the nations are a drop in the bucket. He measures the heavens with a span. You know people are finding out something of the greatness of the heavens and the universe, but they're not bigger than God's hand. His hand is greater than the whole universe. There He's in full control of everything.
Everything is maintained in its proper orbit by the word of his power. And isn't he interested in every aspect of your lives? Just stand still and behold his wondrous works and his wondrous works in your life too.
You know, I think sometimes when we come to difficulties in our lives, the problem is.
We forget to look back and see what he's done for us in the past. Has he undertaken in past situations? Have we seen his power in our lives? We have over and over and over again. And young people. The older you get and the more you go on in your Christian experience, the more you'll be able to look back and recognize the hand of God in every circumstance of your life. And I would just encourage you in that regard, Look for it.
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You know, sometimes we miss it again because of our haste.
Because we don't stand still. If you miss that flight, stop and consider the wondrous works of God. Why has God allowed this? He has a purpose for it. If you get stuck in traffic for an hour, don't get frustrated. I know it's frustrating. I get frustrated. But instead of getting frustrated, think about his wondrous works. Why has God allowed this? He's got something, a lesson, or he's sparing me from something in this. And those are just little things. But look for the work of God in your life. Stop in the midst of your haste.
And say, why has this been allowed? Stand still and behold the wondrous works of God in your life. And so we're always on the run today. We're always in haste, rushing from here to there. But we need to stand still and, uh, observe these things And what a blessing there will be in the midst of the busyness of life today. You know, one of the characteristics of the last days is they run to and fro.
And people are running to and fro today. I see them at the airports every week, people rushing and they're shuffling just as many businessmen to Europe as businessmen from Europe are coming to North America and back and forth. And people get exasperated when the flight is half an hour late and you see it on the highway. They talk about road rage and all this kind of thing. We live in a world of absolute Russian haste. People are running to and fro. It was ever a proof that we're in the last days. It's that verse I've quoted in Daniel.
Now let's go to the 23rd Psalm.
Psalm 23.
And just the last part of verse two he leadeth me.
Beside the still waters.
And then a verse in the 4th Psalm.
Psalm 4.
And verse 4 Standing on sin not commune with your own heart upon your bed, and be still.
Selah and one more verse in Psalm 46.
Psalm 46 and verse 10.
Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen. I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us. The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. Well, we've spoken of the need for standing still, but here we have something else. Here we have this expression. Be still. But I began by reading this little expression so well known.
Perhaps most of us learned this in Sunday school in the days of our youth, but it says he leadeth me.
Beside still waters, I want to apply this in connection with the need in your life and mine for getting along with the Lord and drinking of those still waters of refreshment that come from the the word of God. How much of the word of God have we in quiet and secret, drunk of in the last week that exercises my own soul? This book is full of still waters, but we need to go to those still waters.
And we need to drink from those waters.
Again, there's much in the world around us that is not still waters. There's much that troubles, you know, there's much often amongst the Lord's people that stirs the waters, doesn't it? And again in your my older brethren will pardon me, but I'm speaking again to my own soul as much as to anybody. You know. We need to be careful as older brethren, that we don't necessarily on purpose.
Stir up the waters in the assembly so the IS the sheep can't drink again. I'm not saying that we don't take up matters that need to be dealt with for the Lord's glory and so on.
But let's be careful that we provide in the assembly those still waters where the sheep can drink.
But as I say, we need everyone of us personally to stop and to refresh ourselves by the still waters that God has provided for us. You know Mary did that, didn't she? When the Lord Jesus came to that home in Luke's Gospel, chapter 10, Martha was careful and troubled about many things. That's the way I am so often careful and troubled activity. And her activity wasn't wrong.
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She was serving the Lord as Hostess in her own home in another place. We read that it was Martha's home.
She no doubt felt a special burden and responsibility to make things really nice for her divine guest. But you know, she had forgot to be still. She had forgot to drink from those still waters. And Mary chose a good part and the Lord commended her for it. And so we need to choose that good part. But then we read in the 4th Psalm as well, because here we find David and it is a Psalm of David.
David speaks of beings of communing with your with his heart, upon his, uh, his bed, and being still again. I want to apply this with not so much what we take in, but those times when we commune with the Lord on our bed, in quiet, in secret. Maybe sometimes you wake up in the night, you know, Sometimes it's frustrating when we don't get a good sleep, you know? There are several scriptures that show that, David.
When he couldn't sleep.
He didn't count sheep. He usually talked to the shepherd. He communed with the Lord. He took opportunity of those quiet times in the night season to commune with the Lord. And I suppose he found them invaluable times. But I want to encourage you to take those times. They're going to preserve you, those times that are taken to speak to him in your closet, in your bed. Again, we don't often take that proper time, but it says in Matthew 6.
Thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father, which is in secret, and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly. How much time have we taken?
In secret, where nobody else has seen, how much time have we taken to be still? And it's interesting here that he uses this little expression. Cela and Cela appears over 70 times in the Psalms. And as we understand, Selah is simply a pause. The thrust of it is to pause and consider that's not the world we live in today. It's multitasking.
It's moving from one thing to the other, and it just seems that one activity often overlaps the other. But we need to have those sealas in our lives. We need to discipline ourselves. And as I say, more than ever.
Discipline ourselves for those selas when we commune with the Lord. And so let's be still and have those times and those times to examine our own souls as well, you know, in the haste of society today.
There are often things that slip into our hearts, slip into our lives unawares. And I think David used those quiet times in the night to examine his own soul in the presence of the Lord, to just be still to say, Lord, is there something in the haste of society and life today that has slipped into my life that I need to judge and deal with? And so we need those times to deal with those things, because if we don't, those things only take root.
They only grow, they only fester, and they be, and they become a detriment to us.
In following the Lord Jesus in our Christian pathway. And then I read in the 46th Psalm you know so often.
When I stay in someone's home, I find this verse in the guest room of the home. In fact, it's probably the verse I noticed the most up on somebody's wall, particularly in a guest room. Be still and know that I am God, and it's a wonderful verse to consider. But you know, it's very interesting that it's in the context of this Psalm. And commenting on this Psalm, I've often noted that there are three sections to this song again.
Each one ending with a sila. You have a seal at the end of verse 3.
You have a seal at the end of verse seven and a sealer at the end of verse 11.
And we don't have time to comment on these three selas, but we find in a general way, in the first Selah we have what we might say is the power of God. God is our refuge and strength, the very present help in trouble, and so on.
In the second seal, uh, we have what we might say is the presence of God, and in the third and last Selah.
We have the peace of God. Now I realize that this Psalm, like so many of the Psalms, is Jewish and prophetic in its character. And I have no doubt that this Psalm is going to have its fulfillment in a coming day with God's earthly people when they experience in a wonderful way the power of God, the presence of God, and the peace of God. You know, Jerusalem today is not the city of peace. It's not Salem.
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No. They understand very clearly in Jerusalem today that their enemies have their missiles pointed at them, and they'd like to do them in in a moment if they could. Israel is not the land of peace today, but there is a day when they're going to experience in a very real way these three things, his power, his presence and his peace. But you know, these Psalms we can take and apply to our set, to ourselves, because while this Psalm is the expression of God's earthly people in a coming day.
Yet these psalms can be applied as the expressions and feelings of the people of God.
In any dispensation in it, their proper application, of course. And so at the end of the Psalm, he says, be still and know that I am God. How can we be still in our souls in the midst of great turmoil, young people? It's to realize that God has a purpose and he's in full control. You know, as you look at Israel today, you have to realize that, well, it seems like they're gonna be obliterated and wiped off the map. God has a purpose.
And he's going to bring that purpose to fruition.
Nothing is going to frustrate his purposes for his earthly people. And if that is true, then is anything going to frustrate his purposes in your life and mine? Any failure in man, Any failure in the government, Any failure in the assembly? No, not for one moment. He has everything in full control. You know when you read the book of Esther, we find that God is not mentioned by name and it seemed like everything was out of control.
Seemed like the people of God were going to be annihilated, but by the time you come to the end of the book.
Is there any doubt that God was in full control behind the scenes? He was working everything after the counsel of his own will and young people? He's doing that in your life and mine. I know it's hard to understand. I know sometimes we don't really see where it's going and how it's going to work out. But remember, he knows the end from the beginning, and he has not only a purpose for your life, but he has a purpose of blessing.
You know, when we read the Old Testament stories of Esther and the three Hebrew children and Daniel and so on, we read those stories with confidence because we know the end of the story. We know what happened to Daniel when he didn't, when he refused the King's meat. We know what happened in the lion's den. We know what happened with the fiery furnace. We know what happened in Esther's case. But, you know, they didn't know the end of the story.
When they had the faith to stand firm, they didn't know what was going to happen. In fact, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego said, we're not going to bow to the king, and the Lord is able to deliver us from the fiery furnace, and he will deliver us from your hand. But they didn't know whether they would be delivered by burning in the fiery furnace or being brought through it. They knew one way or other they'd be delivered from the king, but they didn't know how it would work out. Daniel, when he was thrown into the lion's den, he didn't know what the end of the story would be. And you and I don't know the end of the story either.
But let's have confidence in God cast not away. Therefore thy confidence for of such is great recompense of reward. And so he says, be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth. And I know again it has its gonna have its fulfillment and its real application in a coming day when he's going to fight on behalf of his people and he's going to be amongst them and all the world is going to recognize.
Jerusalem as the center and the blessing is going to flow out from God.
Lord Jesus through his people and out to the to the nations and the Lord of hosts is with us. Can anything change that? No, He'll never leave us nor forsake us. Lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the age. And the God of Jacob is our refuge. He's not just the God of Israel. Israel is what we are. By grace Israel means a Prince with God. But Jacob's what we are by nature, and even when we act like men in the flesh, he doesn't forsake us. Thank God. He's the God of Jacob.
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Selah, stop and consider this be still and know that I am God. Now let's go to the book of Ruth.
Ruth Chapter 3.
Ruth Chapter 3.
And verse 18 Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall, for the man will not be in rest until he hath finished the thing this day. Then I want to read an expression in Isaiah chapter 30.
Isaiah Chapter 30.
Maybe it's not Isaiah chapter 30.
But I was thinking of that expression. Well, just quote it. Their strength is to sit still. And then I want to read a portion in John Chapter 11.
Actually, I it is the end of verse seven. I'll just read it, don't turn back to it. But Isaiah 30 and the end of verse 7, their strength is to sit still. The end of verse 15 and quietness and confidence shall be your strength. And then I want to read in Chapter 11 of John's Gospel.
Chapter 11 and verse 19 And many of the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them concerning their brother. Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him, but Mary sat still in the house.
And then notice verse 45. Then many of the Jews which came to Mary and had seen the things which Jesus did, believed on him. Well, here we have an expression to sit still. We've noticed an egg, some exhortations, to be still and to or to stand still and to be still. Now we're exhorted to sit still. Perhaps this is the hardest one of all. It might be one thing to stand still or to be still.
But to actually sit still in submission to his will, I find very difficult in my life just to get the context of what we have in the book of Ruth. We find that Ruth was in a very difficult situation. We find that she had been encouraged earlier in the chapter to do something that I really don't understand the sign true significance of it. I don't understand the culture of the day, but she was to go in and to lie at the feet of Boaz until midnight.
And I suggest that what we learn from this is that while we're in the midnight of this life, we need to be at the feet of our Boaz. There's no better place for us. Brethren, young people, have you come to some dark midnight in your life, some situation that you just can't see how you're going to get through it? Go to the feet of your Boaz, because Boaz is a very beautiful picture in the Old Testament of the Lord Jesus.
But having been at the feet of Boaz until midnight, she leaves, and she comes to her mother-in-law. And her mother-in-law gives her some further advice. She says. Sit still, my daughter. What good advice it was. Ruth might have been all in the turmoil. She might have wondered how things were going to work out in this difficult situation, but she was encouraged to sit still. How could Naomi?
Tell her daughter-in-law to sit still at such a difficult time. Well, we have the answer right here.
Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall, for the man will not be in rest until he finished the thing this day.
In other words, Naomi, knowing that there was someone in full control of the situation could in could encourage another to sit still even at a difficult time. And that's what I want to encourage you to do. Again, I know it's tough sometimes, I know even in the assembly. And sometimes the reaction is, again, we've got to write some letters, we've got to straighten this matter out. We've got to make some phone calls, We've got to rush some emails out.
Sometimes we just need to sit still in the presence of the Lord. We need to take things into consideration.
00:45:04
From his perspective, you know David, who was a man after God's own heart. It says he sat before the Lord.
Comfortable in the presence of the Lord, even at a difficult time, he could go in and sit before the Lord. You know, David didn't have an easy life. His life was a life of continual problems, continual upheaval, wars from his enemies around him. Death in his family. Knew what it was to lose a young child, to have his son turn against him. He had to flee for his life, domestic problems, and so on.
But he could sit quietly before the Lord. He could commune before the Lord. No wonder he was a man after God's own heart. You know, it's wonderful to be so comfortable in someone's presence that you can sit with that person and maybe you don't even have to say anything. Maybe a husband and wife have experienced this. You're driving in your car together. Maybe you don't say anything for miles, but you sit there and there's a bond. There's a communion.
There's a fellowship that is enjoyed even without speaking. Do we enjoy that fellowship? Because we find that there there, there was one in control of this situation. Boaz was not going to rest until he had brought the matter to fruition and until Ruth was united to him in marriage. And you know, there's a wonderful marriage coming, the marriage supper of the Lamb. And until that time we have one who again is working everything.
For our blessing, if I can put it this way, he's not going to rest in connection with your life and mind, whether it's in our personal lives, whether it's in the family or in the assembly. He's not going to rest until that day when we're displayed with him there in the Father's house. And he rejoices and is glad as the marriage supper of the Lamb is come. And in that day we're going to look back, brethren, and we're going to see all his ways with us. We're going to see his purposes.
Brought to fruition. And so our strength is to sit still in quietness and confidence shall be your strength. Not in busyness and activity as good as that is in its place, but in quietness and in confidence, simply trusting in him. And we have another beautiful example another lady brought before us in the New Testament, and that is Mary again. Martha was one who seemed to be always busy, you know. She seemed to have to be always helping the situation.
Always adding to the situation.
In fact, the Lord had said to her in Luke, thou art careful and troubled about many things. She was cumbered about much serving. Not that the Lord didn't appreciate it, but she needed to take time to sit at his feet. But you know, it's very interesting that Mary, who had taken that time when a sorrow came into that home in John Chapter 11, and sorrows do come into our home, but when a sorrow came into that home in connection with the loss of her brother Lazarus.
You know again, Martha, when she hears the Lord is coming, she runs to meet him.
But Mary sat still in the house. I love that Mary loved her brother just as much as Martha. Mary felt this sorrow just as much as her sister did. Was she indifferent to it in sitting still in the house?
No, she knew that the Lord was coming in his own time and way, and that when he came he was able to take care of the situation according to how he deemed best, according to his will, and for the good and blessing of that little household. And so, having sat at his feet as a learner, she could sit still even in a difficult situation. Now it is true, when they said the master calleth for thee, she rises up immediately. And where does she go?
She falls down at his feet. She was at his feet as a learner. Now she's at his feet in her sorrow. But she had learned that at sitting at his feet as a learner. And so we need to sit still, learn to sit still, even in difficult situations. And what was the testimony? You know, it's interesting that where we read in the 45th verse that it was many of the Jews that came to Mary that believed on him.
Not in Earlier on, the Jews came to Martha and Mary to comfort them.
But when they saw Mary's quiet testimony, when they saw Mary sit still in the house, and that peace that she had even in a difficult situation, it was such a testimony to them that many of the Jews that came to Mary believed on him. And I believe that our quiet confidence in difficult situations the Lord will use as a testimony and blessing to others.
00:50:20
Maybe even others in the neighborhood, at school or at work as they realize that we have something that they don't have.
It says, commit thy way under the Lord, trust also in Him, and he shall bring it to pass. It may not be to pass as quickly or in the way that we had thought or hoped it would be, but if we are willing to sit still and let him work and commit it to him, it will be to pass, and in the way that he sees is the very best for us. Well, I'd like to close with one further scripture. It's in the 107th Psalm.
Psalm 107.
And verse 29.
He maketh the storm a calm so that the waves thereof are still.
They are. Then are they glad because they be quiet? So he bringeth them unto their desired haven. Well, I want to apply this in connection with the end of the story. Because young people, I'm not going to stand here and tell you that if you are still in the presence of the Lord, that you're going to see the end of all the troubles here. You're not going to see the end of it all here. And the older you get, the more waves there are going to be in your life. It doesn't get any easier, let me tell you.
As you get older, sometimes you are younger. I think you look at those of us who are a little older and you think that we've arrived and that we don't have the storms and the waves in our lives that you do. But that's not true. Oh, they may be a little bit different than the storms and the difficulties you face, but they're very real nonetheless. But there is a day when he's going to bring us into our desired haven. There is a day when the waves are going to cease and be still, and that day is when we reach that other shore.
Reach that shore we hope to land on. And that shore we hope to land on is that heavenly shore. And we're almost there. Young people I know. We've been speaking about the Lord's coming for generations. Paul said we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together. He was looking for the Lord's coming in his day. I've been looking for the Lord's coming for many years. My father was my grandfather. But we're almost there. We're almost to that other shore. Are the waves high? Are the winds contrary and the storms difficult?
Indeed they are.
But we're going to be there another day and all storms are going to cease, and we're going to sit down and rest in His presence for all eternity. And that ought not to encourage us now to be still amidst the storms of life now.
And to seek to be faithful and to go on. Well, we've looked at these verses very quickly, but I trust that they will encourage your heart and mind to be to learn to to uh, stand still. To learn to be still. To learn to sit still. And in this way we're going to discern those things that are according to His mind, so that you and I can go on amidst the turmoils and the busyness and the haste of life that we can live for His glory.
According to His will, until that day when the storms are still forever more, let's pray our God and Father.