A
TIME TO DO NOTHING
Isaiah
30:7
There are times when we must
do nothing, when we must sit still and wait upon the Lord to do for us what we
cannot do for ourselves. Isaiah 30:7, speaks of such a time. The Assyrians were
about to invade Judah. The people of Judah decided, contrary to the explicit
command of God, to go down to Egypt for help. God sent Isaiah to them with this
message - "The Egyptians shall help
in vain and to no purpose: Therefore have I cried concerning this,"
(not in all things, but concerning this), "Their strength is to sit still." There is time to do nothing,
but to simply sit still, confidently trusting the Lord God, looking to him to
intervene on our behalf.
For Deliverance
We must sit still, not in
indolence, irresponsibility, and negligence, but in patient faith, waiting on
God. When we can do nothing to help ourselves, we must wait on the Lord. When
the destroying angel passed through Egypt, the children of Israel were to sit
still in their homes, behind the blood sprinkled door, and wait on God to
deliver them. On that night of awesome judgment, their strength was to sit
still. At the Red Sea, with the sea before them, the mountains beside them,
Pharaoh behind them and fear within them, having no weapons to defend
themselves, they were commanded to "Stand
still, and see the salvation of the Lord." Their strength was to sit
still.
In the matter of salvation,
with regard to the salvation of our souls, our strength is to sit still. Hear
the Word of the Lord. "Thus saith
the Lord God, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest ye shall be saved;
in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength" (Isa. 30:15).
We must return to the Lord. But, returning to him, we must rest ourselves in
him. We must sit still. Salvation comes to those who sit still at the throne of
grace and cease from their own works.
For the Glory of God
We are to sit still when no
means can be used that will not dishonor our God. We are sometimes tempted to
deliver ourselves from trouble, or secure some promise of God by means that are
contrary to faith and dishonoring to God. We must not do so. That is how
Abraham got Ishmael, Jacob got Leah, and Judah lost everything! Daniel and his
companions could have easily escaped the lion's den and the fiery furnace. But
their only means of doing so involved compromise, unbelief and the dishonoring
of God. So they sat still. What happened? Christ revealed himself to them in
the furnace and in the lion's den. The Lord was with them. And the Lord
delivered them. He will do the same for us! When we can do nothing that would
not dishonor our God, our strength is to sit still. "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine
heart: wait, I say, upon the LORD" (Ps. 27:14).
Grace Baptist Church of Danville - Grace For
Today Radio Message #889
2734 Old Stanford Road -
Danville, Kentucky 40422-9438
Donald S. Fortner, Pastor -Telephone 859-236-8235 - Email grace@mis.net