Strategies for Battles begin with Stillness in God

I sat in the doctor’s office. “You have heart disease…with blockage in two of your major arteries.”

I couldn’t believe it. I thought, for the most part, I was a healthy young adult who just went in to get some simple blood work. After that appointment, I immediately went to Google (would not suggest) to find the quickest, fastest way to fix, or control what was next. My anxiety of my new diagnosis was rising and with each “lifestyle change” article that I read on Google, I began to realize that this was not a battle that I could rush through. 

Have you ever had a struggle or battle in your life that just seemed impossible to see a way through, around or out of?

If you are like me, I immediately go into overdrive and hustle like crazy to find a solution or strategy to quickly escape. Battles and struggles are not something I want to linger on or wrestle down.

But I have found the more I rush, the more I try to control or fix something on my own, I just end up creating more anxiety and often come up with temporary fixes that fail. And I am exhausted within hours. 

I learned a Bible verse when I was young because let’s be honest…it was short. But upon further study, there is some genuine gold when it comes to fighting something of the unknown. Whether it is a health diagnosis, a broken relationship, a financial crisis, or other struggles of uncertainty, there is a peace to be found that is beyond the circumstances that happen in life.

The scripture I am speaking to is Exodus 14:14. It says, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still.”  

To give some context….at this moment in time Moses, (by God’s instruction and guidance), has led the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt. At the very moment of this scripture, the people of Israel are facing the Red Sea at their front and Pharoah and his entire army are ready to strike at their backs. In a panic and rush they cry out to Moses with complaints and fear. The “why did you pull us out only to let us die?” voices were loud. But in that moment, Moses tells them “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still” and in some translations it says “you need only be quiet”.

Our strategy for battles begin with stillness in God.   

Can you imagine the faith it took for Moses to see this and know without a doubt that God was going to step in and fight for them? And here’s the kicker….God did. He showed up and showed out with parting an entire sea of water and allowing the Israelites through to safety.

This makes me wonder. How many times have I really sat still and quiet… waiting…asking…on what the Lord has for me in the battles I face? How many times have I said through my actions “I’ve got this…no need to wait or pray!” only to end up deeper in the battle and amidst great struggle with no help. 

Imagine what would happen if in the darkest and deepest struggles, I sat with God, asking and praying for His strength to step in and fight for me. How much more would my heart and mind be set into a posture of receiving from Him? To receive His peace?

I’ve heard it said that missionaries have prayed and waited sometimes as long as 3 hours before going into some of the darkest fields so that they could set the pace of hearing from God and letting Him go before them to fight. 3 hours!  

Our strategy for battles begin with stillness in God.   

It is extremely counter cultural to the world today to pray, listen and wait. The world is loud right now, and the last thing it is telling me to do, is to sit quietly and wait for the Lord to fight my battles. However, the world is also lacking in peace. When I sit, pray, and wait, God’s peace enters. And it is a peace that quite honestly the world doesn’t offer. 

Our strategy for battles begin with stillness in God.   

Now, am I saying that every battle and struggle will be immediately solved, made better and magically healed when I am still, quiet and wait to hear from God? No, BUT I am saying that doing all of those things opens me up to a peace that comes from Him. A peace that is beyond and above my circumstance. When I am still and listening for God, He is in direct connection with me and can speak to my circumstances and help guide me to a clear path. 

After being completely exhausted from trying to find a path and have peace, I sat down, was still, quiet and I prayed. And you know what? My heart disease didn’t magically go away, but I had peace that was not based on having all the answers. I was able to hear from Him words of comfort and a clear path for my next steps. The next steps weren’t immediate…I had to sit still for a while, but every moment of stillness was worth it. 

God was faithful to answer me in my time of stillness with Him. He fought the battle of my anxious heart and brought me the peace I needed to move forward. And He is willing and able to do that and more for you too.   

 “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still” (Exodus 14:14).