“And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will show to 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.” Exodus 14:13-14 KJV
“Holding your peace” may seem easier for some than it is for others. Honestly, this flesh that we are covered in, at times, won’t allow us to do so. When we are being led by our flesh, we are determined to give someone a piece of our mind, set the record straight, or put them in their place — and will stop at nothing to let them know exactly how we feel —whether rightfully or wrongfully justified. “Holding your peace” doesn’t mean that we ought to be passive and do nothing at all, nor is it pertaining to self-control. God is simply commanding us to be silent, be still, and to trust Him.
We have all heard the saying, “choose your battles wisely.” Truthfully— Everything doesn’t have to be a battle nor does everything someone does or says deserves a response. When the children of Israel saw Pharoah’s army charging after them, they started panicking, criticizing, and complaining to Moses and accusing him of bringing them out of Egypt just to die by the sea. Moses didn’t yell back at them nor did he retreat in fear — but instead He listened to the voice of God, obeyed His commands, and carried out His plan. It wasn’t until they began to witness God’s supernatural powers, make the impossible, possible, that they became silent and obeyed.
Some of us can’t hear God or allow Him to do a work in us because we won’t be quiet or be still long enough— to let God be God! Especially when He isn’t moving fast enough or handling things the way we want Him to. We try to fight battles in our strength….to no avail….and only ending up tying His hands. When we try to maintain control, He will not fight us for it. If we truly want God to move on our behalf, we must be willing to totally surrender the entire situation up to Him—not just the parts we think we can fix. We must give it all to Him and leave it there.
“Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you.” 2 Chronicles 20:17 KJV
We should be like King Jehoshaphat and the people of Judah when trouble arose and the great multitude was coming against them, they didn’t take matters into their own hands……every man, woman, and child gathered together to fast and pray. They didn’t cry out for help, but instead, they sought their help. As they prayed God’s spirit came upon Jahaziel, and he told them not to fear — the battle was not theirs, but the Lords. They praised God in advance and took Him at His word. The following day, when it was time to battle, they didn’t have to lift a finger, all they had to do was be still. God had already turned the situation around in their favor. He made their enemies that had banded together against them, destroy one another. When their faith was all they had, they proclaimed and stood on the word of God. Because of their faith, they were able to shift their focus off of the circumstances believe in His promises. He said He would never leave us nor forsake us.
“The Lord your God which goeth before you, he shall fight for you, according to all that he did for you in Egypt before your eyes.” Deuteronomy 1:30 KJV
Like the children of Israel, when everything seems to be falling apart or going wrong around us, it is easy for us to forget how God has brought us out and brought us through before. We must realize that some trials that we go through are for a specific purpose. God will allow us to go through them to show us or remind us of who He is, so His glory can be revealed in our lives. Everything isn’t always “the devil” or meant for bad — He allows it for our good. Tests and storms aren’t meant to break us but help us develop spiritual growth, maturity and give us strength.
The key to learning how to “Hold your Peace” is Prayer, Patience & Obedience. In times of trouble, trust God, depend on Him, and lean on Him. Don’t waver in your faith and lose focus. Don’t let fear, anger, doubt, or worry consume you. When you feel like you are cried out, stressed out, and even prayed out……remember that God is in control. Allow His holy spirit to guide you, instill discipline and godly wisdom in you that you may learn to stand boldly on His word, and not be led by emotions of your flesh. He will give you true peace……. peace when everything around you is in turmoil or utter chaos…….peace that surpasses all understanding. Remember -- feelings, situations, and circumstances are ever-changing, but God’s love for us and His word is everlasting.
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