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 a time. The Assyrians were about to invade Judah. And 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.

We are to sit still wait on God when we can do nothing to help ourselves. 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, Pharoah 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. And with regard to the salvation of our souls, our strength is to sit still (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.

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. But 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 do nothing that would not dishonor our God, our strength is to sit still!

Don Fortner