"Stand Still and Let the Lord Fight for You"

Have you ever felt tired and weary from the weight of the burdens you are carrying? You’re not alone.

I’ve been in that same place recently. One evening, as Elijah and I were leaving church, we noticed a banner hanging in the lobby with the words of 1 Corinthians 9:24: “So run, that ye may obtain.” I remember looking at Elijah and saying, “I’m tired from running.”

Now, don’t misunderstand me—I wasn’t tired of running for the Lord or serving Him. It’s a good race, a rewarding race, and one that is more than worth it. But emotionally and spiritually, I was weary. Like many of you, Elijah and I had been fervently praying over a heavy burden in our lives. The end of the race was in sight for this burden, and in ourselves, there was nothing more we could do.

In Exodus 14, the children of Israel found themselves in a similar place. They were running their spiritual race, but had reached a point where they, too, felt weary, overwhelmed, and uncertain of how their race would end. Pharaoh’s army was behind them, and the Red Sea stood in front of them. It must have felt like the race was over.

But in verse 13, Moses tells the people, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” Can you imagine? Standing still with an army closing in behind you and the Red Sea before you? The Israelites were forced to stand before the sea that day with no choice but to wait on God. And in those moments, God often calls us to do the same: stand still and let Him run the race for us for a while.

Moses continued in verse 14, “The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” As God’s plan unfolded that day, the Red Sea parted, and the children of Israel were able to continue their race with the Lord fighting for them every step of the way.

The same God who fought for Israel is the same God who wants to fight for us today. We may feel tired, weary, or as though our prayers are going unanswered in the way or time we expect. But God reminds us to stand still, hold our peace, and trust that He will fight for us when we cannot.

We already know how the race ends, so keep running, keep trusting, and keep serving the Lord faithfully.