Stillness Leads to Rest

Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D., states that good sleep results from a life well rested, but good rest does not necessarily require sleep. The rest that Saundra Dalton-Smith, M.D. speaks of comes when our minds are at peace. God's word tells us that He will keep us in perfect peace if our minds stay on Him. We can each experience the rest offered through God's promises and Word.

Note: In our verses today, Moses responds to the people. It's important to remember that Moses, as their leader, did not yet know how God would intervene; he believed that because this was God's plan, He would act. Moses imparted wisdom to the Israelites in this moment of crisis.

He assured them that God would fight for them, but they needed to "be still."

**Pause + Be Still Moment**

Moses told the Israelites that God would fight for them, but they would need to be still or silent. Why was stillness or silence necessary for God to fight this battle? The reality was that the Israelites were caught in a state of panic. In that state, they could not hear God's voice or discern His strategy because they were consumed by fear and anxious thoughts about impending danger. Fear clouded their minds, leading them to consider surrendering and returning to Egypt. Yet, Moses advised them to be still.

Reflect for a moment. Has there ever been a time when your mind raced with so many thoughts that you felt you received no answers, even during prayer? It is important to breathe through those challenging moments. When we focus on the present, we can quiet our minds and hear our Father's words. This practice is an act of surrender and trust in a place where it may appear that panic is the best response, but in this scripture, we learn that the best practice is to be still.

Our ability to surrender to God rather than yield to our fears will directly impact our capacity to find rest during our most significant battles.

**Let's Pray**

Dear God,

Could you help us to be still? Help us to learn the power of resting in who You are and Your goodness. Please help us to trust that the battles before us are not ours but Yours. Help us to trust how You desire to fight. Father, in our racing thoughts, show us how to find peace. Please lead us to fix our minds on those things that are honorable and good. Teach us, Oh God, the principles of rest in this season.

In Christ's Name, I pray, Amen

**Journaling Moment**

Is there a battle you've been trying to fight, and God wants you only to be still? Reflect on the place in your life you keep picking up, and God may be whispering for you to sit it down. What would you have to surrender to release the fear connected to this fight?