Second Corinthians 1:24 says, “Not that we have dominion over your faith, but are fellow workers for your joy; for by faith you stand.”
First Corinthians 16:13 says, “Watch, stand fast in the faith, be brave, be strong.”
Other translations say, “Stand firm in your faith,” making it very personal.
When God’s people were faced with insurmountable obstacles in Scripture— dealing with things they would never be able to overcome by their own abilities—God gave them instructions to stand still.
Second Chronicles 20:1 says, “It happened after this that the people of Moab with the people of Ammon, and others with them besides the Ammonites, came to battle against Jehoshaphat.”
Jehoshaphat was the king of Judah. All of these nations had joined forces, and they far outnumbered Jehoshaphat and Judah. Things looked very bleak. So the people of Judah gathered together along with Jehoshaphat, and they began to pray. Jehoshaphat quoted God’s promises back to Him. God had promised through Solomon many years earlier that whenever there was trouble, if the people would turn toward God’s Temple—an outward demonstration of an inward turning back to God—and pray, that God would hear from heaven and deliver them. All of God’s promises are latent with potential, but they must be taken hold of by faith to be effective. So that was what Jehoshaphat did.
Second Chronicles 20:9 says, “If disaster comes upon us—sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine—we will stand before this temple and in Your presence (for Your name is in this temple), and cry out to You in our affliction, and You will hear and save.”
Jehoshaphat quoted God’s Word back to Him. They acted upon it, doing what the promise itself required.
We need to speak the word, but we also need to be transparent before God. David said, “I poured out my complaint before God.” We find David in the psalms being absolutely raw with his feelings before God. Then he would remind God and himself of God’s promises and finishes the psalm with praise and hope.
Jehoshaphat quoted the promise, but he was also quite transparent about how he and the people felt.
Second Chronicles 20:12 says, “O our God, will You not judge them? For we have no power against this great multitude that is coming against us; nor do we know what to do, but our eyes are upon You.”
If your problems seem too big to solve, perhaps you need to assume the posture that God instructed the king and the people to assume.
After they began to pray, we read that the Spirit of the Lord came upon a prophet named Jahaziel, who spoke on behalf of God. In Second Chronicles 20:17, he says, “You will not need to fight in this battle. Position yourselves, stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, who is with you, O Judah and Jerusalem!’ Do not fear or be dismayed; tomorrow go out against them, for the Lord is with you.”
A terrific victory was wrought by God’s supernatural power.
Stand still and see. Basically: sit back, and enjoy the view. The word “see” in the Hebrew language means to gaze upon something joyfully. It carries with it the thought of anticipation and joy. God was, in essence, saying, “You have prayed; you have acted on the word. Watch what I will do.”
When Jehoshaphat and the people took hold of that promise, they literally tied it around them. God said, “All right, lay back now and enjoy the view.” Friend, when you take a promise of God and put your trust in it, you tie it around you. In essence, you are putting your hand in God’s hand, and your grip may relax and loosen because God’s grip will not let go of you. Stand still and see the salvation of your God. Take hold of a promise.
Standing in faith does not equate to no activity. God said the people wouldn’t have to fight in the battle, yet they still had a part to play. They had to go out. They got together and consulted. They went out praising God. They walked for 20 miles, worshiping. God set ambushes against the children of Moab, Ammon, and Mount Seir, and they were destroyed. Worship is never wasted time.
The second thing you might consider doing while you are standing is listening. Habakkuk writes, “I will stand my watch, and I will listen to see what He will say to me.” Sometimes there are instructions.
When Moses was at the Red Sea with all of Israel, and Pharaoh and his army were closing in, Moses said almost the same words we read here. He said, “Stand still and see the salvation of God who is with you. You will not need to fight.” God said to Moses, “Tell the people to move forward, and you stretch out your rod over the city.” So sometimes in the midst of our standing, we also need to be listening because God wants to guide us. Hearing that guidance can be so important.
Thirdly, when we are standing, we need to consider God’s works.
The Book of Job is an amazing book. Almost all of it is one conversation that takes place in one day. James references the Book of Job, specifically that Job received mercy from God. The Bible says God turned the captivity of Job, and everything he lost was restored. He had lost his health, his wealth, and his family, and his wife told him, “Just curse God and die.” In chapter 37, God says something to Job that became one of the pivotal turning points in him regaining everything he had lost. God said: “Listen to this, O Job. Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.”
While you are standing, take time to reflect. Reflect on nature. Think about God’s past kindnesses in your life.
The Bible says God spans the heavens with the palm of His hand. He knows what is going on in your life. He is holding your hand. We stand by faith in a mighty God.
