HOLD YOUR PEACE
Do you wake up every day in anguish over a besetting lust or habit? Do you live in torment, thinking, "This awful thing is still alive in me"?
God knows all about the sin remaining in your heart. And He knows how you hate it and have wept over it. Now He wants you to hear this word: "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7).
Because of this David could say, "I will fear no evil" (Psalm 23:4). Satan would get the victory if he could just convince David to be afraid and the enemy works in the same way against you. He wants you to be afraid that you never will be set free.
God says to all grieving, hurting saints: "Fear not! I see and know all your suffering and I will not permit Satan to destroy you!" You may ask, "But what am I to do? How can I have the Lord's peace and rest in all this?"
The answer is found in God's word to Moses and Israel. With a sea before them, an enemy behind them and no place for them to turn, God commanded them: "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today . . . The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:13-14).
What does this last phrase—"hold your peace"—mean? It means no more worrying, no more trying to figure everything out and instead trusting God to make a way for you. That is when He gives you His word of direction, as He gave to Israel: "Go forward" (verse 15).
Joshua also faced impossible enemies. He and his weary band of unskilled troops had to march all night to Gibeon, where they faced a massive military machine. As Joshua looked down at the battlefield, he saw the valley filled with mighty chariots and well-trained infantrymen.
Scripture says: "The Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee" (Joshua 10:8).
God pronounced victory even before Joshua went into battle. He said, "The victory is already won! Not one of these enemy soldiers will be left standing after the battle. Now, go and fight, knowing I have promised you the victory!"
That is the message of the cross! The victory has already been won for us.
God knows all about the sin remaining in your heart. And He knows how you hate it and have wept over it. Now He wants you to hear this word: "The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him, and I am helped” (Psalm 28:7).
Because of this David could say, "I will fear no evil" (Psalm 23:4). Satan would get the victory if he could just convince David to be afraid and the enemy works in the same way against you. He wants you to be afraid that you never will be set free.
God says to all grieving, hurting saints: "Fear not! I see and know all your suffering and I will not permit Satan to destroy you!" You may ask, "But what am I to do? How can I have the Lord's peace and rest in all this?"
The answer is found in God's word to Moses and Israel. With a sea before them, an enemy behind them and no place for them to turn, God commanded them: "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today . . . The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:13-14).
What does this last phrase—"hold your peace"—mean? It means no more worrying, no more trying to figure everything out and instead trusting God to make a way for you. That is when He gives you His word of direction, as He gave to Israel: "Go forward" (verse 15).
Joshua also faced impossible enemies. He and his weary band of unskilled troops had to march all night to Gibeon, where they faced a massive military machine. As Joshua looked down at the battlefield, he saw the valley filled with mighty chariots and well-trained infantrymen.
Scripture says: "The Lord said unto Joshua, Fear them not: for I have delivered them into thine hand; there shall not a man of them stand before thee" (Joshua 10:8).
God pronounced victory even before Joshua went into battle. He said, "The victory is already won! Not one of these enemy soldiers will be left standing after the battle. Now, go and fight, knowing I have promised you the victory!"
That is the message of the cross! The victory has already been won for us.