When God Tells You To Stand Still
Have you ever felt like God was telling you to stand still and wait when you wanted to move forward? This experience can be frustrating but is often God’s way of teaching us to trust in His timing.
If you’re short on time, here’s a quick answer: God tells us to stand still so we learn to trust in His perfect timing and direction for our lives rather than relying on our limited human understanding.
In this comprehensive article, we’ll explore why God often calls us to seasons of waiting, how waiting grows our faith, what we can do during times of waiting, and more.
Understanding Why God Calls Us to Stand Still
God’s Timing is Perfect, Ours is Limited
As humans, we often want to rush ahead with our own plans and timing. However, God sees the full picture – past, present and future – while we only see a small part. What seems like a good idea or solution to us may have unintended consequences that God foresees.
When God says “stand still”, it is because His perfect timing and purposes need to unfold in their own time.
A powerful example is the battle of Jericho in the Old Testament (Joshua 6). God gave very unusual instructions to Joshua and the Israelites to march around Jericho once a day for six days and seven times on the seventh day. This made no logical sense from a human perspective!
But Joshua and the people obeyed, and on the seventh day the walls miraculously collapsed. God knew the exact timing that would manifest complete victory.
Waiting Deepens Our Trust and Faith in God
Standing still tests our patience and forces us to surrender control to God. But in the waiting, our roots can go deeper in our faith and trust in God. Waiting strengthens our resolve to follow God even when we don’t understand His plans.
As it says in Isaiah 40:31, “Those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength.”
Consider biblical examples like Abraham and Sarah who had to wait decades for the promised child, or Joseph who saw God’s plan unfold slowly through many trials. Their persistence grew character. When we stand still on God’s command, we express that God’s timing and purposes are more important than our momentary needs.
Standing Still Allows God to Work Behind the Scenes
When God says “stand still”, there is significant activity happening beyond what we can see – He is setting people and circumstances in place, closing some doors and opening others, arranging solutions we could never imagine.
Though we may not see what He is orchestrating, we can be confident that breakthroughs are on the way.
In 2 Chronicles 20, King Jehoshaphat faced a vast army with only praise and prayer. God told them to stand still and witness His deliverance without fighting. The very next day, God orchestrated confusion amongst their enemies and they destroyed themselves without Jehoshaphat lifting a finger!
We never know what God is working out behind the scenes when we wait patiently.
What We Can Do During Seasons of Waiting
Pray and Seek God’s Will
When we are in a season of waiting, one of the most important things we can do is pray. We should pray for God to reveal His will, give us patience and strength, and help us trust in His perfect timing. As we seek God in prayer, He can give us peace and direction even when things seem unclear.
Some fantastic ways to pray include reading Scriptures out loud, journaling our prayers, and praying with other believers. Consistently praying and seeking God’s will enables us to endure seasons of waiting and align our desires with His purposes.
Study Scripture for Encouragement and Guidance
Reading the Bible provides tremendous comfort, wisdom, and perspective during seasons of waiting. There are countless stories in Scripture about biblical figures who waited patiently on God, such as Abraham, Joseph, David, and John the Baptist.
As we study their examples, we can find encouragement to remain faithful despite uncertainty or delays. God’s Word also gives clear guidance for decision-making that helps us walk in God’s will. Immersing ourselves in the truth of Scripture enables us to have faith and make wise choices as we wait on God’s timing.
Some helpful ways to study the Bible include reading commentaries, listening to sermons, joining a small group study, and memorizing key verses.
Worship God for Who He Is
Seasons of waiting provide a powerful opportunity to worship God for who He is, beyond what He does for us. We can exalt Him as good, loving, all-knowing, patient, powerful, and sovereign over every circumstance.
Worship fills us with awe and gratitude, taking the focus off our impatience or confusion. Some impactful ways to worship during waiting include singing praise songs, listening to worship music, creating art as an offering to God, and spending time in nature appreciating God’s beauty and creativity.
As we express our love and adoration for God, our faith grows stronger. We can trust His perfect plans, even when we don’t understand them yet.
Serve Others and Develop Patience
Finding ways to serve others gets our eyes off ourselves and helps cultivate greater patience during seasons of waiting. God calls all believers to love and serve each other. When we spend time volunteering, supporting those in need, or helping out family and friends, we learn to be selfless.
Serving develops perseverance, as we may need to lovingly serve despite our own weariness or inconvenience. It also reminds us that life isn’t just about our own plans and timing. We have opportunities each day to invest in others’ lives while we wait on God’s plan to unfold in our circumstances.
This both pleases God and keeps us moving forward.
Learning Through Biblical Examples of Waiting
Abraham and Sarah’s Long Wait for a Child
Abraham and Sarah waited many years for the child God promised them. Though they tried to take matters into their own hands at times, God kept his promise in His perfect timing, despite their old age. When Isaac was finally born, Abraham was 100 years old and Sarah was 90 (Genesis 17-21)!
Their story reminds us that no matter how impossible something seems, nothing is too hard for God.
Joseph’s Time in Prison Before Exaltation
Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers and later thrown into prison after being falsely accused. He languished there for years before he was called to interpret Pharaoh’s dreams and was granted authority in Egypt second only to Pharaoh himself (Genesis 37-41).
Joseph’s journey shows us that what man means for evil, God can use for good in order to ultimately save many people (Genesis 50:20). Though we may not understand God’s timing and purposes in our suffering, we can trust His goodness and sovereignty.
Israel’s Wilderness Wandering Before Entering Promised Land
After God miraculously delivered Israel from slavery in Egypt, He led them to the border of the Promised Land. But when they refused to enter because of fear, all Israelites over 20 years old were condemned to wander the desert for 40 years until the unbelieving generation died off (Numbers 13-14).
What should have been an 11-day journey took 40 years! This serves as a warning for us not to harden our hearts in unbelief. God is patient, but disobedience can cost us dearly. When He gives us direction, we should immediately obey His voice.
Trusting God’s Timing While We Wait
God Knows and Wants What is Best for Us
As fallible humans, we often struggle with waiting and trusting God’s timing. Yet the Lord promises in Jeremiah 29:11 that He knows the plans He has for us – plans to prosper us and not to harm us. His omniscience means He can see the full picture and how all the pieces fit together for our ultimate good, even when we can’t.
A great example of this is found in the life of Joseph (Genesis 37-50). Though sold into slavery by his brothers, Joseph nevertheless became second-in-command over Egypt and was used to save countless lives.
He later told his brothers, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” (Genesis 50:20). God turned a horrific situation around to bring tremendous redemption.
God’s Timing is Rarely Our Own, But Always Perfect
Human logic tells us that delays equal disaster. But God is always on time, even when He seems late by our standards. Consider Lazarus, who died waiting for Jesus to come heal him (John 11:1-44). Yet his resurrection displayed God’s glory in unmistakable fashion.
Or take Habakkuk’s perplexity over God using the ruthless Babylonians to punish Israel. God’s ways were mysterious, yet perfectly timed.
The truth is either we will wait for God’s purposes, or God will wait for ours. Divine delays test our patience and trust. Yet Scripture says that those “who wait on the Lord will renew their strength” (Isaiah 40:31, NASB). God never leaves us without grace to persevere.
Waiting Strengthens Our Hope and Reliance on God
Biblical waiting produces perseverance, character, and hope (Romans 5:3-4). As we learn to rely fully on God amid delay, we gain unshakable assurance that He has things well in hand. Our hope grows strong in who God is—that His promises never fail.
“The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him” (Lamentations 3:25, ESV).
We also begin to see God, not our situation. Crucial breakthroughs often happen when our circumstances look impossible. Consider the crossing of the Red Sea or Jericho’s walls (Exodus 14, Joshua 6). Only then did deliverance come.
Divine delays make God’s glory shine brighter against the dark backdrop of human impossibility.
Waiting is never easy. But Scripture encourages believers in Hebrews 6:15 that in “waiting patiently on God” we inherit every promise. As we entrust ourselves, our perplexities, and our timing to the Lord, we can have peace that He is worth the wait.
Moving Forward When God Says ‘Go!’
Look for Signs of God’s Leading
As we journey through life, God often guides us through subtle signs and prompts from the Holy Spirit. These can include a persistent thought that won’t go away, a meaningful verse that stands out in Scripture, an opportunity that seems to come out of nowhere, or a wise word from a friend.
It’s important that we cultivate sensitivity to God’s voice so we can perceive His signs and discern His direction for our lives (John 10:27).
Some key ways to recognize God’s leading include studying the Bible, developing spiritual discernment through prayer, seeking godly counsel, and waiting patiently on God’s timing. As we walk closely with Jesus day by day, we can better understand His plans for us.
When the signs point clearly toward a certain step, we can follow with confidence that God is going before us.
Step Out in Faith and Obedience When Clear
Once we discern signs of God’s leading and direction, we need to step out in faith and obedience. Even when the practical details aren’t all worked out yet, we can move forward if we have a sense of God’s peace and calling.
Just like Peter, we need to get out of the boat and start walking on the waves when Jesus says “Come” (Matthew 14:29).
Stepping out is often uncomfortable and requires us to sacrifice our own plans and agendas. But we can be assured that God will back up our steps of committed faith with the power of heaven. He will give strength for each day and provision for each mile as we follow Him.
We may not see far ahead, but we only need enough light for the next phase of the journey.
Trust God’s Grace for the Journey Ahead
The Christian life is a journey of following God one day at a time through life’s ups and downs. None of us know exactly what lies ahead, but God promises to sustain and equip those He calls. As Romans 5:2 says, “By faith we…rejoice in the hope of the glory of God.”
Our confidence rests not in our own abilities but in God’s grace for each new challenge ahead.
Sometimes when God says “Go”, He calls us out of comfortable places into difficulty, trials, or even persecution. At times the path of obedience leads into greater dependence rather than greater human success.
But we can trust that God works all things for good (Romans 8:28) and that His power is perfected in human weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Wherever the road leads, God will help us finish the journey well by His grace if we keep surrendering to Him along the way.
Conclusion
When God tells us to stand still, it’s often tempting to jump ahead in our own timing. However, seasons of waiting, when embraced as times of growth, build our trust in God’s perfect plan and timing.
Standing still allows God to develop perseverance and character within us. It deepens our faith as we rely on Him fully. We can move forward with confidence when He finally says ‘Go!’, knowing He has gone before us to prepare the way.
