"Fear ye not, stand still, and see..." (Exodus 14:13)

After the Israelites have left Egypt they look back and, "behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid" (Exodus 14:10). They start to complain that it was better for them to have stayed in Egypt than to be in the wilderness, believing they would be killed and there would be no place for them to be buried. Moses responds by saying: "Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever (Exodus 14:13). The Lord's prophet is promising them that they will be safe from their enemies and they will never have to see them again. What they are told to do is to stop being afraid and "stand still".

For me, standing still is not easy. Especially when I have something breathing down my neck that feels as big as the Egyptian army. But, in my brain, I know God is all-powerful (see Alma 44:5; God). The challenge for me is getting my body to follow that direction: "Stand still". I watch my dogs do this when I tell them to "wait" while I hold out a treat for them. They trust me to give them the treat. I know we are not dogs, but maybe God is telling us to trust Him, that He will deliver us, or give us the "treat" when we obey Him.

The treat He is offering us is to "see the salvation of the Lord" (Exodus 14:13). Salvation is to be saved from both physical and spiritual death. All people will be saved from physical death by the grace of God, through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Each individual can also be saved from spiritual death by the grace of God, through faith in Jesus Christ. This faith is manifested in a life of obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel and service to Christ" (salvation). When we are still we are able to see more clearly the hand of the Lord in our lives and His power and grace that leads us to live in Him. 

Moses continues with, "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace" (Exodus 14:14). What more could one want than to have the Lord fight their battles? And just like the previous verse, there is direction and guidance given which is to "hold your peace". When I first read this, I imaged a woman holding a basket full of peace. I love this image. Holding peace like it is precious and has the potential of bearing more fruit.

Another image that has come to my mind's eye is of a woman, holding "Peace" as if she were a child. Caring for her, nourishing her, and encouraging her to grow big and strong. The hope is that Peace will grow so big that she becomes, well, me.

Christ said to His apostles, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid" (John 14:27). With those words of comfort, I desire and choose to hold onto peace. God's peace is knowing everything works out as I put my trust in Him. He knows exactly what I need and how I will best learn to become more like Him. Various situations in my life have shown me time and again that things always work out. Maybe not how I think it should go, but with the lense of eternal perspective I am refined as I go through the challenges and trials I have endured and will yet endure. God is leading me and you through this wilderness called life (see 1 Nephi 17:13).

Today, I will "stand still" and "hold [my] peace" and as I do, I shall see. I invite you to do the same. 

Remember, you are SO loved!

I love light and mountains. They bring me peace and stillness.

Sometimes clouds seem to be still, but when I am still and watch them, I see that they are moving and changing all the time. It's so beautiful to watch. I feel we are a lot like that as we repent and exercise faith in Christ. 

This is Rosie, with a "treat" she took out of the trash. She won't look at me when she has done something wrong. But she will stand still when I command her. She is a sweet, big dog!

This is Hershey. He loves chasing balls. But he seems to love me more as he will stand still when I ask him to and wait while I snap his photo. He is a sweet, good dog!