Stand Still.
I have no memory of the event. Yet it still happened. My sister and I were caught up in the middle of it. But I have no memory of it whatsoever. On Friday 21st of July, 1972 atleast 20 bombs went off in Belfast city centre. We were in the city centre that day but I have no memory of any of the events.
However, my sister remembers everything. We were both in our early teens and were going to a dental appointment when the carnage started. Apparently I grabbed my sister by the hand and started to run in the direction of home. The whole town was in desperation. People were running away from one bomb and into the path of another. A policeman stopped us from running through the town and toward home. We were at a loss, not knowing what to do next. I don’t think the policeman knew either. So we just stood there at the side of the road.
All of a sudden a man mysteriously appeared in a car. He told the police officer that he would make sure we got home safely. He got us into his car and followed my directions for getting us home. And this is where my own recollections start to come back into focus. When we got closer to home I do remember starting to get nervous about this stranger. By this time we were out of town and close to home so I asked the gentleman to let us out along the roadside where we were. We were close to home by now.
I remember that he was an elderly gentleman in a very old car. He let us out, waved to us and drove off back into town. I never ever saw him again.
But the question still remains - where do you run to when you don’t know where to run to? What do you do when you don’t know what to do next?
And I turn to my bible and I read of a prostitute called Rahab. You can read her story in the book of Joshua chapters 2-6.
She lived in Jericho, worked as a prostitute to feed her family, and her house was built into the outer walls of the city. Joshua had sent two spies into the city to look around and see how easily Jericho would be to conquer. But the spies were nearly discovered. Rahab hid the spies and told the soldiers that the spies had ran off in the opposite direction. In return the spies granted Rahab’s request to be spared from the coming destruction.
Joshua 2v8 Before the spies lay down for the night, she went up on the roof .... v12 "Now then, please swear to me by the LORD that you will show kindness to my family, because I have shown kindness to you. Give me a sure sign v13 that you will spare the lives of my father and mother, my brothers and sisters, and all who belong to them - and that you will save us from death."
In due course the Children of Israel conquered Jericho. And at some point in the battle Joshua turned to the two spies and shouted “Go”. They knew what to do.
The city walls had collapsed inwards. People were being slaughtered and destroyed in way that can only be recounted of in ancient battles – by sword, by spear and by knife. And somewhere in amongst all the rubble, screaming, blood and slaughter Rahab and her family were crouching and hiding in fear for their lives.
Imagine what Rahab and her family were feeling at that time. All the fear and trembling as the city walls came crashing down. Perhaps she was thinking that the two spies whom she had protected had forgotten about her. Doubts are always strongest when our troubles are it their fiercest.
And then, through the smoke, the cries of battle and the darkness came two familiar faces. The Israelite spies had came to get Rahab and her family.
Joshua 6v21 They [the Israelites] devoted the city to the LORD and destroyed with the sword every living thing in it - men and women, young and old, cattle, sheep and donkeys. v22 Joshua said to the two men who had spied out the land, "Go into the prostitute's house and bring her out and all who belong to her, in accordance with your oath to her." v23 So the young men who had done the spying went in and brought out Rahab, her father and mother, her brothers and sisters and all who belonged to her. They brought out her entire family and put them in a place outside the camp of Israel.
And so, they were saved.
I am reminded also of another woman in the bible who was in a scenario which she did not know what to do next. I’m thinking of Ruth. Her story is only 4 chapters long and can be read quite quickly.
Ruth had been taken to a new and strange land, not knowing what her future will bring. So she followed her mother in law’s advice to go and work in a certain field to glean corn. She was an outsider. Not of this land, not of these people. She was uncertain and afraid. But she followed Naomi’s advice.
And as she worked silently in a far corner of the field, she was noticed…
Ruth 2v5 Boaz asked the overseer of his harvesters, "Who does that young woman belong to?" v6 The overseer replied, "She is the Moabite who came back from Moab with Naomi. v7 She said, 'Please let me glean and gather among the sheaves behind the harvesters.' She came into the field and has remained here from morning till now, except for a short rest in the shelter." v8 So Boaz said to Ruth, "My daughter, listen to me. Don't go and glean in another field and don't go away from here. Stay here with the women who work for me.
By the end of the book of Ruth, in chapter 4, we find that Ruth had married Boaz and she had a whole new future ahead of her. But where the story becomes intertwined is when we find out that Boaz’s mother was actually Rahab - The same prostitute we read about earlier. And as we read on through the subsequent books of the Bible we find out what was to become of Rahab and Ruth. For they were both to go on to become the Great, Great, Grandmother and the Great Grandmother of King David.
God had a plan all along. But both Rahab and Ruth had to go through the battles, the mayhem and the horror before they could get there.
We all meet up with some sort of difficulty and devastation in our lives at some point. And the question still stands – Where do you run when you don’t know where to run to? What do you do when you don’t know what to do next?
But God makes it very simple. Stand Still!!!!
Listen to the words of Moses immediately before the Israelites crossed the Red Sea….
Exodus ch14v13 And Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever.
Listen to King Jehoshaphat in 2nd Chronicles (He was the fourth King of Judah after the nation was split into two kingdoms) …
2nd Chronicles ch20v17 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!'
Or to the advice given to Job by another friend of his, Elihu…
Job ch37v14 "Listen to this, O Job; Stand still and consider the wondrous works of God.
So many times God, through His word, tells us to stand still. We are conditioned to react. To try and solve all of our problems ourselves. And that is true for day to day life occurrences. But sometimes a calamity will come into our lives. Something which we will have no experience or knowledge of how to handle things. And it’s at that time we must simply stand. Let God’s Will be performed in our days of trouble.
And here’s the secret - When you’ve done all you can, then you can stand!!!! God has made His promises to protect us and keep us. And He will keep His promise. Just as He promised His servant Jeremiah…
Jeremiah ch31v13 ….I will turn their mourning into gladness; I will give them comfort and joy instead of sorrow….
Amen.
I stand amazed in the presence
Of Jesus the Nazarene.
And wonder how he could love me,
A sinner, condemned, unclean.
How marvellous! How wonderful!
And my song shall ever be.
How marvellous! How wonderful
Is my Saviour’s love for me.
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