“Tell everyone to sit down,” Jesus said. So they all sat down on the grassy slopes. (The men alone numbered about 5,000.) JOHN 6:10 (NLT)

_____________________________________________________________________________

Have you ever noticed that God does some of his best work when we cannot do anything but be still? Consider Israel trapped between the Egyptian army and the deep Red Sea. 

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the LORD rescue you today. . . . Just stay calm.”
Exod. 14:13, 14

Psalm 46:10, which almost everyone knows, says, “Be still, and know that I am God!”

We could go on and talk about lions’ dens and fiery furnaces and so many other occasions where all God’s people could do was to be still and watch what only God could do. 

One of my favorite western movies is Silverado. The recently deceased Brian Dennehy has a classic line near the end of the movie that fits so many of these situations. When asked if there is going to be trouble, he responds, “Hide and watch.”

There was not enough money to buy food among Jesus’ disciples. There was no place to buy food if they had the money. What they did have were at least 5,000 men who were tired and hungry. They also had a generous little boy with five barley loaves and two fish. 

When dinner was over, “they picked up the pieces and filled twelve baskets with scraps left by the people who had eaten from the five barley loaves,” (v. 13). They finished with more than they started with. 

There are two commanding statements from Jesus in this story: “Tell everyone to sit down,” and “Now gather the leftovers, so that nothing is wasted.” 

Being still can be the most productive thing we can do. 

When we become convinced that we cannot provide for ourselves, God has a way of stepping so that people can see his unmistakable hand at work. 

Sit down. Be still. Stand still. Watch God do what he does best. And do not waste the lessons of this season. 

_____________________________________________________________________________

I will be still.

_____________________________________________________________________________

Our Father, you have our attention. We are still. What’s next. We will watch and wait. Amen.