I have loved the concept of #SheReadsTruth since Day 1. Well maybe not inception, but definitely during the birthing stage. When my daughter Jessi began to tell me about how the Lord was weaving together hearts and minds to write Bible reading plans for women…well, you had me at Hello! My heart has always been for God’s daughters to push aside the stuff of everyday living and to grab the brass ring of God’s calling on their life. To do that, I have found that there is really no better way to filter our thinking than by being in the Word of God every day as it tells us in Romans 12:2.
One recent testimony of how God taught me in the midst of everyday living came through the Fresh Start Reading Plan. January was an incredibly busy month for me with ministry and leadership demands, caring for a mother with dementia, our youngest daughter deciding about college and grandchild #9 on the way.
Busy? Yes.
Overwhelmed? Most days.
Mostly, I felt the weight of decisions to be made and saw everything as a battle to be fought. Instead of decisions seeming like opportunities, they all seemed to be jigsaw puzzles with key pieces missing. Since over-responsibility is ingrained in me like the hourglass shape of my hips, I tried problem-solving and strategizing. Finally, exhausted and sleep deprived, I found myself on the couch for 5 days with a full-blown case of The Flu.
It was during one of these Flu Days that God reinforced a verse from the prior week’s plan. I had pondered Exodus 14:14,
“The Lord will fight for you, and you only have to be silent.”
But it was not until I downloaded the graphic as a lockscreen (my iPhone always gets my attention!), that I began to ask Him what that meant. As I read Exodus chapters 13-14 again and remembered the state the Israelites were in – fleeing Egypt, in the wilderness, chased by Pharoah, trapped at the Red Sea – I saw nothing in my life more insurmountable than their situation.
Yet Moses told them to be silent.
Why? To hear an answer? To work this out as a team? No. They were to be silent so that when God went to work for them, they would see His miracle as He conquered Pharaoh’s army. Nothing required on their part except to be silent.
As a mom, daughter, grandmother, sister and leader of women, this is probably the hardest command the Lord has ever given me. We ooze conversation. We emote in words. We connect over stories. And when we cannot hold a face-to-face convo, we text, facebook, twitter, facetime, email and blog. Be silent? Are you serious, Lord?
Apparently He was. The Flu had zapped my energy and ability to think, type or write. As I withdrew from my normal pace of working things out, He began to solve things. Without a word or an email, He moved scenarios and offered solutions that had not come from my type-A thinking. Most of His work was not on the ‘parting Red Sea’ level, but definitely some things were resolved in a new way. Just in case I had doubts, an intercessor texted to say that she felt the Lord wanted me to “be still”. So I succumbed to doing nothing in the midst of a crazy season and sat back to watch Him part seas.
Sisters, Jehovah will fight your battles. Let’s resolve to talk and type less, as we watch Him work. God wants the victory and He will ‘work it out for you today’ (Ex 14:13).
// Debbie’s Blog //
Debbie, I am in love with this post. I KNOW God is telling me to BE QUIET a LOT. I have a very hard time listening to that because I have a control problem (see my testimony from yesterday. oops). But really, every time that I have given in and was quiet (even when he had to FORCE it on me by way of sickness or otherwise), he got to work. He was just waiting for me to finally BE QUIET. So I could see what he was doing.
Thank you for this awesome post!
Katie, I loved your post yesterday. When I read it, I thought of Sheila Walsh – have you ever read her books or heard her speak? If not, check out "The Heartache No One Sees". I think you'll be blessed by her victories. Thanks for sharing so transparently.
Thanks Debbie, for a testimony that gives great comfort! As I look back at trying to multi-task and micro-manage every detail of life before committing to the Lord, I swear it seemed as tho some things were accomplished thru sheer force of will! But of course it was my Father’s will, not mine! Now I won’t panic or stress (so much!) because He will do the work, He will accomplish what needs to be. And Thanks to Him, I don’t even have to feel guilty to let Him fight for me, just be still! Wow, how awesome- Such love and security!
Have a Blessed Day Sisters, and Thanks Debbie for the reminder! :)
Thank you, Lord, for speaking through Debbie. Point taken! Amen.
Debbie: my mother also suffers from dementia; she has Alzheimer's. I'm thinking of you & praying for your strength in dealing with this horrible disease. May God give your mother & mine His safety, comfort, and peace today.
Lauren, yes, it is a cruel disease isn't it? I will pray for your mother too. We are trusting Him for all of the above, and still believing for miracles. He is Able.
I just read this verse in the Message and it made me laugh:
“God will fight the battle for you. And you? You keep your mouths shut!”
i know, right? The Message doesn't play around! love it!
Thank you Debbie. It’s such a great reminder (again) to take the “me” out of God. We can never learn this enough, especially as women and our need to be ‘Martha’s’ .
Thank you for sharing, Debbie! I too loved the Fresh Start Plan and also have Exodus 14:14 as my lockscreen on my Iphone…a really important reminder in our busy lives to just "be still!"
Aaahhhh… This hits home to all of us busy women! I need to remember to “be still and know that He is God!”. Thanks for this reminder today!
Thank you for sharing, Debbie. I have my own story regarding that verse from the Fresh Start plan. The day before that devotional was my grandmother's memorial service. I was named for her and that created a little bit of a special bond. That night she came to me in a dream and said to me, "Be a fighter." Anyone who knows her and knows me, and our independent spirits would recognize how perfect those words were. And then I woke up and read Exodus 14:14 as a memory verse, and I knew God was trying to get my attention. I remind myself daily of that verse now, and am waiting to see how God uses it in my life.