Standing still

When the people who had followed Moses to their freedom were resting beside the Red Sea, to their surprise, they suddenly saw the Pharaoh’s chariots coming over the horizon and bearing down on them. They were terrified, fearing that this meant either recapture or death (see Exodus 14:10-13). In the midst of all the panic, Moses’ words to the huge group were: “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.”

That prayer was very insightful, and it applies to times when we, too, might show outwardly, or maybe feel inwardly, signs of being a bit terrified. Moses didn’t say, “Fear ye not, and see the salvation of the Lord.” No, those two additional words “stand still” were essential. “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” Calmness is a great weapon in finding freedom from fear. In stillness arrives the clarity of God’s saving power. “As mortals reach, through knowledge of Christian Science, a higher sense, they will seek to learn, not from matter, but from the divine Principle, God, how to demonstrate the Christ, Truth, as the healing and saving power,” explains Mary Baker Eddy in “Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures” (p. 285).

The stillness that invites healing and saving is more than a mortal emotion or a mere human response; it’s a quality that has its source in God, divine Truth. This divine quality of stillness is naturally reflected in you as the cherished creation of God. A higher sense of peace, of calm quietness, makes the insights you receive when praying even clearer. When expressing such divine stillness, watch how easily you behold the salvation of the Lord that God has, with good pleasure, presently given you. There is joy in expressing the calmness and peace that heal.

Sometimes, blind, panicky excitement can come up quickly. Such a hypnotic, even habitual, sense can be put down through your expression of solid stillness. Occasionally, try making a point of being peaceful mentally in the most unexpected and noisy places, in order to prove that it can be done. Just think how calm Jesus must have felt deep inside as he said, “Peace, be still” (Mark 4:39). He was in a boat full of frightened men, tossed about by a storm with huge waves. What does the Bible say happened next? “And there was a great calm.”

“Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord.” Moses was doing more than just trying to soothe a crowd. Moses’ words were an earnest prayer. And a prayer is something that is done, not just said. When the spirit of your prayer becomes your outlook and attitude – when it becomes what you feel and determines how you act – that’s when you get a glimpse of its healing power.

There is no use in putting off stillness. A pond reflects best when it’s still. That goes for people, too. Why not embrace now what those who followed Moses embraced? Fear not. Stand still. See the salvation of the Lord.

From an editorial in the Christian Science Sentinel.