Today’s New Covenant nugget is from Psalm 37:7 (NLT)
Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for Him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes.
There is a time to be still… to be quiet and to wait for the Lord to act – to stand still, be still and to see the salvation of the Lord!
There is a time to pray, declare, make decrees and to be relentless in our passionate pursuit of the goal that is set before us… and then there is a time to enter into His rest, to be quiet and to stand in faith as the Lord fights for us.
After Moses led Israel out of Egypt, Pharaoh and his mighty army pursued them… with the sea in front of them and Pharaoh’s army behind them, the Lord gave them this word… “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” (Exodus 14:14 - ESV)
As you read this, you have prayed about things, you have confessed the Word… some of you have fasted, you have done everything that the Spirit has led you to do, and you still find yourself with the sea in front of you and a devouring army behind you… do not fear, do not lose heart… have faith, be silent and let God!
After Moses had died, the Lord spoke to Joshua, “Every place that the sole of your foot will tread upon I have given you, as I said to Moses. No man shall be able to stand before you all the days of your life; as I was with Moses, so I will be with you. I will not leave you nor forsake you. Meditate on scripture day and night, do everything according to the Word and keep the Word in your mouth at all times, for then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success.”
According to the word of the Lord, Joshua and two million Israelis confessed the Word, declared the Word, prayed the Word and did the Word day and night until they were transformed by the Word. Shortly after they crossed over Jordan and entered into their promised land.
During an encounter with Jesus, Joshua received the Lord’s strategy to take Jericho…
A group made up of priests and military men were to march around the city once a day for seven days, and then seven times on the seventh day, ending with a shout…
Some of the priests would carry the ark while others would walk in front of the ark blowing rams horns… some military men would lead them and other would be a rear guard… after the shout, the walls of Jericho would supernaturally crumble.
WHAT WERE THE TWO MILLION PEOPLE WHO WERE NOT MARCHING DOING BEFORE THE SHOUT?
Joshua 6:10 - “Now Joshua had commanded the people, saying, “YOU SHALL NOT SHOUT OR MAKE ANY NOISE WITH YOUR VOICE, NOR SHALL A WORD PROCEED OUT OF YOUR MOUTH, until the day I say to you, ‘Shout!’ Then you shall shout.”
They had been declaring the Word day and night, and now, as they stared at the huge impenetrable wall of Jericho, as they thought about the giants and the powerful military might of Jericho… their commandment from the Lord… “stay in your tents and be quiet!”
I believe that as with Israel, we have prayed, declared the Word and walked in the Word according to the leading of the Spirit, now as we face insurmountable opposition, as the Lord said to Joshua, we need to be still in faith, and see the salvation of the Lord!
Joshua can be seen as a type of Jesus (our leader in battle)… the priests could be a type of the five fold ministry… carrying the presence of the Lord and the anointing (the ark) into the enemies camp while preaching the Word of triumph (blowing the rams horns). The military in front and behind can be seen as a type of modern day, New Covenant intercessors. The rest of the people could be a type of the church… standing in faith and resting quietly while watching the Lord do a mighty miracle.
Psalm 37:7 (AMPC) says, “Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.”
Many wicked people have put many wicked devices and plans into place… the antichrist agenda seems to be moving ahead like a freight train and the plans of the wicked seem to be prospering… ‘Be still and rest in the Lord; wait for Him and patiently lean yourself upon Him; fret not yourself because of him who prospers in his way, because of the man who brings wicked devices to pass.’ A miracle is in the making!
In Hebrews 3 it describes Israel and how that for forty years they could not enter into their promise because they would not rest in faith and trust the Lord. They restlessly ‘worked’ to achieve their promise for forty years only to fail. Resting, quiet faith always precedes breakthrough!
Hebrews 4:10-11 (TPT) - “As we enter into God’s FAITH-REST LIFE we cease from our own works, just as God celebrates His finished works and rests in them. So then we must give our all and be eager to experience this faith-rest life, so that no one falls short by following the same pattern of doubt and unbelief…”
Then the Holy Spirit continues in verse twelve… “FOR WE HAVE THE LIVING WORD OF GOD, which is full of energy, and it pierces more sharply than a two-edged sword. It will even penetrate to the very core of our being where soul and spirit, bone and marrow meet! It interprets and reveals the true thoughts and secret motives of our hearts.”
You see, while we are silent, while we are resting and standing in faith, the living, powerful Word that we have been confessing, praying and decreeing is still working! We have prayed it and declared it by faith… now God is performing it!
THIS IS OUR TIME TO BE QUIET, TO LET THE WORD WORK AND SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD!
Blessings on you, Nick
