But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians who you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The LORD will fight for you while you keep silent.”

—Exodus 14:13-14

This weekend I went to visit my family. If you’ve followed me long, you’ve probably read about the family farm in southern Mississippi. The house stands atop a gently sloping hill that spreads out into four pastures that house the family’s small herd of cattle, a few barns, and a chicken coop.

I’m convinced it’s one of the most peaceful places on earth. While I was there, some of the grapes in the vineyard were beginning to ripen, the pear trees were starting to bend with the weight of the growing fruit, and two sweet puppy dogs—because they will always be puppies in my book—were living their best life, rolling in the dirt and basking in the sun.

A Weekend I Almost Skipped

The trip was a healing balm to my soul that I almost didn’t accept. I had planned to meet my Mama in Hattiesburg for a back-to-school shopping trip. Originally had planned to drive back after going shopping. But my husband had other plans.

For context, the first half of July was rather stressful for me. As strange as it may seem for a teacher to be struggling with burnout in the summer, that’s exactly what it was. I was trying to push ahead in my work as a writer, but I was a drained, empty vessel trying to find another drop to pour out.

As a result, I was frustrated. I felt like a failure because the summer is almost over, and I haven’t met my writing goals. I felt at once overwhelmed by all I had to do and completely helpless to do it.

That’s why I felt the need to drive home after going shopping with my Mama. I felt like I needed to spend every possible moment trying to make up ground. So when my husband told me he thought I needed to go stay with my family for the weekend instead, I thought he was crazy. I didn’t have the time. There was so much I needed to do.

Trusting God Enough to Rest

At first, I resisted the notion, but the longer I thought about it, the more I felt led to submit to my husband’s leadership by going down for the weekend. And I don’t have words for how much I needed that blessing.

For the first time this summer, I slept late and didn’t feel guilty about it. I lazed around with my Mama and brother, talking about everything and nothing, and I didn’t think about all the myriad tasks I wasn’t completing. I went fishing with my Daddy and some of his friends from high school and caught more fish than any of them! And not once did I stress about everything I had to do. It was pure peace and spiritual rest.

Here’s what I learned about resting in God’s presence from this weekend: it’s a form of trust. It took a whole lot of trust in my husband and in God for me to submit and go away for a weekend with my family. I had to trust that everything would be alright, even if I didn’t finish everything I felt like I needed to—and the amount of healing that came with that rest was miraculous.

Standing Still at the Red Sea

When we come to these two verses in the book of Exodus, the people of Israel are in a dire situation. They’re trapped between the Red Sea and the most elite warriors in Egypt. They don’t have a trained army. They aren’t armed. They’re only just removed from being abused as slaves. There’s no way they would win that battle on their own.

So I can’t imagine how they felt when Moses tells them they aren’t even allowed to try to defend themselves. All they’re allowed to do is stand still and watch. No battle cry. No charge at the enemy. Just be still.

The original word translated as to stand gives us a little more insight into what they were expected to do. It wasn’t just the physical action of standing; it was an intentional posture of expectation and confidence. An expectant parade rest that leaves them ready to receive orders when they come.

Rest Requires Trust

Can you imagine how much trust it must have taken for the people of Israel to stand still and quiet and watch the chariots charge their way? I’m betting most of them didn’t do it well. But even when we’re not good at trusting God enough to rest, He is good to us. He still goes to battle for us.

I pray that this week, we’ll all be intentional in making time to rest in the Lord. Not only does He use that time to heal us, but it’s also an opportunity to find deeper intimacy with Jesus as we place more and more of our trust in Him.