Still or Stagnant?

 

We see water referenced a great deal in scripture.

Hebrews 10:22  Revelation 22:1 Psalm 63:1 Isaiah 12:3 John 3:5 Jeremiah 17:13

These are only a small taste of what you’ll find. Water is powerful, symbolic, a sign of cleansing, renewal and new life.

If we take what we know about water in general we can understand this application easily. If we’ve ever seen rushing water, or large waves we’ve appreciated the power of them!

If we’ve ever taken a shower or bath (which I hope we can all attest to) we know water can clean us up, and who doesn’t feel renewal and new life after a nice long shower?

If we’ve ever learned anything about natural survival and living off of the land, we know that we never want to drink stagnant water. If we’re on a hike and looking for a drink we always want to look for moving water.

Moving water is clean. Stagnant water has had time to accumulate bacteria and other microbial things that are not good for our health. It can make us sick.

So what do we do when we get to Psalm 23:2?

“He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters.”

Well, wait a second, we just said that still water is not good for us! Actually, no, we said that stagnant water is not good for us.

As adjectives the difference between still and stagnant

is that still is not moving; calm; while stagnant is lacking freshness, motion, flow, progress, or change; stale; motionless.

God doesn’t lead us to stagnant waters that don’t allow progress, change or motion. God leads us at times to still waters that are calm.

The lack of movement does not imply a lack of growth or progress.

God does not call us to simply “Be stagnant and know that I am God”.

See the difference?

When God calls us to be still or leads us to still waters, it’s to give us time to hear Him. It’s not a time to become unhealthy and filled with all kinds of spiritual bacteria and sediment.

In our stillness there is something to do; listen.

We are to be still with hopeful and peace filled anticipation that God is working in us and through us.

This past Sunday I preached about how the Thessalonian church, upon hearing that Jesus was to return again, quit their jobs to just wait. (2 Thessalonians 3:6–16) Paul says “Don’t be idle!”

To be still is not to be idle or stagnant. It’s important for us to know the difference.  We are a people with purpose. We were created by God for God. If God has brought us to a place of stillness it’s usually because He is quieting our hearts to hear Him. Many times it is because He is preparing us for our next steps.

“The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
 He makes me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
 He restores my soul.”

Psalm 23:2

He “leads” us beside still waters. See the subtle movement there. We’re moving in our stillness because we’re being “led” by Him.

If you are in a time of stillness, don’t shut down. Don’t become stagnant. Don’t allow unhealthy things to fill you. Listen for Gods voice in the stillness. Let Him lead you beside still waters to restore your soul.

-Pastor Patti