Has God ever told you to take your hands off, to quit trying to make it happen, to stand still? My biggest struggle in my Christian walk is to let God have control and do nothing but trust. Samuel gave a wonderful farewell speech toward the end of his life, and in 1 Samuel 12:16 we read he said: stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes.

Standing still seems to be required in several key areas:

In relationships

I think of so many women I know who must stand still and see what God is going to do with and for their husbands. Some of them are married to non-believers or men who are not walking with the Lord. Most of them tell me how they tried for so long to change their husbands, but what they’ve finally come to accept is they can’t change them; only God can. They’re in the “standing still” department now, waiting to see the great thing the Lord is going to do.

Maybe you’re having to stand still when it comes to your children. Most of us parents go through that at various stages, when we simply must take our hands off and let them learn their lessons the hard way, as we say.

Single people often do their share of standing still when it comes to relationships—waiting for the right person or waiting for the right person to make a move.

In jobs

Most of us go through some tough “standing still” times on our jobs, when we’re ready for a promotion, but the promotion doesn’t come. When we’re expecting or hoping for a raise, we must wait. When we’re dealing with a difficult coworker or boss or work environment about which we can do very little if anything, so it’s stand still time. Or when we’re out of a job and waiting for a new one.

With our health

When you’ve had health problems in your family, it truly teaches you how helpless you are. Even our medical community, with all their techniques and skills, are limited in their ability to solve our health problems. We are faced again with the need to stand still and see what God is going to do.

What areas you know you should stand still and see this great thing the Lord is about to do before your eyes? I encourage you not to lose heart and to keep your eyes open so you won’t miss what God is about to do for you. Don’t do something; just stand there!