"Sit Still"

Ruth 4
1 Kings 18

“Then said she, Sit still, my daughter, until thou know how the matter will fall: for the man will not be in rest, until he have finished the thing this day.” Ruth 3:18

Have you got anything yet that you really needed this year? I love it when there is no agenda; you’re not out to get anybody, and you’re not concerned when someone is out to get you. You just wait for the voice of God, and His fire to burn within.

The father of this family dies, the two sons die, and now there are two widows left. Naomi leaves Bethlehem and travels to a foreign country with two daughter-in-laws. She feels God has dealt very harshly with her; she is coming back literally with nothing - “Don’t call me Naomi anymore - I’m not pleasant. Call me Mara---there‘s some bitterness in me.” Ruth 1:20

When they came back to Moab, she has a welfare system in place. Her daughter goes in the field and gleans it out - that’s for the widows. As Ruth is gleaning, the owner of the field, Boaz, walks by, notices a woman gleaning, and realizes she is not an Israelite. She was different - the Moabitess who came back with Naomi.

Boaz said to the field workers, “Let her glean!” As he walks by, he gestures to his workers to let a little grain fall near “that widow.” “And let fall also some of the handfuls of purpose for her, and leave them, that she may glean them, and rebuke her not.” Ruth 2:16

Naomi says to Ruth, “Here’s what I want you to do. Go up and tell Boaz who you are---remind Boaz of our family’s kin.” “Boaz, would you redeem our land?” If you decide to purchase this field, you will also become the husband of the landowner‘s kin. If he purchased the field, he would become the husband of the Moabitess - Ruth.

Boaz said, “I can’t do it!” Purchased to be my wife to raise up the name of the dead?

We should be careful of types. Boaz says; “I will redeem this land, and I will also purchase my wife.” Ruth is a type of the church, Boaz represents Christ. We as individuals are bought and paid for. Naomi, who has been guiding Ruth all the time, is a type of the Holy Spirit.
Vs.16 - The mother-in-law (spirit), Naomi say, “Sit Still.” What the spirit says to the church---until thou knowest - it’s not in your hands anymore. It’s going to be decided for you. Your future is going to be decided for you.

We believe something is going to happen for us - we have done what we were suppose to do. It’s in the hands of our future husband Boaz (Christ).

We must believe a Sovereign God has a plan for us; we often say, “It’s my performance, it’s my performance, it’s my performance“ ---it’s not my performance - it’s God’s sovereignty. It takes more character to sit still than to run all over the place trying to make it come.

1 Kings 18 - Elijah is battling Ahab - a wicked King over Israel. God had told Elijah to pray there would be no rain. There was no rain, and no dew for three and a half years. It was devastating - nothing for the livestock, the economy was drying up---then God tells Elijah, “Go show yourself to Ahab, and I will bring rain.”

Elijah said unto Ahab (there wasn’t a cloud in the sky) - go up and look toward the sea. Elijah gets on his hands and knees---he cast himself down with his face between his knees. His servant comes back to Elijah and says, “There’s nothing!” Elijah says, “There’s nothing?” Elijah tells his servant to go look again. His servant goes back---. His servant returns. There’s nothing! Elijah tells him to go look again---and again, and again---nothing, and again - seven times! And all the while, Elijah gets on his knees and prays to God. “And it came to pass at the seventh time, that he said, Behold, there ariseth a little cloud out of the sea, like a man's hand. And he said, Go up, say unto Ahab, Prepare thy chariot, and get thee down, that the rain stop thee not.” 1 Kings 18:44

What do we do? When we pray and there’s nothing - what do we do? SIT STILL! But there’s nothing! He knows. Just sit still!

When Moses was 40-years old, something came into his heart - A Vision! Moses goes out into the wilderness, watches over the flock, sitting still for forty years---waiting. He already has a promise, but it wasn’t time yet. What did he do for those years? He watched the flock, he took care of his family. What did he see? Nothing---there was nothing going on. It doesn’t mean nothing was going on, he just didn’t see it.

How long do we wait?

Exodus 2:21 - Moses was content to dwell with that land (out in the wilderness while he was waiting). This was going on after God had given him the vision. Process of time - time to God is a tool - it’s a process. The King of Egypt died while Moses was in the wilderness---God was getting this whole thing ready.

Maybe while we are sitting still and praying, and nothing is going on---God is moving and getting things ready.

How is it going, what’s happening? There’s nothing ! We are in God’s timing. I know God still speaks to me---I help others and it all comes to pass. It’s tough sometimes, and what am I suppose to do? SIT STILL!

Sitting still is an act of faith. It takes faith to sit still. Sometimes we pray and beg God to give something to us; we plead, we pray, we plead, we pray, and God says, “Don’t come back here---don’t visit this anymore---I don’t want you to have this.” And God still doesn’t show us the vision.

We are always looking for what God has done for us. We watch others and think, “Oh, He’s done it for her, he’ll do it for me!”

Wait for what you don’t know. Sit still and wait. Perhaps we have to unlearn and relearn. Speculation gets us nowhere - we’re not in charge! While we wait, we must get busy. Waiting may mean, you’re just going to find out who you really are. We can do it in His timing when He wants us to. It’s not all about performance.

Sometimes God says, “If I do it that way, it will look like you did it and---I want everyone to know I did it.”

Do you still believe God when nothing changes? 12-30 years of age, Jesus is being a Carpenter’s son. What was he doing all that time? I don’t know---being a Carpenter’s son. Why 30? Because God chose 30. Well, what do you think that means? I don’t know! Joseph was 30 when he came out of prison. Why 30? I don’t know!

God is very systematic. He told his servants to look seven times. Nothing happened, until they went to look on the 7th time. The 6th time that Naaman went down to the River Jordan, he got muddy. On the 7th time, he dipped into the river and came up clean. He rain and told Elijah, “I see a rain cloud, and it’s in the shape of a hand.” Elijah gets up and say, “Come on, we better tell Ahab - it’s here!”

God likes 7. How often should we forgive? Check for rain - 7 times. Creation - 7 days. God likes systematic. Don’t analyze God - it’s not performance---it’s what He wants to do. Caleb waited forty five years to get his mountain. He waited for all the people he grew up with and didn’t believe, to grow up and die.

Get off yourself for a minute Deborah - let God lift you up and make you look good. Naomi told Ruth what to do - here’s something unorthodox. Ruth followed what she was told to do. Boaz was startled - you’re not suppose to be here! Nothing impure happened---Boaz told her to leave. Ruth returns to Naomi and her mother says, “What happened?” Ruth tells her nothing. Naomi says, “We’ve done all we can, we will wait. There’s nothing more we can do.”

Don’t let the pressure get to you. You may forfeit the blessing. In the process of waiting, God is working. Sitting still is an act of faith. In one day, Joseph went from a bearded, smelly rotten clothed Christian. They brought him up, bathed him, cleaned him up, and then had a ring on his finger which said, “I’m somebody!” Rags to Riches, but only when God was ready.

I don’t know what I’m doing---with importunity, I’ll keep asking. Stop putting yourself on trial. It has nothing to do with performance, it has everything to do with His Sovereignty.

The process of time is important to God - Jesus submitted to time on earth.

Ruth became a mother in the lineage of Christ. What was she? She was nothing - a Moabite woman with nothing. That’s a picture of God’s grace.

Sister, without removing my shoes and exposing my feet of clay, I want to say; “Nothing has happened since I arrived in America - nothing that I can see.” I keep looking, I have placed myself on trial (multiple times), I have placed my husband on trial. And all the while, I continue to be a wife, I continue being a mother, I continue being faithful to church, I continue helping others, I continue keeping a schedule, I continue reading my Bible, I continue helping the hurt, I continue!

And, I look - and there’s still no sign. There’s nothing, no change, everything is the same. And I look again, and there’s nothing.

So what am I doing? I’m going to God with importunity. I’m waiting. I’m “Sitting Still.” I will cast myself down to the earth and place my face between my knees. That’s a good posture to be in isn’t it?

Is it easy? No, it’s never been more difficult, I’ve never been more tempted, we’ve never been more tested, our home has never been more under attack. My family in Australia ask, “Well, what are you going to do?” I say, “Nothing. I’m going to sit still and wait.” “Are you crazy?” “I think so.”

But I know it will “come to pass.” 620 times “And it came to pass” is mentioned in the Bible.

Our time will “come to pass.” What do we do in the meantime? Continue working, being a wife, being a mother, being faithful to church, helping the hurting, anything God has for us to work on - and stand still!

I know it will come to pass. And, my testimony will bare witness to God’s grace, His timing, and His Sovereignty.

Is it easy? No!

What keeps me going? He promises it will pass. He shows me examples all the way through Scripture---I keep busy---I’m waiting!

God directed me in this lesson today. I love Him, and His mercies are knew every day. I need Him to light the fire within and show me - it’s perfectly perfect to “SIT STILL.”

I Love You,
Deborah