Perfect Stillness

A sign was fastened above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.” One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!” But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.” -Luke 23:38-43

How often are we like the first criminal? Expecting and begging God to move and do something. Little did that criminal know it was the time that Jesus was the stillest that He made His biggest move. As blood seeped, mockery screamed, and body hung, that is when the greatest gift, move, and miracle was ever given. When life is hard, we feel like God is far, and we wait for Him to move the mountain, to do something. But it's in His stillness that He can do the greatest saving. The second criminal knew who He was. He did not need Jesus to save His physical body, He knew that He could save him internally for eternity. It is not about what He does, it's about Who He is. If He is always good, then maybe that mountain you're asking to be moved is better to be climbed. It's in the hardest parts of our lives that we can grown nearer than ever to Him. It is because of the goodness that was to come on Sunday that Friday is good. How often do we look at our lives with tunnel vision? If we did that with Him, Friday would only be devastating Friday, but He knew what laid ahead and knew it would be called "Good Friday." The story didn't end in death, desperation, or depravity. It ended with life, resurrection, and restoration. If all things He gives are good, then what isn't good, isn't finished. Jesus said "it is finished" on the darkest day of history, because He knew the restoration that took place for all eternity. Our scarlet sins were wiped clean by innocent, pure blood, the spotless Lamb. A mountain unmoved could be the greatest gift, because it requires new strength and persistence, which leads us to lean on the One who is stronger than ourselves. When God is still in our eyes, it might just be that things are falling into place, and the greatest moves are waiting to be played at the right time. It may be in His stillness that He is wanting us to be still as well and see/know that He is God (Ps. 46:10). Stillness does not mean abandonment, it means and requires fellowship and faithfulness. Increased fellowship with Him in the waiting and in the moving. Increased faithfulness that He always is and does good and that He is enough. He was enough then and is enough now. In the darkness of Friday and the joy of Sunday, each moment He was and is still the same God. The first criminal required action, but on Friday was stillness, on Sunday came action. Sometimes, we must wait for the large action we are wanting, and other times, we may never get it. Stillness is action too. He's still moving, He might just not be moving the things we want Him to. Have you ever thought that maybe He wants you to grow, lean on Him, have more faith in Him? Maybe that's why you need to climb the mountains, jump over the hurdles, and run through the difficult? It might not move, because God's trying to move you, grow you, and shape you. What we see as stillness, He sees as great action. I know I've been wanting God to move in certain ways, but I realize, it's His way that is better. And His way may require some steep mountains to be climbed, storms to be weathered, and moments of waiting to be had.

His stillness and His actions are never in vain, they are filled with purpose, and right on time. If it wasn't for the stillness on Friday, there would have been no action to be had on Sunday.