Standing
“Go through, go through the gates; prepare ye the way of the people; cast up, cast up the highway; gather out the stones; lift up a standard for the people. Behold, the LORD hath proclaimed unto the end of the world, Say ye to the daughter of Zion, Behold, thy salvation cometh; behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him. And they shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken.” Isaiah 62:10-12
In my Bible, beside the following verses, I have a little outline of a message preached on this passage. The title was “Don’t Lower The Standards” and below the outline, I have written:
Are you still standing where you stood when you started?
One thing is for sure…standing is not easy at times. Standing is not for sissies. It is not for the faint-hearted. It is not for the unstable. Standing is not for the one whose desire is to blend in with the crowd.
I’m reminded of an incident at least 10 years ago. We were down at the camp meeting in GA and the moderator was giving a few announcements before dismissing for the meal. It was during this time that our oldest daughter had turned to talk to a few friends. All of a sudden, out of the corner of her eye, she saw people standing so she automatically stood up with them. The only problem was, that she was the only female standing. The moderator had asked for all the men and boys who would be in the prayer room to stand. 🙂 Yes, standing had caused some embarrassment for our daughter that day. It had made her the victim of some teasing. And, it had definitely made her stand out in the crowd!
Now, although Courtney had stood at the wrong time that day, we can glean some truth from that incident. When we decide to stand for the TRUTH from God’s Word, we may feel a little embarrassed and self-conscious. It may seem as if we are the only ones standing. And, we may even find ourselves on the receiving end of teasing and possibly ridicule. Another verse I read this morning was a reminder of this reality:
“Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey:” Isaiah 59:15
With the above verse I have written – “When you try to live right, you are making yourself prey to the world.” Sadly, this may even happen within the church walls as well. Have you had to take a stand for truth recently and found yourself being criticized for doing so? It’s ok – it’s to be expected. Keep standing. God will not fail you.
It has been said, “If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything.” Some good questions to ask ourselves this morning would be – “What am I standing for today? Have I taken a stand on anything lately?” If we can’t think of anything for which we have taken a stand, why not? With the direction that our world is headed where there is no more distinction between right and wrong…where there is no more black and white…there are plenty of opportunities for Christians to stand. And Christians must stand on the only solid foundation – God’s Word.
Standing is not going around looking for a fight. Standing may just be quietly doing right. But, standing may require speaking up as well. Because of this, I believe it is wise to count the cost beforehand. Again, standing is not easy but if we are standing on God’s Word, standing is RIGHT – always has been, always will be.
Although there may be a cost for standing, there is also a reward. Again, two more verses I read this morning:
“…the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked.” Isaiah 57:20,21
The above verses speak of the sad reality of the wicked – no peace…”like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest”.
Yes, standing may not be easy; it may require some grit. But, the reward for standing on God’s Word is being able to lay down at night with PEACE in your heart – KNOWING you did the right thing. That, my friend, is definitely worth any ridicule we may face.
Are we still standing where we stood when we started?
“Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.” Ephesians 6:13