Now, in this particular Scripture that we're--just read, it was where a great crisis had come. The people were all nervous, upset, because there was a great invading army. The Moabites were coming up against Judah. And it was a strenuous time. And the people would all flusterated; they didn't know which a way to go. Jehoshaphat, the righteous man of God, had tried to do everything that he knew how to serve the Lord. And now, the people were all tore up because there was a great invading army.
So many times that we get all to a place where we can't stand still and nervous. Just as we start to do something good, then we see trouble coming. But that is the devil trying to upset the program of God. We find it in our individual lives. We find it in our church world. We find it in our national affairs. You find it everywhere. And then we can know that when we are getting ready to do right, wrong is always present. But the way to overcome that, is to think in your heart which way God would have you to go and which is the best way, then stay with that way.
So in that great day of--hour of a flusteration, the Lord spoke. And He spoke through a little prophet standing near, who said, "Stand still, and see the salvation of God. You'll not have to fight this battle." But as long as they were together and praying, it was God's battle.
And I think the same thing applies tonight. In this great hour where the great church people, and the great churches are stewing and fussing with each other, and denominational barriers are breaking us apart, and we battle from this side and that side, it's time to stand still. It's God's battle. It's not ours to begin with. God wants us to stand still. And when God gets ready to do anything, usually He commands His people to stand still.
One time when the test was on, when the covenant people had come up out of Egypt, led by the Holy Spirit, Moses the great leader; and the spies had went over into the promised land, ten of them come back and said, "We cannot take it. They're too great; we're too small."
But there was two man, Caleb and Joshua, who had been over there, and they said-- They stilled the people.
The first thing, one saying this and one saying that. One saying, "Why did you bring us out?" If that just isn't the conditions today, I don't know it. "Why did we do this and why do we do that?"
And Caleb stilled the people before Moses. And he said, "We are well able to go over and take it." Because it depends on what you're looking at. Some of them were looking at the obstacle, the great armies, and the great walls, and the great giant size of the people. But Caleb was looking at the promise of God. And it was the hour had come when Caleb had to get the people still before he could tell them the promise of God.
And I think that's the very needy thing today, is for the people to stand still and see what God has promised. It's a day that God's fulfilling His promise. These things must be. They've got to come. Therefore we must see God's promise, and stand still, and watch God's salvation move into it. God always works according to His Word, stilling the people.
When God gets ready to do anything, the people is all tore up. The reason they were tore up in their journey is because there was a mixed multitude that went up. And the testing time came. Oh, I want you to notice this, that every time that God makes a move there's usually a mixed multitude; it attracts the attention of all and creates a mixed multitude. When God makes a move you'll find all kinds of isms and everything moving with it. But the testing time came. God tests every son or daughter that comes to Him, no exceptions at all. God gives them the testing time to prove them.
Now, when God was ready to speak, He had to still the people. And it was one day, way down coming out of Egypt, before they got there, that God wanted to show His glory. And God can only show His glory when His people stand still and looks for it. That's what's the matter today with our church. People does not stand still and look for the glory of God. In the Scripture is written, "Stand still, and see the glory, or the salvation of God."
Now, coming up to the Red Sea, what a time. This covenant people who had the promise of God, and who were standing firm on the promise—
And it's so strange to see that when people take a stand for God, looks like that the devil throws everything in their way that he can throw in their way. But God makes a way through that way.
Some of my greatest experiences I've ever witnessed before God, is when I got to a place where I couldn't go over, under, or around, but just stand still. God makes a way through it somehow. He hasn't failed yet and He never will fail. God cannot fail.
And it seemed like when these children of Israel had got up to this Red Sea, the Pillar of Fire leading them, Pharaoh's army behind them, the mountains and the sea cutting them off-- If all nature would a wept out, for this little people unarmed in a great marching army. But sometimes God's path leads right through such places. God wanted to show His power. God loves to display His power.
Oh, sometimes when I take my little Joseph, or one of my little girls, and I set down to talk with them, get them up on my lap, you don't know how it makes me feel. One of them says, "Draw your muscle up, daddy. Oh, you got such a big muscle." There's not much there, but as long as they think that, it makes me feel good.
Our heavenly Father likes for His children to know that He's got muscles. He can do things for them. And sometimes I bring a conversation up so it has to lead to that. I just love to hear them say it.
-- Brother Branham
June 29, 1957