You Shall Stand Still

And as for you, command the priests who bear the ark of the covenant, ‘When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan.’” And Joshua said to the people of Israel, “Come here and listen to the words of the LORD your God.” And Joshua said, “Here is how you shall know that the living God is among you and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, the Hittites, the Hivites, the Perizzites, the Girgashites, the Amorites, and the Jebusites. Behold, the ark of the covenant of the LORD of all the earth is passing over before you into the Jordan. Now therefore take twelve men from the tribes of Israel, from each tribe a man. And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap.” (Joshua 3:8-13)

When it came to the people prepared to cross the Jordan River, the LORD gave a very specific command to the priests carrying the ark of the covenant: they were to step into the water and stand still. God would do the rest. This was how the people would know that the living God was among them (Joshua 3:10).

The timing makes this command remarkable. The Jordan was not calm, it was overflowing its banks. The water was fast, deep, and dangerous, and human instinct would have been to rush, reposition, or attempt control. Yet the priests were called to rest their feet in the water and remain still as God caused the river to stand in one heap.

Psalm 46:10a tells us, “Be still, and know that I am God.”

Stillness is not passivity. Stillness is trust expressed through obedience. In this moment, stillness exalted God. Every Israelite crossing the riverbed would have seen the priests standing calmly in the midst of what should have been chaos. Their posture preached to the people: God is faithful. God is present. God makes a way.

The priests were not only carrying the ark, they were representing the LORD to the people. Their calm obedience became a visible testimony of His power and faithfulness. Had they panicked, shifted constantly, or acted from fear, the focus would have moved away from God and to human effort.

The same principle applies to us. When circumstances feel overwhelming and the waters of life rise unexpectedly, stillness rooted in trust magnifies God.

Stillness doesn’t mean the absence of fear, it means choosing trust over fear. It means placing our weight fully on the promises of God and allowing Him to work in ways that only He can.

The last half of Psalm 46:10 says, “I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” God is exalted among the nations and in all the earth when His people rest in Him. Practicing stillness now helps us to be obedient when we’re called to step into the water and trust that He will hold it back.

Learning to be still and rest in Him now prepares us to stand firm and steady when the trials come… so, be still, and know God.