Yesterday I spent from 6 am till 7pm helping my son David with a film project. He is shooting a product film for a manufacturing company. It was grueling. You wouldn’t think that filming a three-minute spot would take so long. But then again standing in front of a camera and reciting a script flawlessly isn’t an easy task. My feet were killing me.
We stood up most of the time. When we did get breaks I grabbed something to drink and sat down. But sitting didn’t seem to help take the edge off my tiredness. Then we were back up again standing for the shoot and I couldn’t wait to sit down again, only to realize that sitting wasn’t satisfying. What I really needed was to lie down.
I couldn’t do that at the shoot because there is a certain amount of professionalism we needed to maintain and lying in the middle of the floor didn’t present such an image. After the shoot we drove the long way home and all I could think about was crawling into bed and falling asleep, and that is something I can do. When we got home and put away the equipment I did just that, I laid in bed. But I couldn’t go to sleep. I closed my eyes, and it felt good, but I couldn’t fall asleep, there were so many things running through my head. To say the least the fine aroma coming from the kitchen; Rebecca was making dinner.
As I lay there I began to think about standing, sitting, and lying down. They are very practical positions and they are metaphorical as well. God has made us for each. The word stand appears 281 times in the NASB translation of the bible and is represented by verses like this, “Even no, take your stand and see this great thing which the Lord will do before your eyes. (I Sam 12:16). It means to present or to station oneself. There is permanence to it as one who is firmly positioned. As Christians we are to “take a stand”, “stand in the gap”, “stand firm”, “stand in the presence”, “stand against”, “stand before”, and “stand by faith”. It is a position of activity and confidence.
The word sit is different. It occurs 119 times and portrays three types of pictures. Some sit on thrones (rule), some sit in judgment (positively and negatively), and others sit in repose (fellowship). The most positive of the three is the latter. They are represent like this in the bible, sit and eat, sit in your house, sit under the palm, sit on rich carpets, sit among, sit still, sit with, sit here, sit and speak. Sitting is a time to be with people, get to know them and enjoy their company. The New Testament says we should fellowship one with another. Sometimes we need to just sit, be still, and enjoy some fun.
To “lied down” is used 48 times in the Old Testament and can refer to sexual intercourse, death, humiliation, and rest. In the positive sense it represented by statement like, lie down and sleep, lie in green pastures, lied down among the sheep, lie down unafraid, lie down together, and lie down in security. It is a position of vulnerability because it is a time when our defenses are down and if we are a sleep – unconsciousness. I have just learned a little about rem sleep. It is that time when your body rejuvenates itself so that it can function at full capacity during the day. When you don’t reach REM or stay in it for its cycle you are exhausted during the day and it is difficult to accomplish much. It is a time of rest. Rest is something God wants us to do in Him. He gave an example of rest on the seventh day, Jesus is our Sabbath Rest, and the Holy Spirit gives rest. Rest is essential if we are going to accomplish all that God wants from us.
Stand Up, Sit, and Lie Down. We are to stand on the rock of our salvation; doing his will. We are to sit in fellowhip with one another, enjoying life and having fun. We are to Rest in the Shadow of the Almighty to be rejuvenated so that we will stand. I’m just saying….
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