Be Still

The Israelites were in a tough spot – a sea on one side and one of the best, if not the best, armies in the world on the other. Pharaoh took all his ‘super’ chariots (600 of them) plus all his other chariots, horses and horsemen and troops and pursued the Israelites. Could it appear any more bleak for the Israelites? They were losing confidence in Moses and his God – their God – pretty fast. They even thought slavery in Egypt looked better than what was obviously coming – dying in the desert.

Moses encouraged the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the Deliverance the Lord will bring you today… The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14

God parted the sea, dried up the ground with his wind and sent the Israelites across while, “The angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel.” Exodus 14:19 As the Egyptians pursued them, “The Lord looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. He made the wheels of their chariots come off so that they had difficulty driving… the Lord swept them into the sea… not one of them survived.” Exodus 14:24-25; 27-28

Sometimes, the circumstances I face in this world seem like a sea on one side and a vast army on the other. I think I need to fight with all my might even though I know I will lose. Then I hear God’s voice, “You need only to be still… The Lord will fight for you.”

When the sea of grief overwhelms me, God is my strength. I trust him to knock the wheels off of the fears that pursue me and drown the armies of discouragement that want to take me down. I see God standing between me and my circumstances, protecting me and guiding me out to the other side while disabling and drowning my enemy.

Today I choose to put my trust in the God that loves me, guides me and goes before me and behind me. He is the “Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End.” Revelation 22:13 He knows the way out and I will follow him.