Just Half An Hour

The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.

~ Exodus 14:14 (NLT)

Don’t you just love it when you go to church and the message seems like it was tailored just for you? Like someone went to the pastor or teacher earlier and told them exactly what you needed to hear and they went ahead and preached a sermon custom-made for you?

Well, that’s definitely not what happened in this instance but my goodness, it really felt like it happened that way.

A few months ago when I was reading my Bible, having my quiet time, I read this verse and honestly I thought it was just added to the Word that day (I know it wasn’t but…) because I really needed to know this truth.

I had been going through just a really rough spot on my road and was starting to spiral into depths of despair that I hadn’t been down to before. I felt like the situation I was in was hopeless. I kind of knew it wasn’t, but I felt like it was.

I felt like I was just putting in a lot of effort to get something and nothing I did or could do was making a difference in my situation.

I knew that the One whom I placed my hope in was able to see me through but it just didn’t look like He was ever going to actually come through and I was starting to panic… Really panic…

And that’s when, while doing my morning devotional, He opened my eyes to what this particular verse was saying to me.

During the Wednesday night Bible Study at my church this week, the teacher taught on this passage and it just reminded and reinforced the message to me all over again…

That’s why I mentioned earlier in the post about sometimes feeling like someone tells the pastor to give a message/sermon just for you.

Hot Pursuit & “Impossible” Escape

So let me put the passage into its proper context first.

Exodus 14:10-16 tells the part of the story where the people of Israel were leaving Egypt and then got to the Red Sea… Uh oh… Behind them in hot pursuit were Pharaoh and his peeps… What to do…!?

I mean, who would think of running right into the sea when you’re being chased by folks who aren’t very happy with you?

Not me, and not them either.

So naturally they turned to the person who had led them all the way there and started fussing about how he (Moses, that is) had basically just led them to their death, and an undignified one at that.

I mean, these folks were extra in their complaining… Embellishing the events preceding their impending demise and all.

Truth be told, that sounds pretty much exactly like what my reaction and response would be.

So poor Moses, who can he turn to and blame? Well, he turned to God, not to blame Him but to ask Him “What now?” After all, God had told him to bring the people of Israel out here and he did and now this!

Then Exodus 14:13-14 happens…

But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”

~ Exodus 14:13-14 (NLT)

And the part you’re probably most familiar with happened… The Red Sea parted and the Israelites walked through the middle of it on dry ground with walls of water on each side (Exodus 14:21-22).

What I Learned From This

Sometimes, overreacting when a situation seems hopeless is what comes most naturally to me (maybe you as well). In that frame of mind, we can make bad decisions and/or come to incorrect conclusions.

But no matter what the enemy plans to do to me, God has already taken care of it and will tell me what to do.

There is a time to just stand still, stay calm and watch God work on my behalf (Exodus 14:13-14) AND there is also a time to take action, to move forward, and do exactly what God tells you to do (Exodus 14:15-16).

This of course means that you have to be listening and ready to obey.

If you’re in a situation right now that feels hopeless, I know that telling you not to despair seems trite, so instead I’ll say this, choose to trust in God and that He can get you through this.

There’s no telling when or how He’ll do it, but just stay calm, watch Him work it out and then be ready to take action when He tells you what to do. and while I’m on the topic of hearing from Him…

Don’t wait for a loud booming voice (I mean hey, it might happen… but don’t wait for it).

God speaks through His word (so read it), through others (so seek godly counsel), and even (and especially) through the mundane activities of our everyday life…

So go about your day with the expectation that He can and might speak to you while you’re doing something totally normal.