Daily Verse Devo - Exodus 14:14
"The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
-Exodus 14:14 (NLT)
Background Context:
Pharaoh, out of anger and sorrow for his son's passing, has just told the Israelite slaves to leave Egypt.
Now, the Israelites are stuck at the Red Sea. They can't get across and Pharaoh has changed his mind about letting them go. His army is quickly approaching.
The Israelites are whining to Moses.
"What should we do?"
"We never should have left."
"We're gonna die!"
"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)
Under God's direction, Moses lifted his staff and the Lord caused the water to divide. I can't imagine how it would feel to walk on dry ground with huge walls of water on each side!
The dry ground remained long enough for every Israelite to pass to safety, but the waves quickly crashed on the Egyptian pursuers.
So what can we take from this passage?
First and foremost, we serve a mighty God!
I'm a student at Cedarville University and our campus is known for its big lake. It would be incredible to cut across the lake instead of walking around it, but I know that's not possible.
The Red Sea was way bigger and more daunting than a man-made campus lake. There was no logical way for the entire Israelite nation to walk across it.
But God made a way.
He not only led His people to safety, but He also put a stop to their enemies.
When can try to fight our own battles, but we'll always reach a point when something is beyond our control. It's so comforting to know that God is the one fighting. Nothing is impossible with Him.
Well, if God's doing our fighting, what should we do?
We need to be calm.
Other versions said "hold your peace" and "be still". One paraphrase said "shut up".
Whichever word you prefer, the message is still clear:
We don't have to fear or worry because God is fighting for us.
I'll be honest, giving up control is hard. I'd like to think I can handle everything on my own. Maybe you're the same way. It's not easy to admit we need help. It's not easy to acknowledge that our strength isn't enough. It's not easy to be calm and trust that God is working.
But He is - without a doubt!
The same God who rescued the Israelites from slavery and led them across the Red Sea through dry ground is the one fighting for us.