Exodus 14: 13 – 14 NIV
Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
This is one of my favorite passage in the Bible. It is so bold and declarative. There isn’t a bit of wishy-washy in it. Reading it today, though, I saw a little something new.
The setting here is that the Israelites have fled Egypt only to become trapped between the Red Sea and the pursuing Egyptians. Moses stood before the nation of Israel and proclaimed God’s provision and greatness. He told Israel they would see their deliverance by the hand of God. They need not raise a sword in defense. Their part was to believe rather than fear, stand firm in that faith, and be still.
That reminded me of another verse. In Psalm 46: 10 we read these words, “Be still, and know that I am God.” Do you see the similarity? The thing that surprises me most about this paradigm for success is that it is a very New Testament, post-Pentecost way of thinking and yet here it is buried in the Old Testament. The Holy Spirit has now been sent to dwell in the earth. Even more significantly, he lives within each one of us. So, this is our pattern of success. We pray and believe, and the Holy Spirit delivers.
This is God’s design for our lives. It was always God’s plan. He never meant for us to fight the battles. He is God, He is our Lord. The Lord cares for His subjects. Like the ancient Israelites, we only need to learn and perform our responsibilities and leave God to His work.
We need to practice the three parts of victory outlined in today’s passage: 1) Do not be afraid, 2) stand firm, and 3) be still. Be still and hear the voice of the Lord. Listen to what He is telling you. Then do it. If He says, pray, then pray. If He says sing, then sing. If He says to go dip three times in the river, then you better be getting wet. We just need to be still and allow Him to be God. No matter what challenge you are facing God has an answer. “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”