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.” Exodus 14:13-14I have verse 14, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still,” posted in my cubicle at work. It is one of those verses that God showed me at a time that I needed it, and one that He redirects me to when I forget.
We all have Egyptians chasing us into the deserts of our lives, perhaps wanting to us to return to the slavery of addiction or sin. For some of us, the Egyptians are our financial situation in a bankrupt economy. For others it may be a rebellious teenager or a medical issue. Whatever your Egyptians are, God tells us to not be afraid.
Easier said than done, right? We may know in our heads that God says “Do not be afraid” or “Do not fear” over 100 times in the Bible, telling us not to fear various things approximately 365 times. Yet that knowledge alone does not take away our fears.
In my own life, I find that my fears may diminish in talking to a friend, but they only really dissipate when I focus on the Promises of God. Two such Promises are given in this passage. “Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.” And “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
The current desert in my life has consumed the last 6 months, and I am still in the middle of the desert. There have been times when I want to throw in the towel and give up. One morning I cried out to God and told Him I could not do this anymore. Immediately He brought to my mind Philippians 4:13; “I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.” As I got to work, God directed my eyes to the index card on my cubicle wall with Exodus 14:14. The theme that God is with me in the hard times was emphasized that day in the “Life Verse” for the Christian radio station I listen to, the daily devotional I get by email, verses sent to me by a friend, and in other verses I saw and heard that day.
Regardless of what Egyptians are in your life, God will help you through the desert. “Do not fear” is possible with the Peace of God that comes from Standing on the Promises.
3 comments:
Hi Joanney, I'm visiting you from Joanne's place. Reading your devotional helps one to identify that God's Word is relevant to our lives today. It would be easy to just read about the Israelite's plight and not see the connection between our "Egyptians".
What a great reminder, Joanney. Thank you for helping me to see my own "Egyptians," and reminding me to be still.
You and I seem to be on the same track today, Joanney! I love your post - you're helping to cement and focus my own rambling thoughts.
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