Stand Still And See
And 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 14:13-14) NIV
Here we are at the end of the plagues God released upon Egypt. It was time for the final act in God’s fight for His chosen people - to free them from slavery and to move ahead with His promise of the land of freedom He had destined for them. At this point, Moses, following God’s direction, had led the Israelites out of their slavery in Egypt only to have them find themselves caught between a rock and a hard place. Ahead of them was the treacherous Red Sea, and right behind them was the army of Pharaoh ready to charge them and slaughter them.
The Israelites were terrified – but who wouldn’t be in that situation? The advice of Moses was “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today” (Exodus 14:13). What might the Israelites have thought of Moses advise? I might have responded with – “Stand still? Have you lost your mind? We must do something and quickly!
It is not unreasonable to consider that in the midst of crisis the last thing we want to do is stand still. But that’s what God wants us to do. He doesn’t just say stand still but He says stand still so we can witness that He is fighting for us. The NIV version uses the word deliverance, but the word salvation fits here too. In other words, God wants us to stand firm or still and focus our eyes on Jesus. The natural tendency is usually to react in troubling situations with our own ideas and strength. We listen to the voice of Satan asking the question, “What are you going to do about it?” Suddenly fear and anxiety rule the day. But if we turn to the Lord, He will “part the Red Sea” or make a path where one doesn’t seem to exist. He is fighting our battles for us! Remember the promise, He is our salvation – healer, provider, and deliverer. He will bring us safely to the other side.
Praise the God who fights for us!
Heavenly Father, You alone are worthy of all praise and honor. Help us to stand firm during life’s troubling circumstances. Grant that we may see Your gracious deliverance in these situations. In Jesus’ name, AMEN.