You Need Only to Be Still

Here's the backgound story:

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. Pharaoh will think the Isrealites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert." And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord." So the Isrealites did this.

Pause. First we see the Lord is at work and He has a plan and as He reveals it to Moses, He describes exactly what Pharoah will think - The Lord knew what Pharaoh would think, and used it to bring himself glory. He had an elaborate plan with the purpose of capturing the attention of the lost Egyptians... continue-

When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Isrealites go and have lost their services!" So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldy. The Egyptians- all of Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops- pursued the Isrealites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth opposite Baal Zephon.

Pause. The Isrealites were quick to obey God. God spoke to Moses, and Moses directed the Isrealites. It says they fled- They knew they were to get out of there. Then Pharaoh panics because Egypt has just lost their slave labor, so he sends his best chariots and horsemen to pursue the Isrealites. The Lord harded Pharoah's heart so that he would go after God's people; all perfectly orchestrated to make His name known among the Egyptians. Continue...

As Pharaoh approached, the Isrealites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Eghypt? Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

Pause. The Isrealites, after obeying Moses, who had been directed by the Lord, see the Egyptians marching toward them - and they are scared out of their minds. They begin to question Moses. They knew that God was speaking to Moses, and they knew they were to follow Moses's lead; but it didn't take much for them to doubt the plans of the Lord because it didn't look the way they thought it should. If they were obeying God, and doing what He had told them to do, then surely they should be protected, right? Nothing frightening should ever happen to them, right? Continue...

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."

Pause. He took God at His word. Moses knew that what the Lord promised would surely come to pass- so He continued to lead his difficult people, encouraging them to hold on. "Do not be afraid" he told them... "The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Continue...

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Isrealites can go through the sea on dry ground. (He repeats himself...) I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. The Egyptians will know that I am the Lord when I gain glory through Pharoah, his chariots and his horsemen. Exodus 14: 1-18

The story continues to tell of the power that Moses possessed because God had called him to deliver His people. Moses raised his staff and stretched out his hand over the sea and the Red Sea split in half and the water stood like a wall to the left and to the right of the Isrealites. As the Egyptians came in behind them, just as the Lord said they would, Moses stretched out his hand over the sea again and the water went back to it's place. The waters engulfed Pharaoh and his army; not a single one of them survived.

This is huge, people. Listen close! The Lord had a mysterious and marvelous plan for the Isrealites to be delivered from the Egyptians. God knew it was going to take a faithful servant, so he chose Moses to lead them. Time and time again, Pharaoh refused to let the people go, but God hardened Pharaoh's heart all along so that the Egyptians would know that God reigned over all. The Isrealites were tired of being in the desert, and they let the slightest bit of fear sweep over them and drain them of their faith- the Lord said, "WHY are you crying out to me?! Tell the Isrealites to move on!"

These people were literally looking their enemy in the eyeballs! Even when they doubted, God was still faithful. They were terrified, but still victorious because God cared more about catching the attention of the Egyptians than he did the Israelites fear.

Sometimes we face scary things - even when we follow the voice of the Lord, and we do just what He tells us to do. Sometimes, it doesn't look exactly the way we think it should. Sometimes He tells us "I am going to fight for you; you need only to be still." and Sometimes He says, "Let's go. We have to keep moving."

It is vital that we choose to walk by faith, and not by our mere sight. Our eyes and our spirits are too faint - we must put our trust in the Lord, and claim his promises over our lives. Sometimes the purpose of the plan is not to get our attention. Sometimes the plan is to use us as an instrument to gain the attention of someone else. We do not get to know all the answers; we only get to play a small and insignificant role in a furious and glorious love story. If the Isrealites had disobeyed God and stayed in Egypt because it would have been easier for them, they would have missed out on the story of God revealing himself to the Egyptians. The story ends like this:

And when the Isrealites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant. -Exodus 14:31

God's power is constant, and everlasting. It doesn't change from one era in time to the next... He is the same today as he was yesterday, and he will be forever. He is stronger than any cancer, any disease, any injury, any depression, any fear, any debt, any despair, any confusion, any frustration, any evil, any corrupt government, any sex trade, any broken family, any rage, any temper, any need... In fact, where we let God reign, those things must flee. We have authority over those things, because the spirit of the living God lives inside of us. Satan is exponentially weaker than we are. He has no power, and no reign. He is scared to death of the power in the name of Jesus. He trembles in fear. We HAVE to rise up, take authority, claim God's victory and promises, and give him the glory.

We don't get to know all the answers, we just have to trust that God's plan far outweighs our own - He knows exactly what He is doing, and he promises to protect us. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.