One
of my favorite stories in the Bible is when the Israelites are fleeing Egypt
and are about to cross the Red Sea. Do
you remember that story? God had told
Moses to go to Pharaoh and demand that he let his people go. Pharaoh refuses, so God sends plagues. Pharaoh continues to enslave the Israelites
until the last plague takes the life of his son. He finally relents, so the Israelites pack
all their belongings and begin to run.
But
almost immediately after releasing the people, Pharaoh has second thoughts and
sends his chariots and armies to recapture them. It is a tense situation for the people when
they reach the Red Sea, knowing that Pharaoh and his men are closing in
quickly. They look to Moses for help,
wondering how God is going to rescue them now.
And here is what Moses says:
“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance
the LORD will bring you today. The LORD
will fight for you; you need only to be still.”
Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV)
The Egyptian
arming is coming fast and furious on horses with weapons drawn and the Red Sea
is just ahead, raging and impassable...I think the last thing I would think of
doing would be standing still! These people risked everything for their
freedom.
And now Moses was asking them
to stop and be still?
I would be
preparing to fight, run, or swim. Anything but stand still.
I think
reading other translations of this verse only enlarge our understanding:
The King
James Version reads, “hold your peace.”
The New
Living Translations says, “just stay calm.”
The English
Standard Version reads, “be silent.”
And The
Message uses the strongest language, “keep your mouths shut.”
Here is how
the dictionary defines the word still:
Motionless, unmoving, deep silence and calm,
subdued, free from disturbance or commotion
Not exactly
the words one would use for battle, right?
Maybe I would
be so scared that I would be rendered motionless, but quiet? I think it would be hard to stifle the
screams that would naturally rise out of my mouth.
Yet, that is
exactly what Moses told the Israelites to do: stand firm and be still.
And I think
God speaks to us in same way today.
Are you
facing a battle right now?
Do you feel
like the armies are closing in and there is raging sea up ahead?
I feel like I
have been in some battles of my own the last few months. And my natural
tendency is to fight...especially when those battles involve people I love and
want to defend. I also want to run...when
things get too difficult. Standing still
is not something that comes naturally to me.
Neither does being quiet. Fight or flight is often my involuntary
response to crisis.
But God keeps
whispering in my ear:
"Be still.”
“Hold your peace.”
“I've got this one.”
“Trust me."
“Shhhhh...be quiet.”
Sometimes the
Lord does tell us to fight like he did with David and Goliath or with Joshua
and the Battle of Jericho. He calls us to action. But other times,
like with the Israelites fleeing Egypt, he tells us to be
still. He asks us to trust Him to fight our battles and to watch
and wait for victory in His way and in His timing.
I don't know
what enemies you may be facing today on the journey, nor do I know if God is
asking you to fight or stand still. Maybe He is just asking you to slow
down so that you can hear His voice.
Either way, I
want you to be encouraged by how the story ends for the Israelites. God parts
the Red Sea and enables them to escape the Egyptians by walking through on dry
land.
Truly
amazing! He delivers them completely and all they had to do was stand
firm and be still just like He said.
The battle is
the Lord's and His call to us is to BE STILL.
About the Author: Carla Gasser
When not teaching, writing or speaking, I am most myself as a wife and
mom living in Hudson, Ohio with my four very active children (ages 18, 16, 14 &10). I am married to Michael, my childhood friend and high school
sweetheart, over 24 years ago and feel very fortunate to have such a loving, generous
and level headed partner and best friend.
I also enjoy serving in the women's ministry at my church, mentoring
young women, and volunteering in the local public schools my children attend.
I continue to teach Bible studies and have a passion for local outreach.
You can learn more about me and my ministry by visiting
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