This thought came to me first, actually, when reading a passage in the Bible. But then also I looked at days…months…instances in my life where if I really thought about it, this was exactly what I felt like. And the worst part was…these are God’s fault.
Now I love God, and I trust Him, but it doesn’t always mean I understand what He’s doing and why it had to happen.
I was preparing for a class talking about the promises of God, and the verse I’d picked sounded so beautiful as a stand-alone. Personally I think it’s one we should all memorize.
The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.
Exodus 14:14
Ahh yes, such a great reminder and verse, just what I needed to hear right now in my life. So, if you’ve read some of my other blogs, what am I going to say next? Well first, look it up and read it in your own Bible. But then, I’m going to say, I read the verses around it, the story in which the amazing quote came from.
I hope you took a minute to do just that and read the story in Exodus 14, but if you didn’t (and even if you did) I’m going to do a quick summary. The Israelites as a nation have been in slavery to Egyptians for around 200 years (the timeline is shaky partly because Egyptian kings tried to wipe out documentation of previous kings and times, each believing in the after-life and their own own sovereignty). These former slaves are finally called out after God used 10 plagues to demonstrate He, alone, was God and stronger than pharaoh. A million-plus strong, they are marching across the desert from Egypt to Canaan the promised land. God’s presence is physically with them, a pillar of fire by night and a cloud to cool them by day…to cover a million souls, this wasn’t a small cloud and they were not hidden. But why should they be? God was leading them to the promised land!
Now, read verse 1 of Exodus 14. ” Then the LORD said to Moses, ‘Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp….'” That caught my thought just a bit. Turn back? As you’re escaping? I mean, God was leading, God was all victorious…they’re trusting this God and their amazing leader Moses….but turn back? Wouldn’t you want to “make haste”? Keep reading. “Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert….’ and he will pursue them.” Wait wait wait God, you brought these people out…you promise you’re with them and you physically are…and now you’re telling them to wander around in circles like they are lost so that the bad-guy can come chase them? Sitting ducks.
Sound like anything you’re going through? Sure did to me. I’m trusting you….I thought you had a good plan for me (Jeremiah 29:11 anyone?)…but now I feel like you’re LITERALLY setting me up like a sitting duck!
Keep reading (of course). “[The LORD says] But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” And as the story goes, this is what happens. The Israelites react very much like we probably do “Why God? What are you doing? I wish you wouldn’t have even brought me here! I knew you’d do this!” I’m a sitting duck!
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
And if you read on as you should, you can see that this happened in such a fantastic way, God’s deliverance of his people. When you’re in the middle of trouble, knowing in your heart you’ve followed God, when questions arise and you wonder if you made a mistake or if God just wants you to feel all alone and, well, like a sitting duck….remember Exodus 14. Remember God is with you. There is a good possibility that He has led you here and even is allowing you to “go in circles” and even look like all is lost…which seems so unlike God it may make you question His motives and His Sovereignty. You’re not alone. God is before you and behind you. God has a plan. And the likelihood is that it is for His glory, not yours. But He will make a way…do not be afraid…stand firm…the LORD will fight for you…you need only to be still.
