May 08, 2020

Bible Reading – Exodus 14

Exodus 14:13-14
And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever.
The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

The Salvation of the Lord is a common theme throughout Scripture while another equally common theme is the desperation of man. The Children of Israel were following the presence of God in the pillar of fire and the pillar of cloud, but in doing so, they found themselves in a position that made them uncomfortable and even caused them to doubt God. Why would God lead them to a place where there was no way forward? With the Red Sea before them and mountains on either side, common sense told them that the only direction they could go was back from where they came. Unfortunately and terrifyingly, that was not an option due to the mighty Egyptian army that was rapidly catching up to them. They knew they were in a bad place, unable to escape. The only thing they knew was slavery. The Egyptians were a mighty people with an incredible military. Israel had never trained in battle. They had no weapons of war, and they would not have been useful against the Egyptian’s equipment anyways. Egypt had chariots, military formations, the high ground, and every other imaginable advantage aside from one.

While it made no sense to Israel why God would have led them to such a place, the presence and blessing of God, would overcome any advantage the Egyptians would have had. God didn’t need a mighty army. He didn’t need strong weapons or great formations. He didn’t even need the common sense of man. His presence, wisdom, and power were all the children of Israel needed, and as long as they continued to trust Him, He would deliver them from incredible circumstances against even the most unbelievable odds.

When I find myself at a place in life where circumstances can be overwhelming, I must realize that, while difficult and scary, those are the best places to be when following God. It is in those times where I have to stop forcing my way, and I get to step back and watch God do things His way. None of us would intentionally bring ourselves into those difficult places, but when we follow God into them, we can rest assured He will not let us down. He can turn the most daunting situation into the most memorable victory. He can bring us through in such a way where we can always look back and thank and praise Him for being such a great God, which is all He can be.

Eli Faulds