“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord”
Exodus 14:13a (ESV)
TRUST IN THE LORD
As we saw yesterday, the Israelites were frozen on the shores of the Red Sea. They did not trust Moses—and by proxy, God—and they wavered in their decision to enter the waters. We’ll leave that part of the story for a moment and step back to their days of captivity in Egypt.
Moses delivers God’s message to Pharaoh, but things have not gone as he expected. Moses addresses the Lord, saying,
“O Lord, why have you done evil to this people? Why did you ever send me?
For since I came to Pharaoh to speak in your name, he has done evil to this people, and you have not delivered your people at all” (Ex. 5:22b–23).
The people are still suffering at the hands of their Egyptian masters. The king of Egypt refuses to let them go—but he is about to learn a very tough lesson. God reassures Moses that He is in control. He tells him,
“Now you will see what I will do to Pharaoh: Because of my mighty hand he will let them go; because of my mighty hand he will drive them out of his country” (Ex. 6:1, NIV).
Ten plagues later, the people are freed from their bondage.
We now return to the edge of the Red Sea. Moses answers the people’s indecision with,
“Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will work for you today.
For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.
The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent” (Ex. 14:13b–14).
The deep waters of the Red Sea lie ahead, and the entire Egyptian army lies behind. And Moses instructs the people to “only be silent.” The Psalter reminds us that God is our “refuge and strength.” Though the seas may “roar and foam,” the “Lord of hosts is with us.”
“Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46).
I don’t know about you, but I struggle with the whole “be still and be silent” dynamic. I’m analytical, a problem-solver. Trusting in the abilities of others is sometimes a challenge for me. With God, however, it all comes down to trust. Before we can act, we must believe that God is trustworthy. As the writer of Proverbs notes,
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.
In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths” (Prov. 3:5–6).
For the Israelites, their “straight path” to safety and freedom could only be traversed by putting their faith and trust in God. He alone had the power to separate the waters of the Red Sea.
It ultimately comes down to obedient faith. Obedient faith leads to action, which builds trust, which results in stronger faith and unwavering obedience—and the cycle continues. Ask yourself: Who do you trust when you’re facing obstacles on all sides? Are you “leaning on your own understanding,” or will you
“Taste and see that the Lord is good! Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him” (Ps. 34:8)?
Take heart—God is more than worthy of your trust. As we will discuss tomorrow, trusting in the Lord will get you “off the fence” and moving along the path He provides.
Digging Deeper (er):
Hebrews 11:6; Psalm 112:7; Psalm 143:8
Phil Meade is a father of 3, and grandfather of 5. He has a Masters Degree in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NS. He retired after 8 years as an Air Force pilot, and 33 years as a Delta pilot.
