He Will Fight For You

You know those times when you come across a Scripture verse and you question if that's really a legitimate verse? This was me today. I was on Pinterest (my new fave website-lots of fun inspiration) and someone posted this picture/verse:
I thought for a moment and found myself asking "Is this really what Exodus 14:14 says?!?" So I pulled up the ever-so-handy Bible Gateway.com (cause I didn't have my own Bible with me) and sure enough, that's exactly what it says. How have I never heard this verse before?! I'm sure you can relate! When you come across a verse that hits you like a ton of bricks you can't help but think, "Why am I just now reading this?!"

As I dug a little deeper and read all of chapter 14 I realised I was more familiar with this than I thought! I bet you are too :)! This verse sits smack dab in the middle of the story of the parting of the Red Sea. Moses & the Israelites have fled and Pharoah is now after them. He has enlisted "...six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them." (14:7)

As soon as the Israelites saw the Egyptian army approaching, they freaked! They began to question Moses (their leader) and ask, "Why didn't you let us just stay in Egypt? It would have been better to stay there and live than die here in the desert." And Moses answers them with this...drum roll please...

"Don't 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." (Ex. 14:13&14)

Oh, right. Just be still as this enormous army is right on our tails ready to kill us for fleeing their captivity. Right, Moses...anything you say. That *might* have been my response had I been there...just a hunch.

Then the Lord proceeds to perform one of the most spectacular miracles; one we've seen portrayed time and time again in Sunday School lessons, cartoon videos and even paintings...the Lord tells Moses to lift up his staff (basically a stick) and stretch out his hand and divide the waters so the Israelites can walk on dry land and cross the sea. Uhhh, amazing. Can't even imagine how incredible and difficult it would have been to trust that first, the water would actually do that and second, that it would STAY like that until they all finished crossing! The story ends in further victory. The Lord makes the waters "flow back" on to the Egyptians so they can't reach the Israelites and not one lives.

So let me tell you what hit me today and why I wanted to recount this incredible story in Christian history:

There are (and will be) "Egyptians" that come at us every day. They will try and discourage, enslave, rule us. Be it a person, addiction, struggle, frustration, even choices we're faced with. And satan will do whatever he can to get as close to us as possible. And just as we are about to question God asking Him, "Why did You do this to me OR why me OR how come..." take a moment and declare,

I will not be afraid.

I will stand firm and see the deliverance the Lord has for me today.

The "Egyptians" I see today I will never see again.

The Lord will FIGHT FOR ME!

And I will be still.

Thank you, Lord, that stories and miracles we read about in the Old Testament can be applied to our lives today! Your Word says you are "the same yesterday, today and forever." What hope that gives us. Thank you. Amen.