But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today… The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.” (Exodus 14:13-14)
Our story today finds the Hebrew descendants of Abraham enslaved in Egypt, crying out under oppression. God heard their cry and raised up a deliverer in Moses. Moses famously demanded of Pharoah, “Let my people go”, and after the trauma and death of the plagues, Pharoah let the people go. And they went. They went all the way to the Red Sea, where they realized Pharoah had changed his mind about releasing the slave population that made life in Egypt possible.
So the Hebrews found themselves trapped, between Pharoah’s armies and the deeps of the sea.
As Pharaoh drew near, the sons of Israel looked, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and they became very frightened; so the sons of Israel cried out to the Lord. (Exodus 14:10)
Do you relate to that feeling?
Have you found yourself between a rock and a hard place? At the end of your rope? Between the devil and the deep blue sea?
Do you know what it feels like to be trapped?
I don’t have any physical enemies chasing me down, and there’s not an actual sea to cross for me to find safety. But when I picture the Hebrews trapped at water’s edge, cornered and seeing no way forward or back, I see my own battle with fear. When the path before me is shrouded in darkness, I feel desperate for a way out.
And I hear Moses, calling across the centuries, reminding me that sometimes God provides a way not out, but through.
Sometimes God asks me to stand and fight, but there are battles that are too big for me.
Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord swept the sea back by a strong east wind all night and turned the sea into dry land, so the waters were divided. The sons of Israel went through the midst of the sea on the dry land, and the waters were like a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. (Exodus 14:21-22)
Do you believe that God can do for people today what He did for the Hebrews in antiquity? Do you believe He hears your cry and can rescue you?
If there’s no way OUT, can you trust God to lead you safely THROUGH?
Journaling Prompts:
How do you relate to the Hebrews in our story today? What in your life right now makes you feel trapped, like you need a way out?
The hardest and often best lessons in life come when we want a way out, but God leads us THROUGH instead. How have you experienced this?
What might it look like in your current situation for God to fight for you, while you are silent?
This post is the latest in the NO FEAR Devotional Series. If this resonated with you, check back every Tuesday, and read the previous posts in the series here.
Renee Davis Meyer 
[…] No Fear study this week continues the story of Moses and the Isrealites, who saw the Lord fight for them, while they had only to be still. After crossing the Red Sea and experiencing the deliverance of the Lord, the Hebrews were ready to […]