“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
How hard it was for the Israelites to step away from what they knew! Even though they were slaves, beaten and worked unto death, it was still all the people had known; 430 years to the day the Israelites were in Egypt. They witnessed God’s mighty power when the cloud and pillar led them to the Red Sea; they were terrified at the prospect of dying at the hands of the Egyptians. They watched as Moses parted the Red Sea, and the cloud and pillar stood between them and the Egyptians to allow 600,000 men, women and children to cross between two walls of water.
As with every new life, many hardships and doubts arose the further they traveled into the desert. The Israelites knew that God was going with them and that He had appointed Moses lead them, and they were still very afraid of the unknown. They worried about how they would eat and where they would find water to sustain them. God provided manna in the morning and quail in the evening; He provided water from a rock at Horeb. During their wanderings with Moses, God provided The Ten Commandments. The Israelites had to have a lot of courage, strength and a total belief in God to face the incredible journey He led them on.
You cannot have courage if you are not afraid. You cannot know strength until you have been weak. A true relationship with God begins with paying attention to His daily miracles and believing He is with us in our challenges and in our triumphs. We need only to be still and know He is God!
Sue Gibbons, The Worship Team
