Stay Calm and Allow God to Fight for You

Daily Devotional – Saturday, January 2, 2021

The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.

Exodus 14:14 (NLT)

Whenever I read the story of the Israelites shortly before they crossed the Red Sea into the wilderness, two terms come to mind: ‘crisis’ and ‘panic’. The Cambridge Dictionary defines a crisis as “an extremely difficult or dangerous point in a situation.” The word ‘panic’, according to Collins Dictionary, denotes “a very strong feeling of anxiety or fear, which makes you act without thinking carefully”.

According to Exodus 14:10–12, Jacob’s descendants were in a crisis. The Egyptian Army was marching menacingly towards them. Before the crisis-stricken and terrified fleeing slaves was the Red Sea. Humanly speaking, there was no way of escape. They complained to Moses for delivering them from Egypt. Had Pharaoh and his armies arrived sooner, many of the Israelites would have surrendered and returned to Egyptian slavery.

Does that describe you when faced with a crisis? Do you begin to panic and reflect on a time when your life was better, albeit while living under the yoke of sin? Have you ever been in a situation where surrendering to your former passions seemed more logical than following God’s will? Often, these are the times when God appears to be silent and non-responsive.

There is good news, though. Our God is neither too late nor too early. He comes right on time. Before you think of giving in to despondency, fear, and sin, remember Moses’ words of encouragement to the Israelites. In Exodus 14:13–14, Moses expresses confidence in the delivering hand of God. He notes that the Egyptian armies will be no more and that God will deliver the Israelites. Moses only wants the Israelites to remain calm.

A careful look at verse 15 will reveal that God had not told Moses what to do. Verses 13 and 14 are expressions of faith by Moses in the God who had been the mainstay of His people in ages past. Notice also that after Moses expresses his faith and confidence in God, he is directed to use his staff to split the Red Sea to make a way of escape for the Israelites.

As we continue to embrace the New Year, may we learn to be calm when faced with a crisis because God is just about to act in our favour. Secondly, let us practice expressing faith in God, even when He has not acted visibly. There is power in words. Whatever we confess, we will possess. Allow God the Warrior to fight for you.

Prayer

Father God, please help us not to panic when in crisis. Remind us to place hope in You and to wait for Your deliverance. Remind us, also, that our words have power for good; that sometimes You wait for us to express our faith in You before you can act on our behalf.