The Israelites were stuck (Exodus 14). They had done everything God told them, followed everywhere Moses led them. Now they were stuck between the sea and the Egyptian army, and in terrible danger.
They probably thought, “I did everything I was supposed to do. Why is this happening?”
Because that’s the way we tend to think. We do our best, but bad things still happen. Things that activate our fight, flight or freeze response.
But Moses answered, “Don’t be afraid! Don’t run away! Stand where you are and watch the Lord save you today. You will never see these Egyptians again. You will not have to do anything but stay calm. The Lord will do the fighting for you.” Exodus 14:13-14 Easy-to-Read Version
No fight. No flight. No freezing. Easy for me to say, because I know the rest of the story: seven verses later God parts the sea.
But at that moment in time, the Israelites did not know how – or if – God would work things out for them. They just knew that He was saying He would. And they were still stuck.
Sometimes I find myself stuck between a rock (or a barrier) and a hard place (or a threat) with no way out. But God tells me, “Don’t be afraid! Don’t run away! Stand where you are and watch the Lord save you today.” And even though I read my Bible, I’m not sure that He will. So I help Him out by “tweaking” the situation. (I wish I would remember that “poking the bear” never ends well.)
I wish I would remember to remind myself, “Don’t be afraid.” I make lousy decisions when panicked.
I wish I would remember not to run away. Avoidance never solves anything. Besides, I can’t see what God is doing if I’m covering my eyes!
I wish I would remember to stand still – not frozen in fear but quiet in trust – and calmly watch to see what God is doing.
Then when I see God work, I can celebrate the victory (Exodus 15)!
The Lord is my strength.
He saves me,
and I sing songs of praise to him.
He is my God,
and I praise him.
He is the God of my ancestors,
and I honor him. Exodus 15:2 Easy-to-Read Version
And maybe the next time, I will remember!