Daily devotional · August 2
Stand Still, Then Move
“But Moses told the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the LORD’s salvation, which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Then the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. And as for you, lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”
Israel stands between an army and the sea, and Moses tells them something surprising: stop panicking, stay steady, watch what God will do. Yet a few lines later God says, in effect, why are you still crying out? Tell the people to move. Both instructions belong together. There is a time to be still and trust, and a time to walk forward into what looks impossible. Fear tends to freeze us or make us run in circles, while faith gives us calm first and direction second. The water opened only as they stepped toward it. Look at Exodus 14:14, where the battle is described as the Lord's, not yours. Today, ask yourself whether you are stuck in worry when God is asking you to act, or rushing when he is asking you to wait. Take a quiet minute, breathe slowly, and ask him which one it is.
Also read
“The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.””
Exodus 14:14
Prayer
God of the sea and the desert, quiet my fear and show me whether to wait or to walk. I trust that the battle is yours.