Seeds of Wisdom

THE LORD WILL FIGHT FOR YOU

Exodus 14:14 - “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

There is a lot to grapple with when meditating on the opening scripture. The young nation of Israel learned a lesson about this early on in their journey to the Promised Land. When the people found themselves trapped between the Red Sea and the powerful Egyptian army, they let fear overcome their faith. Moses reminded them to look to the Lord, who could and would deliver them. And we need to respond the same way today. It might seem too amazing to be true, but the God of the universe wants to be our champion, the Warrior who will gain victory for us. While we know that He is Mighty, we can sometimes forget to call on Him in the midst of trials. And that is exactly when we need to lean on Him the most.

This verse consists of two parts. The first half talks about God’s part in our battles. “The Lord will fight for you…”  The Bible gives us the clear message that God not only goes to battle on our behalf, but He conquers the enemy. Sometimes He performs visible miracles, like parting the Red Sea before the Hebrews, then bringing the water down to swallow up the Egyptian army. Other times, He more subtly creates or changes circumstances to help us.

The second half of Exodus 14:14, tells us what our part is in going through struggles; “... you need only to be still.” Again, many passages urge us to be patient and trusting until God acts in His perfect timing. Moses urged the Israelites to remember how God had already provided, and to wait expectantly. We too can rest in the knowledge that He is already working in our hardships and will guide our steps forward.

Further Reading: Exodus 14, Psalm 46, 27:13-14, Proverbs 3:5-6

Prayer: Father, help me to be still and wait for You to fight all my battles.