
The story of Israel crossing the Red Sea is one that still amazes me. It is hard for me to imagine living during this era in our history because here in America we have become so dependent on the advances of technology that it can be difficult to imagine a world without it.
Moses and Aaron go to free the people of Israel out of slavery in Egypt according to God’s command. By the power of God, Moses unleashes ten plagues that are done before Pharaoh. After the tenth plague he finally lets the people of Israel go. The people are led out of Egypt by way of the Red Sea into the wilderness. It appears that after Pharaoh has sometime to contemplate exactly what he just did, that he cannot believe that he just let all these people go with Moses instead of serving him (Exodus 14:5). Pharaoh decides to go after them and force there return, but as he pursues Israel, Israel notices them off in the distance and they begin to question if what they did was right in leaving Egypt. They wanted to know why would Moses just lead them out into the wilderness to die (Exodus14:10-12)? Moses hears there complaining and then proceeds to make two very bold statements in Exodus 14:13-14. First he tells them to not be afraid and watch what God will do. Then he tells the people that, “…The Lord will fight for you…”, WOW! If you want to have someone not only on your side when you go to battle, but someone who instead will actually step in and fight for you, then who better than God.
Now just for a minute I want you to stop and think about that statement, “The Lord will fight for you…”. Can you imagine hearing this statement from Moses and how it made the people feel? How do you think you would feel? It is not clear in the text but one thing is certain, God showed up that day in a mighty way? Do you believe the Lord still fights for us today in 2016? Where do you see the mighty hand of God working and fighting?
We can read time and time again throughout Scripture when God provided for His people. Now this does not mean we won’t experience trials as James explains, but we can trust that God is there guiding and teaching us in all things. What is God teaching you? How are you using what you learn to grow in maturity in Christ? Just because you learn it does not mean you are growing until you act on what you learned. Sometimes when we are asking for wisdom from God, He allows us to experience these trials in our life in order that we would gain wisdom by going through a particular event.
How are you fighting for God in your life? How do you see God fighting for you?
Exodus 14:10-14 NKJV 10And when Pharaoh drew near, the children of Israel lifted their eyes, and behold, the Egyptians marched after them. So they were very afraid, and the children of Israel cried out to the Lord. 11 Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? 12 Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.” 13 And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.
James 1:2-5 NKJV 2My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, 3 knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience. 4 But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing. 5 If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.
James 1:21-25 NKJV 21Therefore lay aside all filthiness and overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls. 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; 24 for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was. 25 But he who looks into the perfect law of liberty and continues in it, and is not a forgetful hearer but a doer of the work, this one will be blessed in what he does.
1st Timothy 6:11-16 NKJV 11 But you, O man of God, flee these things and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, patience, gentleness. 12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing, 15 which He will manifest in His own time, He who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings and Lord of lords, 16 who alone has immortality, dwelling in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see, to whom be honor and everlasting power. Amen.