You Need Only Be Still

Read Exodus 14:5-22

“Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” –Exodus 14:16

Have you ever skipped to the end of a story? I confess that I have done that on occasion. When the main characters are going through a difficult passage, when one or more of their lives seem at stake, I’ll sneak a peek at the final pages of the book. I don’t read the ending, per se, but I at least glance at the names, just to see which characters made it through. Somehow, knowing the end gives me courage to keep reading through the difficult and anxious parts.

But sometimes knowing the end of the story keeps us from fully grasping the despair that preceded God’s miraculous intervention. We know that Jesus rose on the third day, so we miss the disbelief of the disciples. We know that Jesus raised Jairus’ daughter from the dead, so we miss the anguish of her father. We know that Jesus healed the lame, the blind, and the leper. We take for granted the incredible faith that preceded their healing.

We know, we know, we know. But what must it have felt like to live in the moments before we knew what God would do? We know that God made a way for the Israelites to cross the Red Sea upon dry ground. But can you imagine the panic they felt in the moments before this miracle, with the thunder of Pharaoh’s chariots bearing down upon them?

Moses was not panicked, though. He did not understand why God had led them to this hemmed-in place along the sea. But his words to the Israelites were full of confidence: “Do not be afraid. Stand firm, and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today… The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (vv. 13-14)

You need only to be still. Words that would be echoed by the Psalmists (“Be still and know that I am God”—Psalm 46:10) and the prophets (“Take heed and be quiet, do not be afraid”—Isaiah 7:4). When we feel trapped, our instinct is to run faster or push harder, to frantically seek out some means of salvation. The last thing we are inclined to do is to be still.

Moses was able to offer these words, though, because he was confident in the end of the story. He did not know how God would rescue his people; he simply knew that God would not leave them alone to perish. God would make a way; Moses’ essential task was to wait for God’s way to present itself (for God to instruct him on when and how to take action).

You might find yourself in a difficult place—financially, vocationally, emotionally, relationally, medically. It may feel like the walls are closing in. If so, remember how the Israelites must have felt on the shores of the Red Sea, how they must have felt when there was nowhere left to turn. Remember that God can make a way where we see none. Trust that the end of the story is already written. Hear the words of Moses: The Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still. We may not be able to peek ahead to see how it will all end, but we can be sure that God’s plans for us are still good.

God, we trust and believe that the end of the story will be good. But from where we sit, it sure doesn’t seem like it. Remind us that You use the darkest of moments to lead to the greatest of triumphs. Displace our panic and despair, and replace them with peace and hope instead. Amen.