Devotions: Quiet Trust Between a Rock and a Hard Place

 

But Moses said to the people, “Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.”

Exodus 14:13-14 New American Standard Bible 1995

 

I love these verses! The Israelites were slaves in Egypt. Moses came to deliver them. The ten plagues and Passover happened, and Pharaoh let the people go. However, after a day or two the sting of the plagues wore off and he decided he wanted his slaves back, so his army set chase and caught up with the Israelites (likely well over a million people) at the Red Sea. The Israelites were caught between a rock and a hard place, as it were. Understandably, they panicked, but this was God’s response through Moses. God accomplished their salvation completely. They didn’t even have to do anything, just stand by and watch. The phrase, while you keep silent, is connected to Isaiah 30:15 which says “in quietness and trust is your strength.” God wants us to trust Him, to fully rely on Him. The word quietness connotes the idea of peace and rest. We shouldn’t worry, fret or complain about our situation. All of those actions show our lack of trust in God. To trust God means that we believe whole heartedly that He will take care of us to the extent that we can rest while He does the work. I used to be a worrier. In college I took a trip to visit family in Germany with my aunt. We had to travel by train from north to south, a trip that took all day. Some of our changes only gave us a few minutes to get from one train to the next, and our first train was running late. On the flight in and that first train I was a basket case. The train was packed and we were not able to sit together. Finally, in the middle of the long journey, I pulled out my Bible and read in psalms. I don’t remember what passage but I finally convinced myself that worry would not get us there any faster. It was in God’s hands so I needed to just relax and wait. I was actually able to fall asleep, and wouldn’t you know we made all of our connections with time to spare. God is completely in control and knows everything. He knows what will happen before it happens and how best to accomplish it. Why would we not trust Him? The key to that is control. We worry when we are not willing to let go of control. God knows what will happen, He knows what is best for us, and He knows just how to do it. We need only sit back and watch Him work.

Are you worried about something? Do things seem out of control or impossible? Trust God. Surrender your life into the hands of the only One who has the power to do anything about it. Sit back in peace, knowing that God will deliver you.

 

 

 

To view a video of this devo, visit my facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/evelynbray.author

To receive these devotions daily, like my page or subscribe to my blog by entering your email in the subscription box to the right!