The Israelite people were held in bondage by the Egyptians for hundreds of years, waiting in faith for God to set them free and take them to the Promised Land. And He did! He sent them Moses to lead them out of slavery. While they were on the run, with the Egyptians chasing them, they came to the Red Sea. The Red Sea isn't just a small river, it's a large body of water, almost 1400 miles long, and at the widest point more than 220 miles wide! That's a pretty big obstacles to cross in their journey to freedom!
As they approached the Red Sea, the Israelites were afraid, and with good reason. The Egyptians were chasing them, ready to capture and force them back into captivity. But in front of them was a giant sea. Some of the Israelites even considered turning around and going back to Egypt voluntarily. They thought, at least they knew what to expect out of life in Egypt. But God had greater plans. In Exodus 14:13-14, Moses says to the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still."
God then gave Moses directions to raise his staff over the water and the Red Sea split in half! "But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. That day, the Lord saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians... And when the Israelites saw the mighty hand of the Lord displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord, and put their trust in Him." (Exodus 14: 29-31) After they crossed over, the people celebrated with a song of worship. They sang to the God who delivered them, "The Lord is my strength and my song; He has given me victory!" (Exodus 15: 2)
So there's two messages I see in this story...
First, is for people who are facing an obstacle that seems so great, there's no visible way through it. To those people, listen to Moses' encouragement, 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." The Lord will FIGHT for you! You need only to be still. What does it mean to be still? To stop, wait, and put your trust in God. He will make the way known to you! It may just be the next step, but guess what, if you obey and take that next step, He'll give you the one after that, and the one after that, and the one after that, until you find yourself having made it all the way to the Promised Land, just like the Israelites!
Second, is a word for those who have made it through. Maybe you've recently cross over the Red Sea in your life, you've made it past one of those obstacles that was so great, it seemed impossible. The word for you, is "Don't forget to worship!" Don't forget to praise the God that made it possible. Proclaim as loud and as often as you can "The Lord is my strength and my song! He has given me victory!" Declare to yourself over and over, "My God is MIGHTY, my God is STRONG!" Why? For two reasons.
One is, there may be someone else who needs to be encouraged by your victory. By sharing the story of how God was victorious in your life, you may encourage someone else who needs help finding faith in their own Red Sea moment. We can encourage others through our testimony of God's goodness, and help them find the strength to put their trust in Him.
But also, you might find yourself at another Red Sea moment in the future, and you'll need to remind yourself, that God is MIGHTY and STRONG and will give you the VICTORY! You may need to look back one day and remember the words of the song you sang in victory, to find the faith to overcome the next hurdle. We need to keep track of how God has been good in our own lives, to build monuments, and keep record of His faithfulness. Because there will always be another struggle, but if we keep collecting those declarations, we'll have an arsenal of faith to aid us in living a victorious life.
He has never lost a battle"
~Never Lost, Ramp Worship, 2015
