Before the Sea Parted

Before the Sea Parted
By Caspar Luyken

“And 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. … 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. The Lord will fight for you; you have only to keep still.’”
Exodus 14:10, 13-14

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Take a moment to cast your mind back to the vivid account in Exodus 14, where we find Moses and the children of Israel trapped between the wrathful Egyptian forces and the seemingly impassable Red Sea. It is a moment laden with fear and uncertainty, yet it also becomes a testament to divine intervention and the power of faith.
Imagine the trepidation in the hearts of the Israelites, as they stood at the edge of the unknown, a roaring sea before them and an army at their heels. It was Moses, however, who lifted his staff, not in defiance, but in faith. "Fear not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD," he preached, embodying the deep conviction that the seemingly impossible can become possible when God intervenes. This faith wasn't based on what he could see before him, but on a trust in the character and promises of God--a trust we, too, are invited to cultivate.

In our own lives, we often find ourselves in the shadow of seemingly insurmountable obstacles. We may feel cornered by circumstances, trapped between a proverbial 'rock and a hard place.' Yet, in these moments, we can apply Moses's ancient exhortation to 'fear not' and to 'stand still.' We 'fear not' when we allow our faith in God to shore up our worries with trust in His care. To 'stand still' is not to become passive, but to patiently wait for the divine to act in our lives. For the Lord who parted the Red Sea can also part all obstacles we face in our paths.

As we face our own 'Red Sea moments', let us not forget the words of Moses. Even in the face of total uncertainty, we are called to trust in God, to stand firm, and not give way to fear. As we exercise this faith, we will witness the 'salvation of the Lord', the deliverance from our trials, the resolution of our problems, and the opening of unexpected paths before us. Let us step into our own seas of uncertainty with faith and patience, trusting that, as we do so, we too can cross on dry ground.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~