Saturday, March 15, 2008

Hold Fast

Just being a bit vulnerable at the moment –

It's been a season of freaking out. Issues, complications, problems, heartaches, contentions, drama, and lots of other really scary stuff. I feel like I'm ready to come apart at the seams. The Lord showed me something just a few minutes ago in this passage:

"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, and you shall hold your peace.'" –Ex. 14:12,13

The Israelites were probably freaking out more than me. After all, they were about to get slaughtered by the pissed off Egyptians. Outnumbered and cornered, they shook to the core with fear. Moses straightened them out though. It was no Braveheart moment. Moses didn't get them all pumped up to fight in a blur of rage and glory. Nope, he told them to just stand there and watch the Lord fight for them.

Um, seriously? You want me to just stand here with my back up against this wall and watch? Shouldn't I get my sword ready or something? How am I supposed to make myself chill out and not being afraid? I'm about to die, Man. This is it. This is really the end. My family is looking to me for protection and they're scared, too. Your religious pep talk is fine and all but your timing is way off.

Hmm. That's what my initial thought would have been I think. Actually, that's what my thought process has been similar to lately.

Sure, there's a time to fight. But sometimes, God's Spirit speaks to us and tells us the same thing that Moses told his people in the passage. Where does my fear come from anyway? I'll tell you – it comes from a lack of trust in God. Period. So, what am I to do?

Stand still. Stop freaking out. Cast my burdens and cares upon Him (1 Pet. 5:7). And then the cool part happens. As I'm watching, trusting, waiting, I will actually SEE the salvation of the Lord in my life. The Lord will fight these emotional battles for me as I hold my peace. He'll provide escapes from impossible situations that I never would have figured out on my own. Salvation, I believe, is a three-part thing. I HAVE BEEN saved from the penalty of sin; I AM BEING saved from the power of sin, and I WILL BE saved from the very presence of sin. This "Salvation of the Lord" thing is not just a distant concept that took place during some altar call. It's being worked out in my life daily as I witness God fighting my battles for me. Just like David fought Goliath on behalf of the Israelites, I have a Greater-than-David, the Son of David – Jesus, who fights for me.

If you're dealing with crap today, I do think that you'd be wise to consider what Moses told his people about standing still, having peace, and trusting God to fight on their behalf.

It's true that the Israelites survived after God miraculously parted the waters. They wrote a song of praise and victory. However, wouldn't it have been awesome if they sung praises of victory and triumph BEFORE they knew how God would save them? That's the real deal. Let's praise God IN ADVANCE for delivering us and rescuing us. That's real faith. Hey, I know it's hard. Let's choose to do it anyway. God is true to His Word. Jesus is in the boat with me as I weather these nasty storms. At the appropriate time, the waters will part and I'll cross through on dry land. When the time is right, Jesus will stand up in my boat and shout, "Peace, be still!" I don't want to be a weakling anymore. Against every fiber in my being that is trying to panic and run, I'm going to hold fast, fix my eyes upon my Savior, and ride this storm out.