Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. Exodus 14:13
Since the start of the decade, it may feel like your path has been clouded with uncertainty. From the outbreak of COVID-19 and a period of physical and emotional distance from loved ones, to the rising cost of living and its widespread, devastating impact. Perhaps you feel angry, frustrated, hopeless. You might find yourself asking, ‘How am I supposed to cope, as a Christian, in a world that feels so fractured?’
Let’s take a moment to gain some wisdom from God’s Word. The Bible is full of stories of struggle, but time and again we see how, even in those darkest moments, we are never alone. God is there to love his people through all the hurt and brokenness. He’s there to hear our frustration and our questions.
When the Israelites were freed from Egypt in Exodus 14, they weren’t quick to give thanks or praise. They bombarded Moses with questions, preferring the certainty of their servitude to the uncertainty of their journey to freedom.
And what was Moses’ response?
Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today.
Exodus 14:13
And so it was. Despite all of their fear and anger, God continued to show his faithfulness. He simply responded by telling Moses to guide the Israelites through the seas, which he would part.
Having honest conversations with God is important for our faith – in times of crisis, it’s essential. He wants to hear the truth of what’s on your heart and mind. He certainly won’t love you any less. When we’re real with God, it allows him to show us another way forward, perhaps even the kind we never would have fathomed (like walking through a pathway in the middle of the sea!)
Whatever you’re feeling right now, don’t be afraid to share it with God. But, most importantly, don’t forget to listen to how he responds. He is holding out his hand to guide you from a place of uncertainty to a place of peace. As Moses goes on to say in Exodus 14, ‘The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still’.
