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I can’t help it. I laugh every time I read Exodus 14:11.

The situation was surely calamitous, no doubt about it. Pharaoh and all his army, chariots, and horses on one side, and on the other a deep, dark, blue sea called the Red Sea on the other. Nowhere to go and nowhere to hide. They were stuck in the middle of a bad situation.

The first thing the Israelites do is turn to Moses, raise their hands in that very Jewish gesture, and say, “What? Are there no graves in Egypt that you must bring us out to the wilderness to die? It would have been better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”

I know Moses didn’t feel like laughing. But, I can’t help myself. The sarcasm is so typical of one of my Jewish friends.

I’m quite sure Moses keenly felt God’s frustration in that moment. The children of Israel had just been moaning and groaning under the weight of slavery. They had witnessed the glorious power of God’s judgment on Egypt through all 10 plagues. They felt His sweet grace by being spared from all of them, especially the Angel of Death. At the next sign of trouble they are complaining again.

Any person who has ever worried cannot point a finger and say, “Ummmm. What a sorry lot they were.” How short our memory. How fickle our hearts.

When we finally and truly learn that no matter the situation or dire straits we find ourselves in, it is all for God’s glory, then and only then will we be able to fully bring Him all the glory due Him. Then we will know that whatever the trouble, it is salutary.

Now comes the tricky part. Sometimes the trouble is a consequence of wrong choices. So how can that be healthful, or to our benefit? When you burn your hand on a hot stove or pan, you are ultimately more careful of anything hot,therefore avoiding future burns that may be dibilitating. Discipline of a child makes a better adult.

Another truth we see in this sojourn through the sea is that no matter the trouble, the wicked will have retribution. We are responsible for our own choices, but we are not responsible for others’ choices or the consequences of those choices.

The dead bodies of Pharaoh and his army washed up on the Red Sea shore because he refused to see God was greater. Pharaoh chose to disregard the truth staring him in the face so many times that God removed His influence over him. This was something God did with the wicked throughout time (Romans 1:24-26).

Moses told the people to do the one thing that is the hardest thing to do when neck deep in trouble. He said, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.”

“Be still and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10a is one of those verses that we hold dear when trouble abounds. The rest of that verse is the reason we are to stand still, “I will be praised among the nations; I will be praised in the earth.”

It is not our doing that fixes the problems. It is the work of God. And it is for His glory among the nations and around the world.

Yes. He loves us, and cares for us, and rescues us, and delights in us. All of these wonderful things do not require our belief. While we were sinners, He loved us and Christ died for us (Romans 5:8). On the other hand, our salvation does require our belief (John 3:16, Romans 1:16) and faith (Ephesians 2:8).

God said, “Go forward.” So the Israelites walked across on dry land, but they also walked between two walls of water. They had to trust God to keep those walls of water, from crashing in upon them. (The place where they crossed is about eight miles across and gently slopes down to 900 feet deep. It is a natural bridge between two underwater canyons, sheer drops that are about five thousand feet deep. Archeologist Ron Wyatt found coral crusts in the shapes of chariot wheels and axels along this underwater bridge. These shapes, eight-spoked and six-spoked wheels, would not arbitrarily form in nature. If you’d like to know more about this, watch Wyatt’s video, Exodus.)

Rest patiently… Stand still in those difficult circumstances until you hear God say, “Go forward.” During that time you stand still, God is drawing back the obstacles blocking your way, and He is drying the ground so your feet will find firm ground.

God is mightier than any circumstance or person or principality. He has proven it over and over. How many times must we ask God to prove Himself before we can confidently stand still? How often will we ask God, “So there are no graves in Egypt that You must bring me to the wilderness to die?”

The Angel of the Lord who went before the Children of Israel moved from the front to the back (Exodus 14:19). Both the Pillar of Cloud and the Pillar of Fire stood sentinel for Israel. God protected His people, therefore rest assured He will guard your back while He arranges the perfect path for you to go forward.

Perhaps a perfect resolution for this year is I will endeavor to stand still and know that He is God, and I will give Him the glory.

"'Winging It" from Stan Smith

Washed by the Water of the Word