Fear Not

Exodus 14:13-14  And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace. 

At the Red Sea the nation of Israel had their backs up against a wall so to speak.  A body of water in front of them and their enemy pressing in hard behind them.  This enemy was one they thought they had just escaped from. Yet here the enemy was pressing in on them.  Even though the enemy was close enough to be seen, God set Himself up as a barrier between the Israelites and the Egyptian enemy. And God made a way for them to escape from the enemy that seemed to be hemming them in.  He will do the same for us.  

God will protect us as the enemy bears down on us and will provide a way of escape. In this situation God's command to the Israelites was to "fear not."  Sometimes that can be difficult. As we face difficult situations like this, we can choose to listen to God or give into our fear.  When we give into our fear it certainly does not help the situation at all.  Fear keeps our focus on the enemy and on the problem instead of on God who is the only one who can bring forth salvation in the situation. When we give in to fear we lack the peace and rest that is to be ours. In that state it is more difficult to hear God and to move with Him.  When our back is up against the wall and the enemy is pressing in hard, may we embrace the Word of the Lord and not walk in fear.  May we see the salvation of our God as He fights for us.  Victory is ours!

 "The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest."  (AMP Bible Ex. 14:14)  

NEVER FORGOTTEN

Sometimes we may feel like God has forgotten us. Although it may seem that way because of how we feel or what we see going on around us, it is not true. Sometimes the enemy will be blasting that lie into our ears.  It is just that, "a lie."  The truth is found in God's Word and we can stand on that.  And at the times we feel forgotten or hear that lie in our ear we can declare the truth.  We must declare and stand on the truth of God's Word to us.

Isaiah 49:14-16 But Zion said, The LORD hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. 15 Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. 16 Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.

Hebrews 3:5-6 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. 6 So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.

Different Eyes

When David came to the front lines where the giant, Goliath, had kept the armies of Israel cowering in fear, he looked with different eyes than the others.  Unlike the armies amassed there or the people of Israel at edge of the Promised Land in the past, David looked at the giant as a defeated foe.  David understood that he and the armies of Israel were in covenant relationship with the living God. David had experienced the victorious power of this God at work on his behalf and through him in the sheepfolds.  When he encountered this enemy on the battle field, David looked unto His God as he had at times in the past and took the down the giant that had kept the armies of Israel paralyzed for way too long.  There are giants that have kept us from victory and from moving on for too long.  We need eyes to see as God sees and faith in our hearts to believe God is true to His Word.  We are victorious warriors needing to enforce the victory of our Lord so that people will know the true and living God.

1 Samuel 17:23, 24, 26, 45-47 And as he (David) talked with them, behold, there came up the champion, the Philistine of Gath, Goliath by name, out of the armies of the Philistines, and spake according to the same words: and David heard them. ²⁴ And all the men of Israel, when they saw the man, fled from him, and were sore afraid. ^{............26} And David spake to the men that stood by him, saying, What shall be done to the man that killeth this Philistine, and taketh away the reproach from Israel? for who is this uncircumcised Philistine, that he should defy the armies of the living God?...... Then said David to the Philistine, Thou comest to me with a sword, and with a spear, and with a shield: but I come to thee in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom thou hast defied. ⁴⁶ This day will the LORD deliver thee into mine hand; and I will smite thee, and take thine head from thee; and I will give the carcases of the host of the Philistines this day unto the fowls of the air, and to the wild beasts of the earth; that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. ⁴⁷ And all this assembly shall know that the LORD saveth not with sword and spear: for the battle is the LORD’S, and he will give you into our hands.

TIGHTROPE

Sometimes in our Christian walk we may feel like we are walking a tightrope and each step feels precarious.  We may feel like any misstep could lead to a fall that will mean our death.  It can be stressful, even fearful. Sometimes that fear will keep us from taking the next step.  But we can be assured that our loving Father is with us every step of the way.  “The steps of the good man are ordered by the Lord” and should we fall God is the safety net underneath to catch us and put us back on the path.  As we walk, the Word of God is the balancing rod in our hands.  It is also a “lamp to our feet and light unto our path” giving light for the next step. 

Psalm 37:23-24 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way. ²⁴ Though he fall, he shall not be utterly cast down: for the LORD upholdeth him with his hand.

Proverbs 24:16  ESV for the righteous falls seven times and rises again, but the wicked stumble in times of calamity.

 
Psalm 119:105 Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.