Just Stay Calm

The children of Israel have finally left Egypt after a series of plagues crippled Pharaoh’s otherwise strong resolve to keep them enslaved. Moses got them out of the land as quickly and efficiently as possible, but led them straight to the banks of the Red Sea. As they stare at the vast sea in front of them and see the dust rising behind them in the distance from chariots of Pharaoh’s soldiers, they begin to wish they had stayed in Egypt. Can you imagine their mental dilemma?

I can. I’ve been there. No, not the Red Sea or Egypt. I’ve not been on the run from a bloodthirsty army led by a leader bent on revenge either. But, I’ve been in those moments of doubt. I’ve made decisions that I thought best for my family only to lay awake at night wondering if it was the right thing and worried about challenges that lie ahead as a result. I’ve withdrawn mentally from conversations as I pondered whether the words I just said may have made matters worse with the person I was talking to.

Then there are those times that I doubt whether I’ve done enough for a hurting family, a struggling sinner, or a lonely brother or sister. I question if my preparation was good enough or my sermon motivational enough. I deliberate on my choice of words and find them lacking. Those are just some of the things I face on the beach of my Red Sea. I know that was a lot of transparency, but for some reason, I feel like you might can relate.

Maybe it’s because I’ve sat in my office with teenagers who feel their parents don’t listen to them. It could be because I’ve worked with wives that feel less than worthy enough for their husbands. There are those standing by the Red Sea of grief, anxiety, depression, anger, relational issues, and a world of other doubts, fears, and struggles. Just like the hundreds of thousands of Jews on the banks of the Red Sea, doubt begins to creep in and we slowly lose sight of the One who can and will part the sea and rid of us of our struggles—at least for a time. Moses gives you the answer in the words he spoke to Israel so many years ago:

“Do not fear! Stand firm and see the salvation of the Lord that he will provide for you today; for the Egyptians that you see today you will never, ever see again. The Lord will fight for you, and you can be still” (Exodus 14:13-14).

So next time you stand at a Red Sea in your life you will remember these words of Moses. Put simply:

Don’t fear. Stop letting things work you up.

Stand firm. Don’t run off to the past or the future in your mind. That’s the breeding ground for anxiety!

Just stay calm. God’s got whatever it is you are worried about.

Ben