“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 NIV
I was doing my workout at home while my wife was finishing up her devotions. There was a verse that she read that she felt the Holy Spirit prompt her to pay attention to and memorize. Exodus 14:14. She came out to the living room where I was busy getting into fighting shape and suggested that we both memorize the verse. I have to admit what intrigued me most about memorizing this particular scripture was that it is short! Yep, I know, not very spiritual but I think you all can relate. So that is what we did. We memorized it and quoted it around the house often.
What we didn’t know was what the Holy Spirit was doing with that little power verse. What we thought was a great truth to memorize and meditate on was actually more than that. It would soon be what we would cling to as were confronted by a giant. A giant is one who is bigger, stronger and usually very intimidating. Think about Goliath that paralyzed King Saul and his army with only a verbal taunt and a flex show. Giants are not an enemy that is of equal value to our skills alone. No, giants usually surpass our skill set which make them even bigger in our eyes. When the Israelite spies were sent out to explore the promise land, they saw giants. But what was worse, they saw how small they were in comparison. Only two of the twelve spies saw that God was bigger. Did you catch that? Joshua and Caleb saw the size of God when looking at their enemy, not the size of themselves.
This is where many of us make choices to worry, be fearful and run. Instead of being still in who God is, we choose to run away and hide because we simply do not see how it is possible to overcome such gigantic odds. The truth be said, we alone cannot overcome giants. So, it is good to know that when we face giants, God says to us, “I will fight for you, you only need to be still.” This verse comes from the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. On their way, Pharaoh, who let them go now has a change of plans and comes after them. Stuck between two giants. An army and the Red Sea. Moses and the Israelites are stuck. The people seeing the situation with their eyes panic and cry out, “Wouldn’t it be better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert?” That is what fear will do. It gets you to panic, run and shout out things that simply are not true.
We know this story ends with God doing exactly what He said He would do. He parted the waters and they walked through to safety. The Egyptian army followed but God swallowed them up and they perished. The giants we face in life are big, loud and intimidating. Many times, they paint the picture that there is no escape. But God has a different voice and plan. His voice is one of a shepherd that says “Be still, I am with you”. His plan teaches us to pay attention to His word and follow his lead. He is the one who leads us beside still waters and prepares a table in the midst of our battles. There at that table we hear, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”