Pray, Don’t Panic
“The Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.”
Exodus 14:15-16
Moses was in trouble. Pharaoh and his army were coming closer, intending to kill anyone who would resist them.
Not only that, an angry mob of his own people was yelling at him.
“Then they said to Moses, “Because there were no graves in Egypt, have you taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you so dealt with us, to bring us up out of Egypt? Is this not the word that we told you in Egypt, saying, ‘Let us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than that we should die in the wilderness.”
Exodus 14:11-12
Things looked really bleak. The children of Israel had no weapons and no artillery. How were they going to stand before Pharaoh’s army?
Moses didn’t give in. As far as we know, he didn’t panic. He tried to reassure the people.
“And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
Exodus 14:13-14
Then, Moses prayed. His words are not recorded, but I imagine it was pretty intense, because God said:
“And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.”
Exodus 14:15
God said: “Why do you cry to Me?” It wasn’t that God didn’t want to hear Moses’
prayer, because He definitely heard his plea, his cry for help.
The time had come to move forward.
“Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. ”
Exodus 14:15-16
God was going to do His part. Moses and the children of Israel had to do their part. Move forward by faith.
They did this, and God responded. Boy, did He ever! To summarize:
“So the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.”
Exodus 14:30
Sometimes we find ourselves in seemingly impossible situations. Look to the left… Enemies charging toward you. Look to the right… Folks reminding you that the situation is hopeless.
So, what do you do?
Look up, and pray. The psalmist said:
“I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help? My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.”
Psalms 121:1-2
God is going to answer, at just the right time.
Pray, and don’t panic.
