“FEAR NOT, STAND FIRM!”

Exodus 14:10-13                                   (ESV)

“10 When PHARAOH DREW  NEAR, THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL LIFTED UP THEIR EYES, and behold, the Egyptians were marching after them, and THEY FEARED GREATLY. And the people of Israel cried out to the LORD.

11 They said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us in bringing us out of Egypt?

12 Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: 'Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians'? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness."

13 And Moses said to the people, "”FEAR NOT, STAND FIRM”, and SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD, which HE will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again.”

The fourteenth chapter of Exodus has a wealth of lessons for me.  The deliverance from the Egyptian army, at the time the most powerful known to man, was unheard of, especially by a people who were not known to man as being warriors.  Even though Moses told the Israelites and Pharaoh that GOD was going to bring them out of captivity in Exodus 6, over 400 years of the Egyptian way of life had forged Israel’s EYES onto the present and not what GOD was capable of!

When the EYES of Israel saw that the Egyptians were approaching, THEY FEARED GREATLY!  Their FAITH was about to be strengthened, but it was going to happen through experience, not because they were CHOSEN!  GOD had already demonstrated that HIS CHOSEN people were special to HIM, but the Israelites couldn’t SEE that because they were focusing on the approaching enemy.  Moses instructed the Israelites to “FEAR NOT, STAND FIRM”, but they could only SEE the Egyptian army closing in on them.  What GOD had Promised them no longer was important, for the enemy was near!

Is my FAITH any stronger than the Israelites?  Even though GOD has given me a clear indication of what HE is going to do, I STILL get my EYES on the enemy approaching.  The ONE WHO spoke everything that was made into existence wants to SHINE HIS LIGHT through me, and I want to FEAR GREATLY!  

Growing FAITH is NOT for the weak in SPIRIT.  Maturing to the point where GOD uses you for HIS GLORY can be a painful experience!  When GOD has to cut away the unbelief and worldliness and replace the old self with the NEW MAN it more than likely will be an uncomfortable feeling, even devastating!  The Israelites had GREAT FEAR when the Egyptian army made their presence known.  Will I do the same?  ALMIGHTY GOD says that we should “FEAR NOT, STAND FIRM”, and SEE THE SALVATION OF THE LORD!  How we respond will determine our Spiritual Maturity!!!