EXODUS 14:10-14; 21-25 – 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. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” 21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. 22 And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. 23 The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, all Pharaoh’s horses, his chariots, and his horsemen. 24 And in the morning watch the Lord in the pillar of fire and of cloud looked down on the Egyptian forces and threw the Egyptian forces into a panic, 25 clogging their chariot wheels so that they drove heavily. And the Egyptians said, “Let us flee from before Israel, for the Lord fights for them against the Egyptians.”

THEME OF THE DAY. WAITING ON THE BANK. Today’s nugget scripture is lengthy, but oh so good and instructive. And far more important than the words of the nugget’s author. Let’s enter the scene. God is leading His people out of the bondage of Egypt, but all is not “scot free”. Pharaoh is having second thoughts and decides to go after the Israelites. And where do we find God’s people? Boxed in. Cornered. They are standing on the shoreline of the Red Sea. Ahead of them was a deep body of water and no boats. Behind them was the ruthless Egyptians. To say they were in circumstances beyond their control is an understatement. And what are they to do? Nothing. Moses says, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today.”

Beloved, many times in life, we will stand “on the shores of our Red Seas” with nowhere to go. No way out. No ability to change circumstances or control people. And this is all of God’s doings. He will leave us “waiting on the bank” to teach us an essential lesson in the Christian life. It will be one of the most important lessons Christians will learn. It will also be the most necessary of lessons Christians must learn. By learning and practicing it, many negative spiritual consequences will be avoided. Many relationships will be maintained, not fractured. And many wrong, perhaps life-altering decisions, will be avoided. This lesson? Waiting on the Lord or the refusal to be impulsive in word and deed when going through deep trials, emotional turmoil, or tough circumstances. Often God gives these to us, not for us to immediately and impulsively act, but to wait on Him in glad submission despite our pain and confusion on what to do or say (Psalm 130:5-6).

So, when those “Red Sea” times come, and they will, don’t act. Wait. God will make the path clear in His timing and in His way just stand on the bank enjoying the scenery.

PRAYER: “Father, protect me from being impulsive and not waiting upon You.”

QUOTE: “When our path in life seems impossible to move forward, do nothing. It might be God teaching us to wait on Him.”