“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:14 (NIV)
Accents can be tricky. I recently heard a man with a thick southern drawl quote Psalm 46:10. “Be still and know that I am God.” Only to me, it sounded like, “Be steel and know…”. Read that aloud. Be steel. Hear it? I chuckled to myself and thought, I know how to be still, but being steel? That requires strength, and I don’t feel strong at all right now.
A few days later, my son handed me a wooden dowl rod, and with his own imaginary sword in hand, yelled, “On guard!” It was during this sword fight that the words I thought I’d heard came back to mind. Be steel. I think of steel as being firm, strong, and durable. We could all use a heaping dose of strength and durability when life gets hard!
Maybe you’re like me and life has knocked you around quite a bit lately. We fight so hard to win our battles singlehandedly when God’s word shows us a better way. We can let God fight for us!
A beautiful example of God fighting for His people is found in Exodus 14. The Israelites had fled from Egypt after spending decades in bondage. In verse 8, we read, “And the children of Israel went out with boldness.” They were feeling good about their newfound freedom!
Right when things started looking up, however, they found themselves in another hopeless situation. Looming in front of them was the Red Sea. They couldn’t go forward, and behind them, Pharaoh and his army were hot on their trail, determined to drag them back to Egypt.
They cried out to God and turned on Moses, blaming him for their predicament. “We should’ve stayed in Egypt! Even slavery is better than dying in the wilderness!”
Listen to how Moses responded to their fear and cries of desperation.
“Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14 (NIV)
In the end, God indeed showed Himself mighty to the Israelites. He parted the Red Sea. The children of Israel walked through on dry land, while the Egyptian army was destroyed.
Can you relate to how the Israelites were feeling? You’re going through life, and all is well. Until it’s not. Suddenly, you’re facing a seemingly hopeless situation.
A diagnosis. A crushing financial blow. A broken relationship.
We battle alone, fighting as hard as we can. We lose heart and become tempted to throw our hands up in defeat. But all along, God walks beside us and whispers, “Be still. I got this. Be steel. Stand firm.”
Friend, life will try to knock you down. Don’t be afraid!
Be unshakeable as you cling to God. Strong and immovable.
Be anchored in His unfailing love.
Be rooted in His word.
Simply put, be still. And as you might hear it in the South, “Be steel, Y’all!”