You Need Only Be Still
by Daniel Burton
By the time of Exodus 14, the Israelites had been through quite and ordeal. Where they were once a growing an prosperous people, the Egyptians had driven them into slavery and forced them into hard demeaning work. There, they spent many years doing the will of the Pharaoh and Egypt. They cried out in anguish for God to come and rescue them and save them from their forced slavery. And God heard their prayer and sent Moses.
We all know of the ten plagues that culminated in the killing of the first born children. From that, Pharaoh seemed to relent and released the Israelites. Yet, his heart was hardened and as they had gotten out, he sent his army to pursue them. They were pursued until they were cornered by the red sea.
“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 Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
– Exodus 14:14. NIV
In truth, while most of us will never be pursued by an army, we will face pursuit from the enemy. The more we seek to dedicate our lives fully and wholly to Jesus Christ, the more of a target we become for the enemy. We will be pursued and chased by one who has intentions of our own self-destruction. During that time, which the bible tells us we will definitely face, remember the words of Moses as they were backed up against a great wall of insurmountable obstacles.
Backed Up Against a Wall
When most of us are backed up against a wall and trapped in a corner, we get, admittedly nervous. The feeling of being pursued by an enemy can only be made worse by the feeling that we are trapped. So in that moment we tend to do whatever we can. In the face of any kind of challenge or trial, our first instinct is to do our way out of it. If only we fight hard enough, maneuver cunningly, or out-think the enemy, we can become the victor in whatever situation we find ourselves. We spend so much of our time striving to accomplish by our own strength, neglecting the fundamentals of what we know to be true. “I can do this,” we tell ourselves “I can defeat the enemy that is pursuing me.”
But the truth is… you can’t. On our own, we cannot defeat the spiritual problems. Our flesh cannot overcome the spiritual enemy. There is only one person who was both God and man fully who reigns over the physical and the spiritual that can defeat our enemy. That man is Jesus Christ. And as the nails were pounded into his flesh and he breathed his last breath, the enemy was defeated. We only needed to be still. To submit to the pursuit of God and give Him our everything.
When you have reached the point where everything feels like the end, even there, you will find Jesus Christ. Our God establishes Himself not just only over our difficulties but over all of eternity. He is Holy and Sovereign. He is our High King and our Victor. There is no end to His being and He will reign forever and ever.
Call On The Name of the Lord
So what do we do when we feel surrounded by our enemies? We call on the name of the Lord. This is not the same as picking up the phone and dialing for Jesus. We are not transferring a call or merely saying his name. We are emptying ourselves of ourselves. With arms extended wide open and vulnerable, we allow the strength of God to work through us. Standing back, God works mightily and sovereignly. 
It is the strength of a King who has conquered even death itself that will reign victorious no matter what enemy rears its head.
So we call on the name of the Lord. We take time every day to delve deep into the word of God. We not only mediate on the word of God and allow it to speak to our soul, we study the word of God and allow it to speak to our minds. Worship pours out from our life as we pour out our life for Jesus Christ.
So where is the enemy pursuing you? What are the vulnerable parts of your life that are weak points where the enemy targets? Where do you struggle to accomplish things in your own strength. In that place, be still, set your eyes on the Savior. He will fight your battles for you. And in Him, your battles are won.
