When Fear Gets the Upper Hand (Exodus 14:13-14)
The message is frequent and clear this week as I go about my reading of the scriptures. Yesterday, the Daily Office selected the story of Jesus feeding the 4,000 in Mathew 15:29-39. The story of the miraculous feeding, full of numerical symbolism, made me think of Jesus' teaching not to worry in the Sermon on the Mount. (Matthew 6:25-34) Now in my reading today in Exodus the message repeats. Do not be afraid.
There are a lot of things to fret over and worry about in our world, and for good reason. Today another school shooting occurred in Santa Clara, California.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/11/14/saugus-high-school-shooting-california-suspect-sought-lockdown/4190401002/
In the year 2010, there were 15 recorded school shootings. That's 15 too many! According to statistics from Center for Homeland and Security, there were 110 school shootings recorded in 2018. This year so far there's been 70 school shootings. Add to that gun violence beyond school shootings and there's been more shootings in American than days of the year. It's worrisome what's happening in our country. What are we going to do? Lawmakers cry for gun control, but we all know that guns are used by people. People are the problem. What are we gonna do about people who choose violence? Our prisons are overpopulated. Most would agree our prison system needs reform. Imprisonment isn't solving the problem.
Gun violence is only one example of why we might be feeling worried and anxious, wondering what to do. The worst thing to do is act out of fear or anger. It only exacerbates the problem.
When the Hebrews were delivered from slavery in Egypt, Moses led them to the edge of the Red Sea. There they were trapped by the army of the Egyptians. As the Hebrews watched in horror at the approaching chariots they were filled with fear and cried out to Moses!
“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?" (Exodus 14:11) "It would've been better to live as slaves in Egypt" they said, "than to die here in the desert!"
But Moses told them not to fear. God will fight for them!
But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish 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 keep still.” (Exodus 14:13-14)
The answer to fear is faith. The action required from us is stillness, patient waiting on God to act.
I can't tell you the number of times I've acted out of fear, trying to stop something from happening that I didn't want to happen. I have often seen my fears to be unfounded. What I feared would happen quite often did not happen. When difficulties have come my way, and I've tried to manage it out of fear, I found that God had a much better solution than the one I tried. Here's an example.
I was cut to half-time by a church that couldn't afford to pay me full time. My children had been through many moves in their childhood. Every 3 years we were moved to a new community by denominational leadership. I decided to try and stick it out with the church, rather than move my children again. I had to find work outside the church. I put out a resume and trusted God to provide. I prayed to God for a specific kind of job with a specific amount of salary. After 3 months of the search I was getting a bit nervous. I wasn't finding anything. At 6 months, I still had no solid prospects. I was getting scared now. I said to myself that praying wasn't working. I decided to enlist the services of a company that assists you in a job search. After completing the first week of a six week course, I got a job offer through a recruiter who found my resume on the internet. If I had only waited on God, I would've saved thousands of dollars. The job was exactly what I had prayed for. It proved to be an excellent company to work for. God had better plans for me, but fear got the upper hand.
The next time you are tempted to react out of fear, remember the Hebrews trapped at the Red Sea. Instead of freaking out and making bad decisions, be still and know that the Lord is fighting for you. This doesn't mean you don't do what you can to help your situation. It does mean to be in prayer and patiently wait on the Lord to act. The Lord may give you guidance as to what you should do. If directions don't come to you, however, wait. Stop worrying. God's got a better plan that the one your fear is cooking up. Be still. Trust that the Lord your God fights for you.
There are a lot of things to fret over and worry about in our world, and for good reason. Today another school shooting occurred in Santa Clara, California.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2019/11/14/saugus-high-school-shooting-california-suspect-sought-lockdown/4190401002/
In the year 2010, there were 15 recorded school shootings. That's 15 too many! According to statistics from Center for Homeland and Security, there were 110 school shootings recorded in 2018. This year so far there's been 70 school shootings. Add to that gun violence beyond school shootings and there's been more shootings in American than days of the year. It's worrisome what's happening in our country. What are we going to do? Lawmakers cry for gun control, but we all know that guns are used by people. People are the problem. What are we gonna do about people who choose violence? Our prisons are overpopulated. Most would agree our prison system needs reform. Imprisonment isn't solving the problem.
Gun violence is only one example of why we might be feeling worried and anxious, wondering what to do. The worst thing to do is act out of fear or anger. It only exacerbates the problem.
When the Hebrews were delivered from slavery in Egypt, Moses led them to the edge of the Red Sea. There they were trapped by the army of the Egyptians. As the Hebrews watched in horror at the approaching chariots they were filled with fear and cried out to Moses!
“Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness?" (Exodus 14:11) "It would've been better to live as slaves in Egypt" they said, "than to die here in the desert!"
But Moses told them not to fear. God will fight for them!
But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid, stand firm, and see the deliverance that the Lord will accomplish 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 keep still.” (Exodus 14:13-14)
The answer to fear is faith. The action required from us is stillness, patient waiting on God to act.
I can't tell you the number of times I've acted out of fear, trying to stop something from happening that I didn't want to happen. I have often seen my fears to be unfounded. What I feared would happen quite often did not happen. When difficulties have come my way, and I've tried to manage it out of fear, I found that God had a much better solution than the one I tried. Here's an example.
I was cut to half-time by a church that couldn't afford to pay me full time. My children had been through many moves in their childhood. Every 3 years we were moved to a new community by denominational leadership. I decided to try and stick it out with the church, rather than move my children again. I had to find work outside the church. I put out a resume and trusted God to provide. I prayed to God for a specific kind of job with a specific amount of salary. After 3 months of the search I was getting a bit nervous. I wasn't finding anything. At 6 months, I still had no solid prospects. I was getting scared now. I said to myself that praying wasn't working. I decided to enlist the services of a company that assists you in a job search. After completing the first week of a six week course, I got a job offer through a recruiter who found my resume on the internet. If I had only waited on God, I would've saved thousands of dollars. The job was exactly what I had prayed for. It proved to be an excellent company to work for. God had better plans for me, but fear got the upper hand.
The next time you are tempted to react out of fear, remember the Hebrews trapped at the Red Sea. Instead of freaking out and making bad decisions, be still and know that the Lord is fighting for you. This doesn't mean you don't do what you can to help your situation. It does mean to be in prayer and patiently wait on the Lord to act. The Lord may give you guidance as to what you should do. If directions don't come to you, however, wait. Stop worrying. God's got a better plan that the one your fear is cooking up. Be still. Trust that the Lord your God fights for you.
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