There are moments in life when you feel trapped. One problem is behind you, another is in front of you, and there doesn’t seem to be a way through. That’s exactly where Israel found themselves. Pharaoh was chasing them, the sea stood before them, and fear took over their minds.

Fear has a way of becoming a lens. Every delay feels like proof that God forgot you, every closed door feels like rejection, and every hardship feels permanent. But the Israelites forgot something important. The same God who brought them out of Egypt was still leading them through the wilderness. The cloud had not left.

Don’t Be Afraid

Israel saw Pharaoh and said, “We’re trapped.” Moses saw the same situation and believed, “God has us where He wants us.”

Fear exaggerates the enemy and minimizes God. Faith exalts God and remembers what He has already done. Many of us have replayed our worst-case scenarios in our minds so many times that we stopped noticing the cloud of God’s presence over our lives.

God’s answer to fear was simple: “Do not be afraid.”

And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. Exodus 14:13

Not because there would never be another battle. Not because everything would suddenly make sense. But because He was with them. The cloud was still there.

Stand Still

Sometimes the greatest act of faith is not moving.

Moses told the people, “Stand still and see the salvation of the Lord.” That sounds simple until you’re the one standing at the edge of your own Red Sea. We want to fix things, control outcomes, and figure out the next step. But God often pauses the miracle around us because He is doing a miracle inside us.

The Lord was not only dealing with Pharaoh and the sea. He was dealing with the slave mentality inside His people. Miracles can change your circumstances, but only faith changes your perspective. I’ve had to learn this myself. Sometimes God is not delaying because He has forgotten you. Sometimes He is developing something in you.

Go Forward

After telling Israel not to fear and to stand still, God gave another command: “Go forward.”

You may not know how God will make a way. Sometimes He parts the sea. Sometimes He teaches you to walk on water. Sometimes He gives you strength to swim. But one thing is true. He will not let you drown.

Florence Chadwick once quit a long swim because thick fog kept her from seeing the shore. Later she discovered she was less than a mile from her destination. The second time she attempted the swim, the fog returned, but she kept a picture of the shoreline in her mind and made it.

Some of you are swimming through fog right now. You cannot see the shore, but God can. The cloud is still over you. His presence is still with you. His promises are still true.

The same God who can rebuke a devil can also divide a sea. When the enemy is behind you and the impossible is in front of you, lift your eyes. Don’t focus on the chariots. Focus on the cloud.

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