Don’t Be Afraid!

Don’t Be Afraid

Reading: Exodus 14-16; Acts 2 13 But Moses told the people, “Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. 14 The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” 15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!” (Exodus 14:13-15 NLT) The people were terrified! They were caught between the devil and the deep blue sea. It seemed to them that by following God’s leadership they had been trapped between an impassable sea and an army of bronze-age tanks thundering toward them. They cried out in fear and blamed Moses for their predicament. It was a volatile situation, and Moses had to speak and act quickly and decisively! Moses spoke reassuringly to the terrified Israelites, told them to stay calm, and assured them they would soon see a greater miracle than any of the ten miracles they had recently witnessed in Egypt. Then he turned toward the Red Sea, raised his staff of leadership, and began to lead them forward toward the water! I admire Moses so much for what I see in these verses! Moses’ words to the people and his words to God were on two different levels. Moses the leader spoke confident words of faith and assurance to the people, but Moses the servant of the Lord cried out to God in complete and utter dependency! I want to develop a “Moses” kind of faith! I want my faith to be a faith that makes me solid and strong and confident in my communication with those I lead and influence. I also want my faith to be a faith that allows me to be humble and honest, and as completely dependent as a child as I relate with my Father God. Prayer: Father, Thanks so much for Moses’ faith example! I know there are many times when a leader’s countenance, confidence, and communication are what keep people steady and help hold a family or a group together. I accept that, and I want to be that kind of influencer. But I also know my own weakness and my complete and utter dependency on you! Help me to never lose the ability to cry out to you in honest expression of what I’m feeling, and help me to always be a strong and confident influencer of the people around me. Amen.