Exodus 14:13-14 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.”
At the start of this New Year, 2019, God gave me two words, trust and contentment. As I thought about those two words I realized that to trust God I must know and understand His character and look for it displayed in my life. Then as I learn trust and more about his character, contentment will develop because I will be able to see him working in my life. I will be able to see his plan and be content that it is a good plan.
Exodus 14 is the story of the Israelites leaving Egypt and being trapped between the Red Sea and their attackers. A story most of us feel we know really well. But as I read this story the day God brought trust and contentment to mind, three things stood out to me. In verses 13 and 14 Moses tells the people “Do not be afraid,” and “stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring to you today,” and “the LORD will fight for you; you need only be still.”
I believe these calls to action are paramount to displaying our trust in the Lord and our contentment with his plan. To not be afraid when adversity is coming at us from all sides, to be content to stand firm and be still in the place God has put us. If we continue to move, run or hide from adversity then we won’t get to experience God’s complete character. We won’t get to see how He plans to deliver us and fight for us and we will miss out on a large part of God’s character, His faithfulness to His people!
My desire to put these two word into action this year is leading me to search the bible and my life for areas where the Lord displays faithfulness, love, protection, holiness, sovereignty, control, power, compassion, mercy, grace and forgiveness in my life.
The more we look for God’s character qualities displayed in our life, the more we will be able to trust Him as a God who desires our good and His glory. Trusting him will allow us to be content with where he has us, even if its in the middle of a storm.
Whether you are in the storm or in the calm, take a moment each day to look for the ways God displays His character in your life. The more you look for it, the more you will see it.