Be still and trust God

Press the play button to watch the video above or press 'more' to read the transcript of the daily devotion below. Please read Exodus 14:1-20 (use your own Bible or use the link above to access the in-App Bible).

‘The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still.’ Exodus 14:14

Big things have happened (as we have read) and big things are about to happen (v.21f – more of that tomorrow!), but here the Israelites are in between past and future, trapped between the pursuing Egyptian army and an impassable Red Sea. Life often leads us through ‘in between times’, where we too encounter situations which seem insurmountable.

In today’s passage we witness a pivotal time in the Israelites’ journey—an ‘in between time.’ We see the people afraid, with an overwhelming sense of hopelessness, and questioning God’s plan (vv.10-12). God’s response to them is also a message for us: ‘The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to keep still’ (v.14). God was about to demonstrate His power in an extraordinary way, and all the Israelites had to do was trust and witness His deliverance.

Daunting challenges are real for us today too—financial struggles, health crises, broken relationships. Questioning, fears and feelings of hopelessness are no less real for us than for the Israelites. We are called to be still—not in idleness but in active surrender to His will. We know God will do ‘big things’; our role is to trust Him, to be still in our hearts, and to surrender our anxieties, fears, and uncertainties to the One who has the past and the future in His hands.

’In between times’ teach us important lessons about faith and trust in God. So the question for today, in the midst of life’s challenges, in the ‘in between times’ is: ‘Am I willing to be still and trust that God is fighting for me? Can I surrender my fears and uncertainties to the Lord, confident that He is working all things together for my good? Am I able to find strength and assurance in the knowledge that God’s plan is perfect, even when I can’t see the way forward?’

Let us pray: Lord, in our ‘in between times,’ where challenges seem insurmountable, grant us the strength to be still, trust Your plan, and surrender our fears, confident that You're working for our good. Amen.

Peter Williams, Assistant Warden of Lay Ministry