Holding God’s Peace

The battle is not ours. But we must come to it, face it head on and stand.

We all face battles, sometimes multiple battles at once. Battles take many shapes in our lives. For example, we may face opposition, injustice, criticism, anxiety, doubt and fear, illness, a diagnosis that offers no hope, loneliness, problems with finances, self-worth, or a devastating loss. Battles threaten to entangle us, bewilder us, and overwhelm us. They can leave us feeling like we want to run and hide, they may make us angry, or simply feel helpless and out of control.

Suppose you found yourself running, running away from a place where you were enslaved, and those who had enslaved you were right on your heels. Tired, afraid, questioning you ran on until you came to a place where you could run no more. You could not go forward you were blocked and when you looked behind you, all you were running from was about to overtake you and destroy you. You are afraid, perhaps never more so than at this moment. What do you do?

God describes a situation like this for us in Exodus 14. Most of us probably know this story of the Israelites running from Pharoah after leaving Egypt. Moses and the people find themselves confronted with the Red Sea in front of them and Egyptian guards closing in behind them. What do they do? What does God tell us and them to do when the battle is about to overtake us and there is nowhere to go?

We find this story in Exodus 14: 1-31. Exodus 14:1-31 ESV;NASB – Crossing the Red Sea – Then the LORD – Bible Gateway Pharoah says in v. 3, that the people are wandering aimlessly, and the wilderness has shut them in. How many times have we too felt this way? But then as we read on, we come to verses 13 and 14. Here God through Moses speaks to us saying, “But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever. The Lord will fight for you while you keep silent.'” (NASB) The KJV reads that the Lord will fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.

We have very clear instruction from our God. First, we are told, do not be afraid. We cannot focus on anything or on God when our insides are caught up in fear. It is to God that we must lift our eyes and focus on. The second thing we are told is to stand by and the KJV reads that we are to stand still. As we stand still and face the battle we are not to panic, we are not to try to take matters into our own hands but to relinquish the battle to God’s hands. When we stand still, we position ourselves, establish our focus on God and we move in and within God’s direction and care.

What does it mean to relinquish? For most of us it is probably not a natural response to the battles we face. We must give up ourselves and surrender how we think things should be or how we believe others should be. We hand the outcome of situations over to God and wait on Him. And while we are waiting and trusting we continue to seek to do the next right thing, paying attention to what God places in front of us to do. We stay close to God in His word and we trust God more than our understandings. God made us, He knows better than any what we need, and how to handle us. Our judgements, our feelings and emotions are so very finite and fleeting but God’s judgement on all matters is infinite and all knowing.

As we come to verse 14, we are told, The Lord will fight for us while we keep silent and hold our peace. Finding peace amid our battles is found by holding onto God’s peace, the peace we receive from Him when we stand in trust knowing that God is in control and will lead us and be with us through all our trials, and all the battles that we face.

Satan wants us to fall, to become entangled, bewildered and overwhelmed. God wants us to stand and hold His peace within. God tells us not to be afraid, but to stand. He tells us the battle is not ours. But we must come to the battle and stand as through us God’s strength is shown to a watching world.

Battles of all kinds and trials find us, regardless of who we are and what we do or do not do. The only thing truly in our control is how we respond. God has given us the will and the freedom to make that choice. 2 Chronicles 20:15 says, Do not be afraid or discouraged because of their vast armies, for the battle is not yours, but God’s. The battle is not ours because God’s purpose through the battle is to show us His work for and in us. We are to know it is God who is in control, our lives are His and in His hands. In His holy, sovereign and loving hands. The hands that will never abandon us, His children.

We know how the story of the Israelites and Egyptians end. God parts the Red Sea, and His people walk through to the other side. Only God can part our Red Seas, but we must give them to Him. God will take us each through and bring us to the other side of every battle and every trial. As we depend on God alone, we find peace in God alone. The biggest battle we will ever face is not the one outside of us, but the one inside of us. Do we believe and trust with all our heart and with all our soul in our Savior Jesus Christ. The one who made us, who knows our frame and remembers we are but dust. (Psalm 103:14)

As we close let us pray giving thanks. Father, we give thanks and praise to you, you who made us and know the fragility of our lives. You know we are but dust, here today and gone tomorrow. You call us to you, to know you and trust you, and you give us rest and peace through every trial and battle before us. Help us Father to stand and to hold your peace in our lives, as we follow you. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.