The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent. (ESV)

The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.” (NIV)

The LORD himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.” (NLT)

Dive Deeper:

You might be wondering why we chose this verse for our month of studying “patience.” Let me explain. 

Think about for a moment the last time you got really angry…devastated—the type of feeling when you can’t determine if you’re anxious, outraged, afraid, or sad. Countless emotions flooded in at the same time. Do you remember what caused this feeling? I’m guessing you do. It’s hard to forget about the things that hurt us most. Now, can you recall what you wanted to do at that moment? Did you want revenge? Justice? To fight back? I’m going to take a random guess and suggest that the very last thing you wanted to do was be silent, still, or calm. But this is precisely what this week's verse says to do. 

In Exodus 14, the Israelites had just been let go from their slavery in Egypt. After God displayed His mighty power through ten plagues, the hard-hearted Pharaoh finally had enough, so he sent the people of God away into the wilderness. After a short time in the desert, Pharoah and his army changed their minds and started pursuing the Israelites to re-capture and enslave them. The Israelites became furious towards Moses and told him it would have been better if they never left. They said they would go back to their slavery rather than wandering in the desert. It is at this moment when Moses responded to the fear and anger of the people with, “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.” (NIV)

In our fear and anger, we can say and do irrational things. Things we will regret saying the very next day. We might even say things we don’t mean. Instead of opening our mouths in retaliation or anger, we are called to be still. In the moment, this seems utterly impossible, but Moses gives us the reason and the way we are to do this. It’s recognizing that the Lord will fight for you. You don’t have to fear because the Lord is by your side. You can walk through trials because God will make way. You can put down your boxing gloves because the Lord is a champion who will fight in your place. Just like Paul says in Romans 12:19, “Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord.” In due time, the Lord will win your battle and bring justice as He avenges you. 

So why patience? Well, Moses says that the Lord will fight for His people. Sometimes, we do need to pick up our swords and use the strength He has given us. Other times, we need to be still, rely on him, and then get up and walk towards the impossible. When he says be silent or be still, it's not a physical "do nothing;" rather, it's a call to trust fully in God and let Him lead. 

Just like the Israelites experienced, sometimes trusting in God means we must wait. Do crazy things like heading back in the direction of Egypt just for Pharaoh to see and send his army after the people of God so that they could rely on God and start walking towards a sea. Sometimes, God’s plan for your deliverance seems confusing or maybe even ridiculous. For the Israelites, on the other side of their patience and trust, there was a sea that had been split in half for them to walk through, falling on their enemies, bringing them true and lasting freedom.

Better yet, maybe your enemies won’t be destroyed, but the grace of God also delivers them, as He desires no one to perish. For He is not slow to fulfill his promises but is patient towards you! Pray for your persecutors. Wait on the Lord. Have patience. And get up and walk when He says it's time.

Written by Blake Stanley