Hide and Speak

"God will fight the battle for you.

And you? You keep your mouths shut!"

Exodus 14:14

If there are two things that the Creator knows about me, they are these: left to myself, I would probably deal with challenges in my life by either hiding or by speaking up and proclaiming my opinions to the world.  Opposites in some ways, but for me, those options feel a lot better than vulnerably throwing myself out there and/or being silent.   And if you know anything about me, I guarantee you are laughing right now.  Because God has asked me to do a lot of those things as He has helped me work through both my control and my pride issues.  So, I've done my best to be obedient in that.  Not hiding.  But not speaking either.  Just letting Him take care of things for me.

Which is why Exodus 14:14 cracks me up.

Correction, which is why God directing me to Exodus 14:14 three or four times within a time span of 24 hours from completely unrelated sources cracks me up.  So much so, that it has taken me a good week to even process the humor.  And maybe the significance, too.

So here's the bigger picture...The Israelites have been freed from slavery.  They are on their way to bigger and better things. God has made Himself known to them with some rather impressive displays of His power, creativity and sense of humor.  They understand His grace, mercy and love.  They've also seen His justice, discipline and "I've had enough of you, Pharaoh...no more chances" on display.  We don't often like to think about that side of God, because it doesn't feel good, but it's there.  God has no favorites.  He loved Pharaoh just as much as the next guy, but He was sick of him making bad choices and lying about his intentions, and his time was up.  But I digress...

So the Israelites are free.  Moses is leading them to a life of blessing.  And then they freak out.  Pharaoh's army is after them.  Crud.  Now what?

"As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and saw them— Egyptians! Coming at them!

They were totally afraid. They cried out in terror to God. They told Moses, "Weren't the cemeteries large enough in Egypt so that you had to take us out here in the wilderness to die? What have you done to us, taking us out of Egypt? Back in Egypt didn't we tell you this would happen? Didn't we tell you, 'Leave us alone here in Egypt—we're better off as slaves in Egypt than as corpses in the wilderness."

Really?  That's what you're going with?  You'd rather be slaves than have to walk out your faith in a God that has already shown He is faithful?  And you're going to turn on the very one that God has chosen to rescue you?  Sheesh.

Moses spoke to the people: "Don't be afraid. Stand firm and watch God do his work of salvation for you today. Take a good look at the Egyptians today for you're never going to see them again.

God will fight the battle for you.
And you? You keep your mouths shut!"

And then God put his two cents in:

God said to Moses: "Why cry out to me? Speak to the Israelites. Order them to get moving. Hold your staff high and stretch your hand out over the sea: Split the sea! The Israelites will walk through the sea on dry ground. Meanwhile I'll make sure the Egyptians keep up their stubborn chase—I'll use Pharaoh and his entire army, his chariots and horsemen, to put my Glory on display so that the Egyptians will realize that I am God."

(As an aside...I find it hilarious that God is able to take people that are full of themselves to, at the end of the day, display even more of His glory.  Booyah.)

I highly doubt that any of us have an entire army chasing us.  But who hasn't felt pressed on any given day?  Who hasn't felt like they are under attack on any other of those given days?  While I firmly believe that sometimes those things that feel like are attacks are actually God's fair and appropriate discipline for those He loves, there are certainly times that is not the case.  Times that satan wants to flex his muscles a bit and try to beat us down, using whatever is available for him to use.  And in those times, we may lose sight of who the true enemy is.  We may think it's people.  Or businesses.  Or governments.  We may be tempted to fight our own battles and speak loudly to anyone who will listen.  Or, on the flip side, we may be tempted to hide like cowards.  To run back to what we know, even if it is slavery and certain death.

Sometimes God will tell us to speak.  There have been times in my own life where He has told me to be quiet, but then slowly revealed the times and people to which that silence no longer applied.   And sometimes, for our own good, He will tell us to go under the radar.  Not hiding, persay, but laying low.  The key in those times is being driven by wisdom rather than fear.  And again, I've had that happen, too.

God gave me an opportunity last night as I was chatting and praying with my ten year old to talk this out.  She was dealing with a very fresh situation that made her feel kinda scared, kinda hurt, kinda ticked off and really uncomfortable.   I shared Exodus 14:14 with her.  We talked through the options...was this a time to go under the radar?  A time to speak up?  Or a time to simply be quiet and let God fight the battle?  A time to remember all the ways that God has shown up in the past?  A time to recognize that God is always fair and just in His dealings...which means our job is to simply be obedient and graceful in our actions and attitudes, take a step forward, give Him a chance to be honored and let Him decide what to do with Egyptians.

We decided on all the latters.  And we will trust God to show us if that approach needs to change.

Hiding and speaking were my autopilot for a long time.  I praise God that He decided to keep giving me opportunities to reprogram that autopilot.  Or rather, replace the autopilot altogether.  As I told my daughter, that doesn't mean I don't struggle or screw up, sometimes saying more than I should and sometimes closing the blinds and ignoring all forms of social media and communication.  BUT, He's been faithful.  To teach me.  To give me wisdom to know which is the best thing to do in various situations.  To give me the chance to help my kids walk through some of the same stuff.

I don't know what's pressing in on you.  Maybe you have some junk in your life that you haven't dealt with...unconfessed sin...and so it's actually God's love-birthed discipline, requiring you to accept it rather than fight it.  Been there done that, my friends.  It's rough...but it is so worth it.  "If you reject discipline, you only harm yourself; but if you listen to correction, you grow in understanding."  Proverbs 15:32.  Who doesn't want understanding, right?  There is never too risky a move or high a price to pay to gain Godly understanding, or wisdom.  Discipline is scary, hard and humbling.  But it's worth it.

Or maybe it truly is satan doing a muscle flex right in your face...and the best thing you can do is to stand firm, look to the future and walk forward into the sea.  And to do it quietly.  Also scary, hard and humbling.  Also worth it.

I've always been a "gotta figure it out myself" kind of gal.  I wouldn't recommend it.  It is not reliable.  Not.  At.  All.  God, however, is.  Whether it's discipline or satan muscle flex.  A time to be silent or speak up.  Lay low or stand tall.  God already has it figured out.  He knows all.  Ask Him what to do if you're not sure.  He'll tell you.  I promise.

Whatever you do, do not let fear control you.  The fear of the Lord, well, that's appropriate.  I don't want Him to have to pull a Pharoah on me and drown me in a sea because I ignored all His other attempts to set me straight.  There's a healthy fear that should exist, because we are told God is just and holy and fair (2 Chronicles 19:7).  But all the other fears, well, those are not of God.  So as you let Him fight the battle for you, remember this as well...

"Do not be afraid or discouraged, for the Lord will personally go ahead of you. He will be with you; he will neither fail you nor abandon you.”

Deuteronomy 31:8