“But Moses said to the people, ‘Do not be afraid, Stand firm, and see the deliverance the Lord will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today you shall never see again.’”                                                                             Exodus 14:13 (NRSV)

I had a meeting scheduled with a person I knew would be very difficult. You know – one of those people who begins every encounter offensively, loud and angry. 

I just knew the meeting would go in a bad direction very quickly. I had put off the meeting as long as I could. The time had come to face it and deal with the issue at hand. So prior to the meeting I prayed about the encounter. To my shock and amazement, the meeting went much better than I imagined. Although still angry and upset, the person was not as bad as I feared. I did not give in on my position and God helped me through it. 

I don’t like unpleasant things or confrontation. I must admit, I have walked in a different direction to avoid someone or something I anticipated would be difficult, only to find or be faced with the same situation just around the corner. 

I have learned that when I avoid issues, people, or situations don’t just disappear. Imagine that. The harsh reality is that in life there are and will always be many unpleasant things to deal with and we have to do just that – deal with it!

The great part is we don’t have to deal with it alone. God is on our side.

I tend to view difficulties in life as battles. Battles to be fought; however, I don’t necessarily have to be the one engaged in battle. As long as I stand firm in what I believe, the Lord will take care of the combat Himself.

Over and over again, I “see the deliverance the Lord accomplishes” in my life. The effects of the difficulties I deal with are so much smaller when I allow God to fight for me. Even though I still face those hard times, seemingly impossible situations, and difficult people, I am at peace with it. It is a peace I can’t explain and know can only be given by God. 

God doesn’t just sit back and watch us embroiled in conflicts on our own. He wants to fight for us – to protect and keep us. But we have to let Him.

Much like Moses and the Israelites, we need to listen to God, follow His instructions, and let Him fight. The adversaries of today we don’t have to take on later when we stand our ground and let the Lord do the rest. When we do this, the thing we dreaded the most becomes a victory we boast about down the road. 

Today, it is time for you to quit!

Quit running away. Quit avoiding certain situations. 

Stand your ground on a foundation of Faith – and let God fight for you. He is always in your corner.

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