Digging Deeper: Get Up and Go
“Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward”
Exodus 14:15 (ESV)
GET UP AND GO
The Israelites are surrounded on both sides. Going backward means slavery. Going forward means drowning—unless a miracle happens. They cry out to Moses to rescue them, and Moses assures them that God will fight for them (Ex. 14:14). God hears the cries of the people and asks Moses,
“Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward” (Ex. 14:15).
God is telling His people to trust in Him—and get up and go! The writer of Hebrews notes,
“By faith he (Moses) left Egypt, not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured as seeing him who is invisible” (Heb. 11:27).
By faith in the “invisible,” Moses gathered the people and left, trusting God to provide a path.
Our faith in God must be active, and trusting Him should result in taking that first step. Faith believes that God is who He says He is. Trust believes that God acts in the ways He promises. You cannot have one without the other. James wrote, referring to Abraham,
“You see that faith was active along with his works, and faith was completed by his works” (Jas. 2:22).
Abraham knew enough about God to trust Him—even to the point of sacrificing his son and heir. Daniel reminds us,
“The people who know their God shall stand firm and take action” (Dan. 11:32b).
The book of James, though relatively short, contains some very powerful messages. My favorite part is the final section of chapter 2, titled “Faith Without Works Is Dead” (Jas. 2:14–26). James notes that faith without works is a “dead faith” (v. 17). When someone asks us about our faith, most of us can find the words to explain why we believe what we believe. However, James takes it a step further, stating,
“Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (v. 18b).
In other words, what good is faith if no action is taken on its behalf?
We all know the ending of the story of the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. God protected them until they were safely on the opposite shore. Then He caused the waters to return, drowning their Egyptian pursuers (Ex. 14:21–29). The people trusted God to save them, and their trust was rewarded by a faithful God.
One final question: What is holding you back from moving forward?
I still remember a scene from the final film in the original Indiana Jones saga. Indy must cross a bottomless abyss with no visible bridge to provide a path. He takes a step of faith into the void—and discovers an invisible stone bridge spanning the chasm. Think about the times when God has been faithful to you during your own seasons of indecision. The trust built during those countless encounters should give you the confidence to take that next step of faith—whatever area of life is causing you to waver.
Digging Deeper (er):
Proverbs 16:3; Proverbs 21:5; 1 John 3:18
Phil Meade is a father of 3, and grandfather of 5. He has a Masters Degree in Theological Studies from Liberty University, and lives in Acworth. He has led various small groups throughout his more than 20 years attending NS. He retired after 8 years as an Air Force pilot, and 33 years as a Delta pilot.