God’s Promised Help When We Are Afraid - Exodus 14:13 - Episode #152

The Burt (Not Ernie) Show

Well hello again, welcome back to the podcast. Getting the promises of God into the people of God, one episode at a time. And right now we are taking a look at a promise from the second book of the Bible, Exodus. There is a bold promise here for us, so long as we are willing to believe God for it. Ready to dive in? Let’s do this!

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You’re listening to The Burt (Not Ernie) Show, part of the Spark Network, now playing in the Edifi app. This is episode number 152, and today’s show is sponsored by Jen Metzger, author of the book Joyful, Patient, Faithful - A 90-Day Devotional Book for Moms. Such a great book for moms of all stages and ages. Thanks, Jen, for writing this devotional!

You know, Exodus is an amazing book. There is so much in this book, I feel like I could have chosen any one of a number of promises. And they all would have been a great source of encouragement! I landed on a verse from chapter 14, because it just kind of jumped off the page at me. It’s a big promise, and as such it can fit into all of our lives in some manner.

I’m going to read from the Amplified today.

Exodus 14:13 - AMP

Then Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Take your stand (be firm and confident and undismayed) and see the salvation of the LORD which He will accomplish for you today; for those Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again.”

Okay, so this is a very specific promise that was made and then immediately kept by God directly to the Israelite people who had just fled Egypt following 400 long years. I want to acknowledge that, yup, this was a specific promise and it was kept to the letter, completely fulfilled.

But when we open our Bible and read it, it is so encouraging to read what it says, even in the Old Testament, and glean from it, learn from it, grow in our faith because of it, grab hold of the promises we find because God is the same yesterday, today and forever and every single part of the Word of God is given by inspiration from God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. Hebrews 13:8 and 2 Timothy 3:16 tell us those things.

God did indeed make it so that the Egyptians who were chasing after them were not seen again after that day, since they were drowned in the Red Sea when God closed it up after all His people had crossed over in the middle of it on dry ground.

But is there a promise here for us, living some 2000 years after Jesus? So many thousands of years after Moses led them through the Red Sea?

There sure is.

First, a huge promise in this verse that is found all throughout the Bible is sort of couched in a command: Do not fear.

God’s commands are His enablements. That’s a saying that has been around for a while, and it’s one worth remembering. If He calls you to something, He will not leave you unable to accomplish it. He provides where He leads, and He enables us to do as He asks of us, or as He commands us.

When He tells us not to be afraid, He doesn’t then leave us to our own devices as we attempt to not be afraid in our strength. He really does make it possible for us to live fearlessly, to not be afraid. So it is a command, and it is a promise, and our God always, always keeps His promises.

Do not be afraid. Take your stand - be firm and confident and undismayed - and see the salvation which He will accomplish for you.

Another promise for us!

See the salvation which he will accomplish for you.

Two things here.

First, there’s that word will! Y’all know how I feel about that word. Will means will, all means all, and when God says He’s going to do something, we’d best take Him at His word.

Second, it says see the salvation the Lord will accomplish for you.

Just as He did at Calvary, on the cross, the Lord’s salvation is accomplished by His own hand, by His strong arm, and we don’t have the right or the ability to add even one teeny tiny iota to His perfect, finished work.

Likewise, whenever He does some kind of saving work in our lives, it’s HIS WORK. And so, it’s HIS GLORY and HIS HONOR.

Let’s make this applicable to our very own lives, right here, right now, in this very moment. Like, today.

We only have this moment, right? Because the next moment, the next day, next week, etc…it’s not here yet. So we don’t have it. And the past is just that, past.

We have now to apply the very word of God to our own lives and situations and relationships and circumstances. And we have now to praise God, to live grateful, to express thanksgiving, to point to Jesus with our lives and with our words.

You may get a bit nervous, like feeling kinda nervy, about the state of the world. Agendas that are so unbiblical pushing against you on every side. Wars and rumors of wars, well that seems like something that’s happening right now and could swamp our boats with waves of fear. Not because it’s unlikely, but because it’s such a real possibility. Right? We’re not leaning towards fear in areas that it’s unlikely. It’s right in those places where you know it could happen, it is more likely than not, that’s where we need to take the promise of Exodus 14, verse 13 and apply it like a balm. Make our belief of God and His promises the greater truth spoken over those things that push fear on us. The economy, coworker problems, need a big raise and haven’t gotten one in a minute, parenting is hard, not enough hours in the day…I could go on. It’s a long list, these things that can open the door to fear in our hearts and minds.

But God…

The Bible tells us not to be afraid, but to take our stand and be firm and confident and undismayed as we opt to believe that our God is still in the salvation business, and if He saved us from sin and death and hell, then He surely can save us from fear, and from any and every other thing, big or small, that is pressing in on us.

Can you choose to believe that today, my friend?

Can you lay all your chips on the table, let it all ride on red number 7, and just rest as you see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you?

I’d like to just simply pray this verse for you today, and ask God to do what He is so good at doing, what He does perfectly, and that is to save and deliver, to bless and protect, to favor and guide you in every single part of your life where you need Him to step in and be your strong, loving, powerful God.

Lord, thank You for Your word and the promises You’ve given in it.

Today we choose belief. Big, bold, daring belief that even in the things that loom large and seem scary, we will not fear. And we ask You to make us able to not fear - that Your commands would be our enablements today.

In our workplaces, we will not fear. In our families, as we raise our children, with aging parents, difficulties with siblings, when we are lonely or misunderstood, where we’ve been overlooked, slighted, or maligned - we will not fear. When we face health struggles, we choose faith over fear. In a difficult economy, and with the wild and horrible threats of war all around us, we will not fear. Though the earth give way beneath our feet, as it says in Psalm 46, we will not fear.

You are the same yesterday, today, and forever, and You will do as You have promised.

So, Lord, today I ask that for the one listening to me right now, would You do as You have promised and banish all fear, even as You accomplish Your salvation? Rescue them from whatever and or whomever is making them fearful. Free them to walk in the light of Your love, unafraid, fearless. May they be firm as they stand on the solid Rock of Jesus. May they be confident, because their confidence and trust is rooted and anchored solely in You, Lord. May they be undismayed, no matter what the enemy or the world throws at them, because they know for certain that You are the God who saves - and You will be the God who saves them as often as they need it.

Thank You for Your Word. And that when You say will, You surely mean it.

May we live in a state of such total belief that nothing and no one can dissuade us. Make us immovable in our belief that You, O Lord, are the perfect promise maker and the perfect promise keeper.

Take each on listening today on a faith journey with You that leaves them speechless, awash in Your love and care, filled with Your wisdom, blessed to be a child of the Most High God.

And then, do it again and again!

Thank You for making a way for us to live fearless and free, bound only to You, experiencing Your salvation.

You are the One True God, and all our praise goes to You.

In Jesus Name - Amen

Thanks so much for joining me today on the podcast, and for allowing me to pray for you. If you’d like more prayer content, feel free to check out my newest podcast, The Prayer Podcast with Jan L. Burt.

And I’d like to invite you to grab your ticket to the Summer 2023 Online Prayer Retreat. Tickets are just seven dollars, and you’ll get lifetime access to seven prayer sessions, a pdf download Study Guide, plus bonus content and I’d love to see you there.

Oh, if you or anyone you know is a homeschooler, I’m the prayer coordinator for Kerry Beck’s Homeschool Super Heroes summit, and there is a free ticket option that I’d like to share with you. That link, and the link to the prayer retreat, is right here in the show notes.

And the final thing I want to mention today is this: some of you know that I speak at conferences and summits and women’s ministry events, and I really am blessed to be able to do that. If you happen to be looking for a speaker for an event or summit in the coming months, please reach out to me at [e-mail] … and I have a new thingy I’m doing in addition to my speaking via in person events and online events, like Kerry’s homeschool summit… drum roll… I am creating women’s ministry event videos for churches and small groups to purchase at one flat rate, very affordable, and I am super grateful for this new avenue for women’s ministry. Just shoot me an email if you would like to know more, and if you have a certain topic you’d like covered, over the years of speaking I’ve custom written more talks than I can count, so I’d be blessed to do that for your small group or moms event or other event. I’ll reply quickly to your emails, and that is all my new news for today.

Don’t forget, God does not want fear to have any place in your life. I’m believing You will see His salvation accomplished on your behalf in powerful ways. He’s gonna keep His word to you, my friend!

Thanks again for joining me on the podcast, and I’ll see ya next time.