My Position and God's Protection

In life, we deal with real issues and we experience real hurt. Although we'd like it to be different, we don’t go through life in a bubble because God promises to look after us.

People who speak against us, can hurt us. People who act against us, can hurt us. People who betray our trust, hurt us. We go through life experiencing hurt because we are emotional beings and we have bodies that can be hurt. Things happen in life that destroy our peace. Family and friends betray each other. We’re not immune to pain. Yet, God wants us to remain at rest and at peace, knowing He has the right pathway ahead.

I read a FB post that said:

I’m so protected that if people speak poorly of me, it only hurts them. Exodus 14:14.

Really? If we didn’t get hurt when people speak poorly of us, we wouldn’t have to forgive and be healed, but we do.

What Exodus 14:14 actually says:

(AMPC) The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace and remain at rest

(GWT) The Lord is fighting for you! So be still!”

For context, read Exodus 14:12-16 to understand what was happening in Exodus 14:14.

Exodus 14: 12-16 (NLV)

12 Did we not tell you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone and let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die here.”

13 But Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid! Be strong, and see how the Lord will save you today. For the Egyptians you have seen today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you. All you have to do is keep still.”

15 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to keep going. 16 Lift up your special stick and put out your hand over the sea, and divide it. Then the people of Israel will go through the sea on dry land.

There was a lot of commotion going on. The Israelites were distressed, angry, afraid and raising a ruckus. Even while Moses told the Israelites to stay calm, the Lord will fight for you and rescue you, keep still, God told Moses, tell the people to keep going!

Exodus 14:14 is telling us when things go wrong, maintain our peace, keep a quiet mind, trust God and follow what He says to do. Remain calm without blaming, wrangling, or doubting, and keep moving ahead where God creates the way.

Did God provide a way of escape across the Red Sea? Yes. Did He expect the Israelites to use their legs and walk across themselves? Yes, He did.

Once I understand God expects something of me I need to be willing to do what is expected.

I have a part to play whether I’m hurt or not hurt, fearful or not, whether I understand or not, am willing or not.

Sometimes, God might caution us to do nothing. Sometimes, God requires us to do something. We have to be able to discern what He says in each situation. This requires a growing in maturity that we don’t always want to have.

Many times we want to remain childlike and helpless and say, ‘God will fight for me and nothing anyone does can hurt me’. But God never said we wouldn’t be hurt or frightened or angry. Sin rules in this earth, people to do bad things and those are our natural responses. But He does have a way through every situation. If we seek Him, He will show us what to do and how to handle our responses while we handle the situation. Even though it hurts.

Just like I know I can trust God, God wants to trust me!

He wants to trust me to follow Him, to stand, to take my position, to do what He says to do on any given occasion in the way He says.

I am more than His ambassador, I am His counterpart (Genesis 2, Matthew 9).

God uses me in situations for the unique strengths and qualities He’s put in me to bring into that situation; to be His hands and feet, bringing His presence and order into the situation. That means I might get hurt, even while I trust in His pathway and remain at peace.

I experience life events with all the same emotions the Israelites experienced. Fear. Anger. Confusion. Hopelessness. Rebellion. But 2 Corinthians 10:5 tells me to captivate my own thoughts and submit myself in obedience to God.

There is an action I must take if I don’t want my responses corrupted or hurt to control me.

The closer I am to Him, the more I know Him and stand in His authority, not as a child in need but as a warrior with weapons in my hand, knowing my assignment.