This week I was reading Exodus 14 with one of my kids. It recounts the passage of the Israelites from Egypt through the crossing of the Red Sea.

The Lord, hearing the cries of the Israelites secured their release (by way of several plagues) from slavery. They flee into the desert guided by the Lord (a pillar of cloud in the day and fire in the night). Arriving at the shores of the Red Sea they turn to see the Egyptian army in pursuit. Despite all that God had done they are terrified and cry out again ‘It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’. The answer is glorious. Moses says to the people ‘Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today…the Lord will fight for you; you need only be still’ (Ex 14:12-14). As you probably know, God then parted the waters and they safely crossed the Rea Sea on dry land.

What strikes me was that Israel was helpless. They had been unable to free themselves from slavery in Egypt and so they cried out for help. God saved them. Once free, at the first sign of trouble and unable to escape from the Egyptians they accuse God of letting them down. God saved them.

Ephesians 2 shows how God works for us in fundamentally the same way that he worked for the Israelites. Dead in our transgressions and sins, because of his great love for us, he saved us in Jesus, not by our works, but as a gift (Eph 2:1, 4, 5, 7, 8, 9).

Now that we are saved – let ‘s do the good works which God prepared in advance for us to do!

Stand still in our trust of the Lord and by faith walk.