Text: Exodus 14:1-14

All of us, including people who do spiritual work, face discouragements in life. Fulltime ministers can be discouraged when they fail to bring someone to church. Even believers give all kinds of excuses for not going to church. 

In Exodus 14, we learn that the Israelites were easily discouraged as they journeyed through the desert on their way to the Promised Land. 

When they were faced with the pursuing army of Pharaoh, they were afraid despite the assurance that God would deliver them through the hands of Moses. The Israelites were discouraged for several reasons. 

1.     Fatigue: they were physically tired as they travelled through the difficult terrain in the wilderness. It was a long and tiring journey for 600,000 men, or close to 2 million people if women and children were included. They had travelled such long distances in the desert and the destination was not in sight. 

Believers too are sometimes tired and feel discouraged. For example, a church camp organizing committee gets discouraged over logistics issues. A home-maker gets tired and discouraged after cleaning her home for hours. 

2.       Fear: the Israelites were fearful as the Egyptian soldiers approached. Fear of the enemy had greatly discouraged them and many were driven to despair. They saw mountains on their left and right. In front of them was the Red Sea. And at their back was the mighty advancing army of Pharaoh. Their hearts sank. 

Believers too are often disappointed with things around us. We often do not realize that the fear in our hearts is not produced by our enemies or external forces, such as thieves, robbers, darkness, claps of thunder or cockroaches. The fear arises from the way we respond to circumstances in life. Fear is created by ourselves and it leads us to disappointment. 

3.       Frustration: when we are unable to get what we want or achieve the expected results, we get discouraged. The Israelites had even lost their sense of purpose and claimed that it was better for them to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. They lost their focus on why they must leave Egypt and move towards the Promised Land. 

Believers too get frustrated when we can’t get what we want. Students feel discouraged when they have studied so hard and failed to get the expected results. Sales people get discouraged when they fall short of their sales targets.

What can we do in the face of discouragements?  We can learn from King David and Moses. 

When David was fleeing from the persecution of King Saul, there was great grief among his followers. Their wives and children had been taken captives by their enemies. Even the most ardent supporters of David had lost heart and blamed him for their misfortune. They wanted to stone David to death. David was greatly distressed but he encouraged himself in the Lord. That was the way he responded to a distressing situation, and so should we. 

Exodus 14:13-14  “And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, …  The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” 

Response 1: “Fear not” and “stand still”.

The phrase “fear not” has resonated throughout the Bible. God knows we are fearful creatures and He has to keep reminding believers not to fear. 

It is never easy to “stand still” and not fight back when we see our enemies approaching. We have to learn to put our faith in God instead of harbouring fear of our enemies.  

Isaiah 41:10 “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” 

In God all things are possible.

Is there any thing too hard for God?

Do not be fearful.  Look unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith. 

Look at the world, we will be distressed.

Look at ourselves, we will be depressed.

Look at Christ, we will be at rest. 

Response 2: “See the salvation of the Lord”.

God demonstrated His will and purpose for the Israelites. He too will show us His will. God never leaves the governing of the world to chance. Things happen with God’s permission. We get frustrated and discouraged when we fail to see God’s will and plan for us. God cares and treasures us. He desires us to know Him, believe in Him and trust Him. We should learn to see the will of God in our lives. He will open our eyes and help us understand how we can overcome our frustration. When we believe that God is in control of our lives, we will feel less discouraged. 

Response 3: “The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace”.

Moses told the fearful Israelites not to do anything but wait for the Lord to fight for them. It is easier said than done just to trust the Lord and do nothing to fight back the advancing enemies, not just for the Israelites, but for us as well. 

In 2 Corinthians 12:9-10, God says: “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.” The Apostle Paul responded: “for when I am weak, then am I strong”. 

Let us replace our fear with faith in God.

Let us learn how to rest on God’s grace.

Let is learn how to trust God for He is trustworthy.          

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