Focusing on Pharaoh

As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them.  They were terrified and cried out…Moses answered the people, ‘Do not be afraid.  Stand firm and you will see…the Egyptians you see today you will never see again.  The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still.’” Exodus 14:10-14.

It had been less than a week since God had supernaturally and miraculously delivered the Israelites from their enslaved living…ONE WEEK!  However, they were scared to death …terrified beyond belief…filled with fear and hysteria.  You would have thought that the wonder of the Lord would have lasted longer than six or seven days in the minds and hearts of its recipients.  As we know the pillars of cloud and fire – God’s manifestation – never departed the Israelites.  It constantly filled the skies illuminating His presence, and yet Scripture states that they looked up and saw the Egyptians.  I wonder…how were they able to look beyond God’s manifestation?  How did they develop spiritual amnesia so quickly?  Before we judge too harshly are we not guilty of the same behavior?

How many times has God provided or delivered whatever it was we needed?  How is it that His presence shines so brightly in our lives with infinite blessings yet we focus on Pharaoh?  Why do we look beyond the pillars of Power and fear what seems to be enclosing upon us?  How can we look beyond His brilliance and fear the circumstances up ahead?  Priscilla Shirer, author of One In A Million states, ‘Many times we are so consumed with the past and concerned about the future, we miss out on what God is doing right now...God’s peace cannot hit a moving target.’  It is guaranteed that if we focus on what is up ahead or what is behind we will miss God’s glory for the moment.  We must take the advice of Moses…Be brave…Be faithful…Be watchful… Be still.

We must make intentional efforts to resist fear, remember God’s past victories, stay alert to His presence and cease striving for our own answers.