As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” Exodus 14:10-12

It’s amazing how quickly we turn back when obstacles come. The Israelites had seen God do the impossible on their behalf, delivering them out of a slavery that had lasted for centuries. Yet at the first sign of opposition, they were ready to return to the chains they had so recently left behind.

In hindsight, it can be easy for us to deride the people of Israel for their lack of faith. What did they have to be afraid of? Didn’t they know that God was on their side? Yet how often do we do the same thing in our own lives? Though God has proven himself faithful time and time again, still we wonder if he’ll come through this time around.

Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14

None of your future is in your past. Though you may face impossible odds, you can stand firm in faith, knowing that God is with you. You’ve given up too much to go back to where you were. It’s too late to turn back now. If we stand firm, God will deliver.

Rich Wilkerson Jr.