Wednesday: Marching Forward by Faith
Daily Lesson for Wednesday 6th of August 2025
Read Exodus 14:13-31. Despite their lack of faith, what did God do for the children of Israel?
Because Moses wholeheartedly trusted God and His Word, he encouraged the people. He presented four crucial points on how to act in difficult situations:
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“ ‘Do not be afraid’ ” (Exodus 14:13, NKJV). The first appeal is to trust the Lord, because only in this way can fear be overcome. Isaiah reminds us of this truth by stating that believers are in God’s hands, and He will act for them when they accept Him as their God and Lord: “ ‘So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. . . . For I am the Lord your God who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you’ ” (Isaiah 41:10,13, NIV).
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“ ‘Stand [firm] still’ ” (Exodus 14:13, NKJV). To “stand still” does not mean only to stop murmuring and to expect great things but also to trust God and to wait patiently for His mighty intervention, because He will act.
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“ ‘You will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today’ ” (Exodus 14:13, NIV). For our faith to grow, it is important to recognize God’s leadership and help and to be grateful for His promised assistance. To “see” means to open one’s eyes (because disbelief is blind). Only God can provide victory, safety, and salvation. God is always for us, caring and providing what is needed at the appropriate time.
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“ ‘The Lord will fight for you’ ” (Exodus 14:14, NKJV). This indicates what God will do: He will personally fight for His people. Calvary is the ultimate proof of this reality, for on the cross Christ defeated Satan in order to give us eternal life (John 5:24; Hebrews 2:14; Revelation 12:10-11). Later, even the Egyptians recognized that the Lord was fighting for the Israelites (Exodus 14:25).
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God’s command to Moses was clear: “Move on.” God unfolded His action plan step by step: (1) the Angel of God and the pillar of cloud moved from the front of Israel’s camp and stood behind them, protecting them from the Egyptian army; (2) by faith Moses had to stretch out his hand over the sea; (3) the Lord divided the water and dried it up with a strong wind; and (4) the result was that the Israelites went securely through the sea on dry ground to the other side. The Egyptians blindly pursued them, because they did not see that God was doing extraordinary things for His people; that is, they didn’t see until it was too late, as their confession in Exodus 14:25 revealed.
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We sometimes get very starry-eyed about this "going forward in faith" thing. and forget that it does not absolve us from doing our homework. I remember a church I attended many years ago that was meeting in a school hall and they decided to build their own church. Someone worked out how much it was going to cost, and the amount in the building fund. The idea was put to the church membership that they could take out a loan for the substantial difference and pay it off with an offering each week. There was a lot of talk about stepping forward in faith etc and folk were getting quite excited about the idea. I used to teach financial maths to high school students in those days and quickly did the sums and came up with a figure of how much a family would need to put in the offering each to week to service the loan. It put a dampener on the whole project. They realised that the service amount was well beyond their means.
I have to add that while that particular pathway did not eventuate, there is now a thriving church in the area. The church did a bit of wandering in the wilderness for a while but ultimately help arrived from quite an unexpected source. But that was about a generation later. I might also add that some other issues within the congregation were resolved as well.
God's leading is not just getting a bright idea and sailing with it. If we feel God is leading us on a particular pathway, we at least need to buy a map and study it carefully. Too many bright "faith boats" have ended up on the shores of friends and family who have had to pay for the rescue. We also need to recognise that God may have other ideas about how we should be led other than our own bright idea. I wanted to become a scientist but it took a little failure amd a journey through a concrete pipe factory for me to reah my faith dream. And it was only after I had matured that I realised God had lead me on that Journey.
“And it is impossible to please God without faith” (Hebrews 11:6,NLT)
“Faith is the victory that overcomes the world” (SDA Hymnal,608). Faith of one man/woman in God can save a family, a community, even a nation. Moses’ faith in God was profoundly critical in the epic and miraculous crossing of the Red Sea. His words were beyond courage and heroism. They were words fully embedded in the absolute power of God. "Do not be afraid" (Exod. 14:13), "Stand [firm] still" (Exod. 14:13), “You will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today" (Exod. 14:13), "The LORD will fight for you" (Exod. 14:14). Who can have the audacity to utter these words unless the Spirit of the Living God is speaking through him/her? Moses’ faith in God and obedience during the crossing of the Red Sea deserves some careful examination for our learning.
1. Faith is the courage to act in obedience regardless of the prevailing realities. Moses had the courage to obey God to lift his staff and stretch it over the sea when humanly did not make sense. To do what God says requires us to summon our courage to move forward.
2. The power of one man/woman’s faith can be indeed foundational to a multitude in overcoming great obstacles (Hebrews 11:29). Moses’s faith inspired the fear-stricken multitude to move forward. Paul’s faith saved 276 people.“So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me” (Acts 27:25 ).Faith inspires others. A faithful parent can change the destiny of their children. A faithful teacher can change a generation. A faithful Christian can revive a “dying” church.
3. Faith in God leads to obedience. Obedience brings understanding and revelation. The more we trust in God the more impossibilities become possibilities. Faith does not make things easier but makes them more possible.
“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.” — James 5:16 (NIV)
God is continually pleading with his people to march forward, not backward, repeatedly reminding us that His promises lie ahead, not behind. The Lord commanded Joshua to press on toward the future He had prepared-Joshua 1:9, God told Joshua and Indeed us all to be strong and courageous not to dwell in fear or past failures, but to step boldly into the unknown, trusting in His presence. Apostle Paul repeats the same in the New Testament, declaring, “Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus” (Philippians 3:13–14). God’s instruction is loud and clear: march forward and ahead, with faith as our compass and obedience as our guide.
The Lord doesn’t lead us in circles; He leads us into purpose, victory, and promise. When we walk in step with Him, even through valleys and wilderness, we are assured that we’re headed toward something greater. As Charles Kingsley put it in his intriguing novel: “We spend too much time commiserating about the past".... there is a character Epimetheus who always looks back, thinking only of what has been. There is another Prometheus who looks forward, believing that God has greater things in store for tomorrow. We live out our days with one or the other perspective through decisions we make. As for me, I choose to take God’s advice and advance toward tomorrow with full confidence in Him. I hope you choose to do likewise.
We often find ourselves bewildered by the irrational actions of the Egyptians.
It seems to me that these people were blinded by something. Either rage, pride, some sort of cognitive dissidence, or a combination of all. Logically, and from our perspective, what they did was unreasonable. Would it have been reasonable from their perspective? The problem is that when someone is blinded by rage, pride, or some sort of cognitive dissidence, then the most unreasonable thing sounds quite reasonable – at least on the surface! This is where the rubber meets the road.
The question for us becomes – how immune are we from rage, pride, or some sort of cognitive dissidence? The answer is simple – we are not, and the sooner we realise this, the better.
Consider. Do we ever find ourselves in discussions, arguments, or situations where we are either irrationally, or emotionally defending something because of our own rage (“sanctified”, to be sure), pride or cognitive dissidence? Our “pursuit” may not result in physical harm as was the intention of the Egyptians, but it often results in harm, and we sometimes end up fighting for the enemy.
If this is the case, then how do we prevent ourselves from blindly pursuing our version or understanding of truth (which may be true, or have important elements of Truth), without finding ourselves floating head-down in an ocean of confusion while observers feel justified in their view of professed “Christians”?
I would suggest the answer may be Spirit-inspired humility which enables, and in many ways empowers appropriate discussion (which of necessity sometimes includes robust disagreement). It is the eye-salve of the Spirit that reveals our true condition, not individual blindness that leads to collective blindness. Interestingly, while this is available to all individuals, it only works effectively within a body of believers – that have different perspectives on truth and different ways of presenting that perspective.
I believe this is one of the most important topics for discussion in these days of intense tribalism. A heaven-sent opportunity to reveal what a true ambassador of Christ looks like.
Come every soul, by sin oppressed there's mercy with the Lord and He will surely give you rest by trusting in His word.
Only trust Him, only trust Him, only trust Him now, He will save you, He will save you, He will save you now. Sdah 279
This lesson highlights the essential role of trust in God when facing seemingly impossible challenges. Despite their fears and doubts, the Israelites were called to move forward, not by sight or certainty, but by faith in God’s promises and power.
Moses’ leadership and the people's willingness to follow God’s instructions demonstrate what it means to advance courageously, even when the path ahead is unclear. God’s command to Moses to move on was clear and by faith Moses had to stretch out his hand over the sea.
The Israelites action of walking through the sea as Moses led demonstrates their willingness to follow despite uncertainty. It also acknowledges the people’s weakness but implies they stayed with Moses and followed God’s plan.
Though trials and difficulties may temporarily obscure our joy and hope, we must remember that these clouds will pass and the light of God’s love and blessing will shine forth again, brighter and more precious than before.
A sinful and rebellious heart often refuses to listen to reason, even in the face of overwhelming evidence. The Egyptians had every sign imaginable—plagues, death, darkness, miracles—but their hearts were so hardened that they acted against their own best interest. This is a clear biblical pattern:
Sin distorts perception, dulls the conscience, and leads people to make decisions that are irrational, self-destructive, and void of wisdom. Proverbs 28:14 says: “Blessed is the one who always trembles before God, but whoever hardens their heart falls into trouble.”
The Egyptians weren’t just fighting Israel—they were resisting God’s will, and rebellion against God always leads to ruin. Their pursuit ended with complete destruction, and it stands as a timeless warning:
When we ignore God's voice and follow pride, anger, or fear, we walk a path that defies reason and invites judgment.
Today's lesson presents four powerful points of action for Christians today.
Fear is the greatest weapon of Satan because he has seen how effectively it works in the lives of people. God says one thing, but we tend to over analyze what he has told us to do. Sometimes we get stuck in fear. Paralyzed by indecision, we stay put in the traumatizing situation, or memory.
Even today God wants to deliver his children from all their fears (Psalm 34:4). The problem lies in our lack of trust in God, not in his lack of ability. God can deliver in miraculous ways. Picture yourself in the narrative of the people of Israel fleeing the Egyptians. Would you go forward in faith into the parted sea, or would you stand on the seashore questioning?
God could and did deliver Israel, however he didn't carry them by the knap of their necks like an animal carries their offspring. No, they had to obey the command of the Lord to move forward in spite of their fears, in order to be liberated from their captors. It is the same today. We can wallow in our miserable state, making excuses, or we can go forward in faith claiming and believing God's promises, leaning upon his strength to deliver us. "Faithful and absolutely trustworthy is He who is calling you [to Himself for your salvation], and He will do it [He will fulfill His call by making you holy. guarding you, watching over you, and protecting you as His own]." (2 Thess.5:24 Amplfied)
"What then shall we say to all these things? If God is for us, who can be [successful] against us?" Romans 8:31
We have been terrorized by Satan's schemes long enough. It's time to see the deliverance of God. Let's move forward!
Doesn't ‘trusting God’ start with accepting that man has a Creator who is worthy to be acknowledged and worshiped as God? For all the atheists and non-believers, who don't believe in a 'God Supreme', I consider their life will continue to be spent in the spiritual darkness of 'Egypt'.
The pantheons of Egyptian, Mesopotamian, and Greek gods and goddesses were considered the most powerful deities man had formed relationships with at their time. But the God who claimed: it is I who made all things – I AM WHO I AM –, declared they had no power at all, and it was He who governed all things in heaven and in earth.
Building faith is based on having a trusting relationship with one's God. This is what the children of Israel needed to establish first, and God needed to provide enough evidence with which to build this trust-relationship - assuring both, His own and His foes, who was the real God - so everyone could count on that He meant it when He said that all things are under His authority.
The time had come to expose the imposters, that they had no true power at all, that it was time to retreat. Though warfare with the adversary's forces is still ongoing. From the beginning, Trust and Faith need to remain strong to persevere in our faith-journey to strive for a life that pleases God; all the while exposing the impotence of the false gods of this world – 1 Tim.6:12; Eph.6:12; Rom.8:31; 1 Peter 5:8-9.
God is amazing!!!! He is wonderful! This Lesson is a step-by-step guide on how to be successful!