WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 6
Exodus 14:15-16
Exodus 4:1-4

“… I will shew thee my faith
by my works.”

FAITH AND ACTION

The people were in great fear and were very upset with Moses for bringing them out of Egypt. They were sitting ducks where they were situated. Moses had just told the people that the LORD would fight for them. At this point, the LORD asked Moses why he was still speaking to Him. He told Moses that he should instead be telling the children of Israel to move forward. They had little space to maneuver. Moving forward meant heading towards the sea, with Pharaoh’s army at their heel. Why did the LORD ask Moses to stop speaking to Him and go speak to the children of Israel instead? Did not God tell us to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17) and “in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving” (Phil 4:6) to make our requests known to Him? Moses’ exemplary faith was shown by his words of encouragement to the children of Israel. But more was required. His faith must lead him to act. It was time to keep going in Canaan’s direction. The LORD had made it clear He would fight for them. He had also earlier made His call to Moses clear about him leading the children of Israel to the Promised Land. Moses had prayed already. Now he must go forth to do the work.

It is not wrong to pray without ceasing, but you need to act too when God’s commands and promises are clear. At times we fail to take the next step in faith after having known God’s will. We know the choices we need to make regarding a current situation about our job, God’s model for our family, some relationship, or some financial commitment we have. We are convinced and may even speak with conviction to others. But we just keep going in a loop and maintain the status quo for weeks, months, even years. We may even keep praying about it individually and as a family. But we fail to take the steps needed to move forward towards what we have known from God’s Word. Yes, the step forward may seem daunting. But take action in faith knowing God will fight for you.

THOUGHT: Actions speak louder than words.
PRAYER: LORD, teach me to take action while I depend upon Thee.