Action Flows From Faith
Today’s Verse:
Exodus 14:14 ESV
“The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
At the cancer center on Monday, I saw one of the doctors try to settle down a man who was not happy with either his test results or what was next in his cancer battle. You hate to see interactions like this, but when you’re dealing with cancer, this can happen.
It got me thinking about times when everything in us wants to scream, to act, to take control. In moments of fear, crisis, or overwhelming uncertainty, silence feels unnatural—almost irresponsible. And yet, here in Exodus 14, as the Israelites stand hemmed in by the Red Sea ahead and Pharaoh’s army behind, Moses tells them to do just that: “The Lord will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.”
This is not the silence of defeat. It’s the silence of trust.
God had already shown His mighty hand through plagues, deliverance, and promises. Now, His people are called to watch and wait. Their task isn’t to devise a strategy or to build a bridge. Their task is to stand still and let God be God.
We often equate silence with weakness or passivity. But silence in Scripture, especially before the Lord, is a holy posture—a sign of reverence, surrender, and confident faith. As Psalm 46:10 echoes: “Be still, and know that I am God.” When we are silent, we create space to witness God’s power unfold in His perfect way.
Martin Luther, in the face of enormous challenges during the Reformation, once said:
“I did nothing; the Word did everything.”
There is profound strength in stepping aside, laying down our self-made solutions, and letting the Lord fight the battle.
This doesn’t mean we never act—but that our action flows from faith, not fear. And sometimes, the most faithful thing we can do is simply be still and believe.
Prayers
A Prayer for Today:
Lord God, in the face of trials and fears, still my heart and calm my spirit. Help me trust that You are at work even when I cannot see the way forward. Teach me the holy discipline of silence—of waiting and watching for Your hand to move. Strengthen my faith to know that You are fighting for me. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
Apostles’ Creed:
I believe in God, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth.
And in Jesus Christ, His only Son, our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell. The third day He rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God the Father Almighty. From thence He will come to judge the living and the dead.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the holy Christian Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and the life everlasting. Amen.
The Lord’s Prayer:
Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever and ever. Amen.
Luther’s Morning Prayer:
I thank You, my heavenly Father, through Jesus Christ, Your dear Son, that You have kept me this night from all harm and danger; and I pray that You would keep me this day also from sin and every evil, that all my doings and life may please You. For into Your hands, I commend myself, my body and soul, and all things. Let Your holy angel be with me, that the evil foe may have no power over me. Amen.