Stand Firm Exodus 14:13-14, NIV 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." I would like to share the grace of God under the title, “Stand Firm,” based on Exodus 14:13-14. Could you please repeat after me? Stand Firm. Stand Firm. We are living in a swirling world. A few days ago, an unemployed man in his thirties set a fire in a dormitory and wielded a knife, killing seven people and injuring six. Unable to control his anger, he committed such a cruel crime. The victims were poor people and some were Chinese Koreans. I felt very sorry and sad at the news. The whole world is going through a very serious economic recession. Almost every day, we hear bad news about food containing melamine. We do not know which food is safe to eat. Recently we heard that some people wrongly took government support for farmers. The whole country is being shaken by this recent turbulence. What we have to remember, however, is that as Christians, we should not be shaken. Since the Lord of lords is with us, we should not be shaken by the storms of world affairs, trouble, or suffering. We should fix our eyes on Jesus Christ who is the author and perfecter of our faith, marching forward with faith. Today’s Scripture speaks about the Israelites’ coming out of Egypt after 430 years of slavery there. The Israelites were freed from their slavery, thanks to God’s miraculous work. They left Egypt and arrived near the Red Sea when the army of Pharaoh pursued them. They were devastated. From time to time, we encounter such devastating moments. Storms of suffering try to sweep over us. What should we do in a desperate situation like that? I want to look at spiritual lessons from today’s Scripture. 1. Do not be afraid (Ex 14:10). The first thing we should remember is not to be afraid. Please repeat after me. Do not be afraid. Do not be afraid. Exodus 14:10 says, “As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD.” When we encounter suffering, fear occupies us. The Bible says that the Israelites were terrified. Terror depresses and destroys us. Therefore, when suffering and problems attack us, we must guard our hearts. Proverbs 4:23 says, “Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” We must guard our hearts so that no worry or anxiety will enter our hearts. When we guard our hearts, we can be more than conquerors. After the ten plagues were upon the Egyptians, Pharaoh finally let the Israelites go. However, he changed his mind when they arrived near the Egyptian border. He had his chariot made ready and took his army with him and pursued the Israelites. The Red Sea lay in front of the Israelites, and the Egyptians were marching behind them. The reason why we face suffering from time to time is because the devil wants us to despair and fall. This will continue until we go up to heaven. However, the devil was defeated when Jesus said on the Cross, “It is finished.” The devil lost his power 2000 years ago. He is doomed to be thrown into the eternal fire. Matthew 25:41 says, “Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels.’” They know that they are doomed to be thrown into the eternal fire. However, they are making every effort to corrupt the children of God while they can. Therefore, we must be spiritually alert and resist the devil. 1 Peter 5:8 says, “Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.” I urge you to be spiritually alert and resist and cast out the devil. The devil’s first target is our minds. That is why we must guard our minds. We must securely guard and protect our minds from worry, anxiety, and negative thoughts. We must guard our minds by arming them with the Word of the Lord and by being filled with the Holy Spirit. We must be filled with joy, peace, and gratitude to the Lord. Since the Israelites failed to guard their minds, terror came into their hearts. Terrified, 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!" They were looking at nothing but the current situation. They became totally negative and complained. The disciples of Jesus were also terrified at the squall. Although Jesus was with them, they were occupied with the fear of death. Then Jesus got up and rebuked them. Mark 4:39-40 says, “He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm. He said to his disciples, “Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?” Hallelujah! When the Lord is with us, the storm and the wind will be calmed. We should not fear. The Lord may rebuke us for being afraid. No matter how big a problem or suffering that may come, let us not focus on the situation itself but focus on the Lord who is beyond the problem and who is far greater than any problem. He will instantly demolish the problem and bring great victory in our lives. The Lord who has overcome the world is with us. He is with us, walking ahead of us. Deuteronomy 31:8 says, “The LORD himself goes before you and will be with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged.” Hallelujah! The Lord goes before us on our journey of life. He will always be with us. He also says, “Do not fear. Do not be dismayed. Do not worry.” He comforts us in Isaiah 41:10, saying, “So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I will uphold you. I will uphold you. Do not be dismayed. The Lord will uphold us. He is with us. He will scatter all the shadows of darkness from our lives and let the light of hope in. David Livingston was called the Father of Africa. He traveled across the African continent four times for 33 years and preached the Gospel, regardless of difficulties. When he was visiting his homeland, England, reporters asked him, “Missionary Livingston, what was the hardest thing about living in Africa? How did you overcome your difficulties? Will you go back there?” Livingston replied, “The hardest thing was not the poor surroundings, African natives, or disease. It was the loneliness and the feeling that I was all by myself in a land of dark despair. I could overcome it, because God is always with me. I will go back to Africa as long as God is there. I will continue to trust in the Lord who has been with me and who has helped me to overcome all hardship. I will walk with Him and give my life to Him throughout my life.” Then he introduced his favorite Bible verse: Matthew 28:20 in which the Lord says, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” The Lord says, “I will never leave you no matter what problems and hardship you may experience. I will never leave you nor forsake you.” My father owned a business. At times his business was in trouble. How did I know that? At such times the whole house became very quiet. He would not talk at all when he came home. He would speak with my mother in low tones until very late at night. Then we knew that the business was not going well. He never told us that he was having a hard time in business. He only spoke with my mother about it, and then my mother’s prayer became more fervent. We heard her pray in tears and knew that she was praying for God’s help. Two or three weeks later, we would see the smile of joy back on our parents’ faces. Then we knew that the trouble had gone away. That happened a few times, and I learned that we need to kneel down and pray to the Lord during the time of trouble and problems. During the time of suffering, we should never run around in fear. We should never complain or mumble. Instead, we should focus on Jesus the author and perfecter of our faith. He will open His arms to us and say, “All you who are weary and burdened, come to me. I will solve all your problems. Do not be afraid. Do not worry. Do not be sad. Do not be dismayed. I will be with you.” The Lord who has overcome the world is with you. 2. See the deliverance of the Lord (Ex 14:13). Second, we must see the deliverance of God in the time of trouble. Please repeat after me. See the deliverance of God. Exodus 14:13 says, “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.” He told the Israelites not to be afraid but to stand firm and see how the Lord would wonderfully work. When we face problems, instead of being overwhelmed by them, we should stand firm and quietly and patiently look to the Lord, our problem solver. We must fully trust in Him and march forward with faith. The time of trouble is the time when we should kneel down and pray. It is the time when we need to give thanks to the Lord, because He will fight for us. He will work things out. There is nothing we can do. When we trust in Him, He will accomplish all things. We have to stand firm. Exodus 14:14 says, “The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still." You need only to be still. To be still means not to complain, not to harbor a grudge, not to worry, not to be dismayed, not to fear but to stand firm, to pray, to give thanks, and to leave all our cares to Him with faith. Deuteronomy 3:22 says, “Do not be afraid of them; the LORD your God himself will fight for you." The Lord himself will fight for us. He fights in our place. Therefore, do not be dismayed or frustrated. People say things are very hard these days. We hear devastating news like companies having gone bankrupt and newly built apartments not selling. Nevertheless, do not be dismayed. Do not despair. Have faith, and be still and see how the Lord works. When we put our hope in the Lord, we will witness miracles. Psalm 42:5 says, “Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.” God will work. He will help us. Romans 8:31 says, “What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us?” If God is on our side, who can stand against us? Since God is with us, we can easily overcome all problems, difficulties, and despair. The Red Sea was in front of the Israelites. They could not go back, because the Egyptian army was pursuing them. They had no choice but to stand still and watch how God would work. Sometimes, when we face huge problems, we do not know what to do but despair. We cannot go in this direction or in that direction. We have to stop there, unable to move on. That will be the time when we need to look up to the Lord, saying, “Lord, I cannot do anything. People say I am finished. It is very hard. Help me, Lord. You are my only hope and deliverance. Have mercy on me and work in me.” When we cry out to the Lord, He will work for us. He tells us to stand still and watch what He will do for us. Mr. Dale Carnegie, an American millionaire, was having a hard time during the great depression. He even wanted to kill himself. Things got worse each day, and he thought he would rather end his life. He decided to carry out his plan to commit suicide, and one day he left home to jump into a river. He was walking toward the bridge. He walked around a corner on a street when he heard somebody calling him. He saw a man without legs sitting on a board with wheels. Carnegie took pity on the man, but the man was smiling. He said, “I have some pencils. Would you like to buy one?” Carnegie gazed at him for a few moments and gave him a dollar bill. Then he turned around and went on his way. The man wheeled his board after him and shouted, “Sir, sir, you must take your pencils. Take your pencils.” Carnegie said, “I do not need pencils. They are useless to me now. Keep them.” The man did not give up. He kept following Carnegie for two blocks and said, “Sir, take your pencils. If you do not want to take them, take this dollar bill back.” Carnegie stopped and looked at the man. He was surprised to see the man was smiling and asking him to choose money or pencils. He was not a beggar. He was selling pencils, not asking for money. So Carnegie took the pencils from him and decided not to end his own life. Later, Carnegie confessed, “I thought I could not find any reason to continue living. But when I saw a crippled man living with hope in life and a smile on his face, I changed my mind.” When you cannot find any reason to live, or when you feel you are finished, look unto the Lord, the Lord Jesus who was crucified. He is the only one who provides hope, a goal, life, and power in our lives. When we see Him, we will experience His wonderful grace, blessing, and miracle. Then we will gain enough courage and strength to continue living. 3. Things that God has done (Ex 14:15). Third, we need to see what God has done. Please repeat after me. “Things that God has done.” In verse 15, the LORD said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” God told Moses to command the Israelites to move on. Although the Red Sea was ahead of them, God ordered them to move on. The Lord commands us, “Move on with faith. March forward with faith without ever being afraid. Look ahead and move on. Do not despair or give up but stand up and march forward. Move on!” When we move on, God will divide the Red Sea that is ahead of us. God told Moses to raise his staff and divide the sea. In verse 16, the LORD said to Moses, “Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.” Verse 21 says, “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided.” Amen. God divided the Red Sea so that the Israelites could walk through it on dry ground. We see a sea of despair like the Red Sea. We face the sea of trouble or disease. When we march forward, however, the sea will be divided. God will perform miracles. Problems will be resolved, disease will be healed, businesses will be restored, and your children will be blessed. On their second missionary journey, Paul and Silas preached the Gospel, but they were falsely accused, beaten up, and thrown into prison. Their hands and feet were chained. Ordinary people would have lamented in utmost despair, but they did not. They were men of faith. They did not look at the depressing situation but looked to the Lord Jesus, their eternal hope. Acts 16:25-26 says, “About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everybody's chains came loose.” Instead of complaining or grumbling, they praised God. When we praise and thank God during the time of despair, God will shake the prison foundation, open all the prison doors, and free us by loosening all the chains. God is searching for people of faith even now. Let us all be God’s faithful servants with great faith to overcome all problems and hardship and claim victory. The Bible says in Mark 9:23, “'If you can'?" said Jesus. "Everything is possible for him who believes." The Lord says that everything is possible for him who believes. As long as we believe in Jesus, He will perform great wonders even now. Our God is the god of salvation. He is the god of eternal victory and the god of hope. He is the God of love, so He sent His one and only son Jesus to earth in order to save us from sin and despair. When Jesus said, “It is finished,” all the power of sin, death, and the curse was demolished. The devil was finished. God divided the Red Sea and let the Israelites go through the sea on dry ground. However, the Egyptians followed them into the sea. Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea went back to its place, destroying all the Egyptians. Exodus 1:27-28 describes the scene. “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen?the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.” Not one of them survived. After the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, they were overjoyed and praised the Lord. Exodus 15:1-2 says, “Then Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the LORD: ‘I will sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea. The LORD is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. He is my God, and I will praise him,?my father's God, and I will exalt him.’” We must praise and exalt God for His work. There was a miracle that changed the prospects of the Second World War, called the Dunkirk evacuation. After Germany started the war, the Germans conquered its neighboring countries. It conquered the Netherlands on May 10, 1940 and Belgium on May 28. Three weeks after France had started fighting in the war, all their front lines were broken. Three hundred thousand British solders along with 50,000 French soldiers were stranded in Dunkirk, a small harbor on the shore. The German army was coming close to destroying them. Although the French were doing everything possible to prevent the Germans from coming, the outlook became more pessimistic. The operation to rescue the allied soldiers from Dunkirk was codenamed “Operation Dynamo.” This evacuation process successfully continued for ten days until June 4. The operation was a miracle of God that people experienced during World War II. The Germans attacked all the battleships at Dunkirk beaches. Their heavy air attack would not permit anyone to evacuate. All the allied soldiers were on the verge of death. If all 350,000 soldiers had been killed there, all of Europe would fall into the hands of the Germans, even Britain. It was an utmost crisis for Europe. The British Royal House and Winston Churchill made a very important decision. They proclaimed a day of prayer in which all people were not to work but to cry out to God in prayer. According to the record, Churchill sat in a choir seat in Westminster Abbey and cried out to God for His help. When they cried out to the Lord in prayer, God worked wonders. A severe storm came and covered the sky with total darkness. The German airplanes could not take off and all their tanks and machinery were useless, being stuck in the mud. Due to heavy rainstorms, the front line remained where it was. While there were heavy storms for several days, a great miracle took place. The storm stopped at Dunkirk. The moon rose over Dunkirk. The waves became calm. While there was heavy rain on the German side, the rain stopped at Dunkirk. They used all available ships, including even private fishing boats, and rescued the 350,000 soldiers from Dunkirk. After the heavy rain finally stopped, the Germans advanced to Dunkirk only to find out that the beach had been deserted. It brought about a turn around in the war. The rescued 300,000 British soldiers newly armed themselves and fought in the African frontline under the leadership of Commander Montgomery. The allied forces fought, defeated the German forces, and gained victory in World War II. It was a miracle. God controls everything. God watches over us with His eyes like flames of fire, keeping and protecting us. People may say we are in trouble, but as Christians, we must see things differently. There is nothing impossible when we look through the eyes of faith. We do not need to despair. On the other hand, such an adversity will turn out to be an opportunity. It is time for church revival. It is time for more people to come to the Lord and cry out to Him. People who are in despair and those who do not believe in Jesus yet will come to the Lord. They will cry out to the Lord and experience His grace, and they will overcome all difficulty through His grace. They will see miracles performed. People say we are having a serious economic crisis. When 12 million Korean Christians rise and pray to God, however, He will scatter all the dark clouds of despair. He will divide the Red Sea of economic apprehension. He speaks to us, “Stand firm and watch. I will do the work. Do not despair. Do not be afraid. Do not worry. The Lord of lords will perform miracles.” I pray that you will trust in the Lord alone and experience great victory in Him. Let us pray. Our Heavenly Father, full of love, grace, and mercy, thank You for working wonders. People say we are in trouble, but as Christians, we open our spiritual eyes and believe that suffering will turn out to be steps toward opportunity and blessing. We are not giving up. We will not despair, because the Lord Jesus, our absolute and utmost hope, is with us. We earnestly pray that You will pour out Your grace upon us, so that we may kneel down before You in prayer, anticipate your great work, and be armed with faith. Perform miracles throughout our lives so that Your will may be done. I pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.