How do you hear Him?

The Israelites escaped Egypt, set up camp near a sea, and then turned to find the Egyptians coming after them. Egyptians on one side, a sea on the other. They began to panic. Understandably.

Rock. Hard place.

God told Moses he would handle the situation, so Moses wasn’t nervous — or so the Text doesn’t let on that he was. At this point, God had already proved himself trustworthy. And if God says he will rescue them, Moses believes it…even if he has no clue how. He told the people: “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.” (Exodus‬ ‭14:14–15)

I snicker when I read this verse — as I’ve always loved that verse telling people to be still. It’s true. Sometimes we need to pause, take a breath and wait for God to speak. That’s a comforting peaceful verse.

But this was not the time. God responds quickly with, “what are you doing? Move on!”😆

It’s often hard to decipher what God is asking of us. Do we move on? Do we stay put? Do we fight? Do we find a hole and crawl into it and wait out the storm? Can Moses just text me and let me know what God is saying? Or better yet, God — you have my number. Send me a text.

A new friend asked me this weekend: How do you know God’s voice? How does God speak to you?

I’m still learning His voice. It’s a continual practice for me. I feel more confident these days in knowing his voice, but there are times when I wonder if I’m getting it right.

Moses was telling people to be still when it was time to move on. But God was quick to let him know the right course of action. He is not cruel. He will not lead you astray. If you’re truly seeking him and his voice, he will not punish you for getting it wrong. He’s kind like that.