Move On
Heidi Nequist, Guest Writer
TODAY’S TREASURE
We had just saddled up the horses for our first trail ride at a horse camping weekend. We were all so excited about the weekend, which was a first for us; a campground full of horses and their owners, everyone camping, coming together for meals and live music, and lots of horseback riding through beautiful trails.
The horses were tacked up, we had our route planned out, and we got up on the horses to leave. We got ready to head out and realized Danielle’s horse wasn’t going to move. Moose had decided to plant himself and he wasn’t planning on leaving that area. Ever. He was not going to move.
Danielle, my daughter, tried everything to get him to walk on. In this case, my daughter and the horse were not communicating well at all. Danielle knew she had to get him to listen to her, but the signals became confusing for both Danielle and Moose. Because of some bucking issues, Danielle was working to keep his head up so that he couldn’t buck her off. She decided if she was going down, so was he. It was like watching it happen in slow motion. The two of them together were so graceful as they fell back and to the side, and I swear Moose made a conscious decision to land gently on top of Danielle because he didn’t know where else to fall but did not want to hurt her.
Of course, we jumped off the horses and went to help her. We took some time to walk Moose around, and Danielle gathered herself, to her credit, she got right back on, and we went on a trail ride. And this time, Moose did what he was told, and he WALKED ON.
Where do I even start with the parallels between this incident and my spiritual walk? The Israelites have always drawn me into their story. I have studied their story of Redemption through many avenues, and I am always reminded of how much like the Israelites I am. I read their story and think, how much more obvious did they need for God to be for them to believe and do what they were told? Seriously though, who am I to ask such foolish questions? I live on the other side of the cross. If I believe what I say I believe, then who in the world am I to question? To lose faith? Easy for me to judge the Israelites, but not look in the mirror at my own lack of faith.
In Exodus 14 we read how the Israelites were being pursued by the Egyptian army and they were standing at the Red Sea and there seemed to be no way out. Moses says to them, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see.” Seriously? We can see the army descending on us over those big sand dunes over there, and in front of us is a big body of water. The other side is not visible, so I’m not really sure how you want us to get to the other side, but we ain’t swimming over there. So, stand firm and don’t be afraid. Okay, Moses... sounds like the perfect plan. Just being honest, that is how I would feel in that moment.
Verse 15 says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to MOVE ON.” So, God’s response to the fear of His people was, MOVE ON. I did a word study and a deep dive into those words in Scripture. They aren’t anywhere else. Nowhere else is the message to just MOVE ON. Yes, there are many verses that encourage us to continue to move forward, to grow, to not stay in the same place, but no other verse says those words, MOVE ON.
As a horsewoman, I use that command every time I am on, or near, a horse. My job, as the rider, is to get the horse to MOVE ON in the direction I want him to go. God told Moses to tell the people to first, BE STILL. Then He told them to MOVE ON. The message, at least for me in this passage is this: In the midst of the chaos, with fear and anxiety pressing in on each side, our first response is to STOP and BE STILL. When my racing heart is pounding with anxiety, and I cannot catch my breath, I must remind myself to STOP and BE STILL, because my God will fight for me.
LIFE-GIVING ENCOURAGEMENT
That beautiful verse, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only be still” is the verse we cling to when trouble surrounds us. But we need to keep reading because after we are still, we are told to MOVE ON. We cannot live in chaos, fear, or anxiety. And yes, to be still and know that God is fighting for you is absolutely the first step to overcoming much anxiety, but then there must be action. We must continue to live out our faith and we must move forward. Can you relate? We don’t listen, and we cause our own pain with our own bad decisions and lack of faith. Today, let’s work hard together, when anxiety hits, to first be still. Catch our breath, remember Who is in control, and then move on to the next thing our faith demands of us.
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PRAYER
Lord, teach me to be still. When I cannot catch my breath and my heart starts pounding with anxiety, remind me to focus on You, and help me look for ways to move on away from the chaos and away from the anxiety. Amen
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Sharon W. Betters is a mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, pastor’s wife, and cofounder of MARKINC Ministries, where she is the Director of Resource Development. Sharon is the author of several books, including Treasures of Encouragement, Treasures in Darkness, and co-author with Susan Hunt of Aging with Grace. She is the co-host of the Help & Hope podcast and writes Daily Treasure, an online devotional.
Contact Sharon with comments or questions at dailytreasure@markinc.org.