God Stood in Between

Read

Exodus 14:19-20 “Then the angel of God, who had been traveling in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.”

Think

Picture a sunny afternoon at the park. You're walking along the path with your mom. Suddenly a big dog comes running toward you. It's not on a leash, and it's barking loud. Your heart starts pounding. Your legs freeze.

What does your mom do? She doesn't run away. She steps right in front of you. She stands between you and that dog, calm and strong. Soon the owner runs up, grabs the dog's collar, and says, “Sorry! He's friendly!”

But in that scary moment, you weren't thinking about whether the dog was friendly. You were just glad someone stood in between.

God did that very same thing for his people at the Red Sea.

Before this, God had been leading his people with a giant pillar of cloud. It went in front of them during the day, like a tour guide in the sky. But now the Egyptian army was coming up from behind.

So God moved. The cloud floated from the front of the line all the way to the back. It stopped right between God's people and the army.

And then something amazing happened. On the Egyptian side, the cloud made everything dark. The soldiers couldn't see where to go. But on the side with God's people, the cloud gave light. All night long, the army could not get near them.

Isn't that awesome? God didn't just watch from far away. He put himself right in the middle. He was a wall of protection that the army could not get past.

God still stands between you and the things that scare you. That doesn't mean nothing hard will ever happen. But it does mean you are never alone in it. God is right there, closer than you think.

When you are scared at night, God is there. When you walk into a hard day at school, God is there. When something scary is coming toward you, God steps in front.

He brings light to your side, even when everything else feels dark. You are safe with him.

Apply

Picture God in front – If something scares you today or tonight, close your eyes. Picture God standing right between you and that scary thing. Then say, “Thank you, God, for protecting me.”

Pray

God, thank you for standing between me and the things that scare me. Thank you for bringing light when things feel dark. Help me remember you are always close. In Jesus' name. Amen.