God Will Fight for You

You need only to be still. Exodus 14:14 (NIV). 

For many months I have been consumed with worry over our finances—for the Sunday School Network and my family. Those concerns, combined with being a caretaker for my husband with a brain injury, can be overwhelming. I know I shouldn’t worry. God’s Word says, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” Philippians 4:6-7 (NKJV).

Let me tell you, I have been making our needs known to God, but he seemed far away and his peace escaped me. I wondered, “What are you doing, Lord? What do I need to do? What should I do? I will do what you want; please make your will known to me.” 

I’ve also been preaching to myself: “My God shall supply all your needs according to his riches in glory.”; “Trust in the Lord with all your heart. . . ”; “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want . . . ” 

Yet, the more I tried to figure things out, to try harder, to understand, to pray more, the more unsettled I became. Then a Scripture came to me, “The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” Exodus 14:14 (NIV). I’d like to tell you that I immediately submitted my fears to God. But I didn’t. I kept up the pace of working harder and doing more. Until I got sick—a week before Christmas; then I was forced to rest. 

Now to get to the good part of why I’m writing: I want to give God the praise for his faithfulness and encourage my readers. In the course of two days, God miraculously reminded me to let him fight for me and to rest. In a phone call with my sister, she discussed the need to rest in God. I told her of the verse from Exodus that had come to me. The next day a missionary friend sent me an online Christmas card. One line from his personal greeting said, “We pray that the Lord fights your battles and gives you great victory.” Amazing! I began praising God. Minutes later, I received a letter in the mail from an anonymous person who had used the website. Tucked inside the envelope was a thank you note with a $3 donation for use of one of the Bible games. A thought flashed across my mind, “This is seed money.” (I had no idea what that meant.) There was also a tiny card inside the envelope that said, “I can trust God to fight my battles for me.”  I was thankful for the note and $3, but mostly for God putting an exclamation point on God's promise to fight for me and the instruction to rest in him. I knew these reminders were of the Lord! As I was praising God for his mercy and his patience with my stubborn heart, the phone rang, it was one of my pastors. He said, “Can I stop by for a minute? I have something for you.” Minutes later he delivered a Christmas card from an anonymous person with several hundred dollars tucked inside. Unbelievably, a few minutes later the postman delivered the mail again, and inside one of the Christmas cards was a check for several hundred more dollars! Can I get an amen?!

I really shouldn’t be surprised that God can be trusted. He supplies over and over again! He made me wait, but in the waiting, he showed himself to be the Trustworthy One—again—he never gives up on me, despite my lack of faith. 

Our Good Shepherd promises to care for his children. In fact, the Twenty-third Psalm reminds us that God’s reputation is on the line, “He restoreth my soul . . . for his name's sake" Psalm 23:3 (KJV); we can depend on God to be true to his character.

I am grateful for the struggle these past few months, of not understanding what God is doing or of what I should be doing. Otherwise, I would have missed seeing God show up and show off today in such a marvelous way! I pray I will continue resting in God, and allow him to fight my battles.

“Be still and know
That the Lord is in control
Be still my soul
Stand and watch as giants fall”
~ Hillsong (Listen to this)

Are you waiting on God? Don't give up. Rest in him. I pray that you too will see God show up in your life today and in the days ahead. He can be trusted to fight our battles. 

Please remember us in your prayers—for God's healing power, provision, and peace. 

Serving Christ together,
Sarah Keith

Copyright Sarah Keith
Photography credit: Fernando Cortes @pexels.com

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