An Unfair Advantage: Victory in the Midst of BattleEsimerkki

Getting Off the X—Part 2

In the book of Exodus, we see the same promise of Jeremiah 29:11 given to the Israelite people: a promise of prosperity, hope, and a future. To deliver that promise, God called Moses to set his people free and lead them into the promised land. Just as in military training, promises of good times must be tested and proven under pressure. Sure enough, after being freed from Egypt the Israelite people soon found themselves on the X and in the line of fire of Pharaoh, the mighty ruler of Egypt, and his minions.

Moses and the newly freed Israelites reached the Red Sea, but Pharaoh decided to go and kill them using the entire Egyptian army. Every horse and chariot in the army closed in around Moses and the unarmed Israelite people. On the banks of the Red Sea, the Israelites found themselves stuck on the X, and instead of getting off it, they stayed there and fell apart.

In the chaos of being stuck against a sea with no exit route, Moses calmed the people, who were panicking and blaming him, and reminded them of the victory promised by God. Moses said, “Do not be afraid! Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. . . . The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (vv. 13–14).

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to Me?’” In other words, “Why are you praying right now? I already made a promise to you! Act on it!” God then said, “Tell the Israelites to move on” (v. 15). In short, get off the X!

God’s promise proved true: Moses split the Red Sea, and the Israelites walked through on dry ground, off the X. Pharaoh and his army decided to chase them and were destroyed in the sea.

We will all find ourselves on the X at some point, whether in combat or in life. The question is what will we do there. Will we choose to stay on the X, only to die? When Moses found himself on the X, he was strong in his faith, believed in God’s promised victory, and led the others forward.

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11). This is a promise to you, me, and everyone willing to accept it, regardless of your situation. When the day of adversity comes (and it will) and you find yourself on the X (and you will), you can be assured that moving forward with a firm reliance on God will result in victory. This is an unfair advantage available to each of us, whether on the battlefield or in everyday life.