Devotion

Be Still

Who is the most powerful person you know?  Is it a family member or a world leader?  While I am not keen on starting a political debate in Australia, our leaders generally do a pretty good job of leading the country and caring for the people who live here. 

In Old Testament times Moses and the Israelites were in a very different situation.  The Pharaoh of Egypt saw them as a threat and looking after them was not on his priority list.  Pharaoh used the Israelites to his advantage as slaves and tried to reduce their numbers. 

God called Moses to deliver the is people from Egypt – this was not an easy undertaking – but with the help of God in a variety of miraculous events, including plagues, Pharaoh relented and said that they could go.  When the Israelites had left Egypt – Pharaoh changed his mind and God’s people, led by Moses, found themselves trapped between a country that they didn’t want to enter for fear of war, the Red Sea and the Egyptian army who wanted to return them to slavery.

During this time God’s presence was with the Israelites in the form of a cloud during the day and a fire at night.  When Moses and the Israelites found themselves surrounded Moses shared the following words with the Israelites.

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 be still. Exodus 14: 13-14 NIV

Be still!!! This is not something that I would have thought a wise option.  But this was how God was able to work … Moses had listened to and partnered with God to lead them this far and trusted that God will be there for this situation.

Moses then acted on behalf of the Israelites – holding his arms up so that God could part the Red Sea for them to walk through and then prevent the attack of the Egyptian army. 

Just like Moses, God calls us to be still and listen, through his word, to his voice through the power of the Holy Spirit and to act in love for others – in being still we can allow God to be the action for us knowing that he will be there for us all. Just like the Israelites we can then celebrate acknowledging that …

The Lord is my strength and my song: he has become my salvation.  He is my God and I will praise him. My father’s God and I will exalt him. Exodus 15:2 NASB

Mrs Evie Stevens

Sunday Service Times at Good Shepherd

2025 Worship Song Playlist

Do you find yourself wondering what songs we sing in Wednesday Worship? Do your children come home singing some of the songs? We would like to invite you to our Good Shepherd School Worship Song Playlist on YouTube. To find a selection of songs that we sing, click here and start singing along!