INTRODUCTION 

A nail biter is a situation where you have no idea how you’re going to get out. Sometimes, God comes through in a nail biter, and when He makes a way out of no way, your celebration is different. In Exodus 14, the Israelites find themselves in a nail biter.

The Lord told Moses to have the Israelites camp between the Egyptians pursuing them and the sea in front of them. God placed them in a position of insecurity and vulnerability so He could get the glory. Often, we live in that tension — feeling yesterday’s trauma still pulling while trying to walk into tomorrow. But this place of challenge and difficulty is often the precursor to the victory.

The enemy has a way of making you look back and question following God, but God allows nail biters to occur in our lives, so we can learn to trust Him. As the Egyptians closed in on the Israelites, Moses told the people of God to stand, not fear, be quiet, and see the salvation of the Lord. When your instinct is to fear, run, fight your own battles, or complain, learn to do the same.

The Lord told Moses to tell the people to stop praying and crying out to Him and instead to move forward. The Israelites’ prayers had turned into constant complaints! Sometimes we love prayer meetings with no action items, but the salvation of the Lord comes when we obey. When the Israelites stepped forward, the cloud that had been leading them shifted behind them to protect them. God literally had their backs.

At the sea, Moses stretched out his hand and the Lord sent a strong wind all night to sweep the waters back. The miracle wasn’t the water moving; it was the wind. God introduced His people to His Spirit—the wind that carries, leads, guides, and protects. So, when you’re caught between a rock and a hard place, remember: God may just be introducing you to His Spirit.


GETTING STARTED

  1. Have you ever had a “nail biter” moment in life where you didn’t know how it would work out?
  2. How do you usually respond when you feel “caught in the middle” with no clear way forward?


LET’S GET PERSONAL

  1. What’s an area of your life right now where you sense God asking you to move forward into the unknown?
  2. When the Israelites moved forward, the cloud moved from leading to guarding. How have you experienced God protecting you and having your back?
  3. Where have you seen the Holy Spirit quietly at work behind the scenes in your life?


TAKE THE NEXT STEP

  1. How can you make space this week to listen for and follow the leading of the Holy Spirit?
  2. Pray and ask God to show you how He is calling you to move forward in faith, even if it feels like a nail biter.
  3. Want to dig deeper? Take a look at the following passages: Exodus 14:10, 21-22; Luke 1:37; Ephesians 3:20; Job 42:5; 1 John 4:4; Luke 17:32; Genesis 1:1.


RENEW YOUR MIND 

‘Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

— Exodus 14:13-14