“Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the Lord and they believed in the Lord and in His servant, Moses.”
– Exodus 14:31
Exodus 14:31 is the commentary after God saved His people from the Egyptians not just through the Passover, but through the Red Sea instance when the Egyptians were about to overtake the Israelites, God split that sea in half, sent them through on dry land, and then brought those waters down upon the Egyptians who were pursuing them. Israel, the Bible says here in Exodus 14:31, they saw the great power that the Lord used in saving His people, so they feared Him and they believed in Him.
This Verse Reminds Us Only Jesus Can Transform Lives
When sinners turn from sin and trust in Jesus, we see God’s power to save on display. Only He can transform lives by bringing sinners from death to life.
When I read this, oh, there’s so many things that comes to my mind, but one in particular is how God’s power is made known, made evident, in salvation, that when God saves it is a demonstration of His power. That’s the picture here in Exodus 14:31. And that’s the picture all over the Bible, and it’s the picture in our lives. When God saves someone from their sin, that is a picture of God’s power at work. When God takes the life of a sinner and draws them to Himself by His grace and then turns their life upside down so it looks totally different. I think about a good friend of mine that’s coming to mind right now who before he was a follower of Christ, I can hardly even recognize him now.
He’s a totally different person. When he came to Christ, his whole demeanor changed. His whole mindset changed. The way he thinks changed. The way he speaks changed. I mean, he used to be so rough. Now he’s so gentle. Used to be so mean. Now he’s so kind.
Exodus 14:31 Leads Us to Prays For God To Change Lives
It’s just a demonstration of the power of God at work in salvation, and so we’re compelled to pray, then, aren’t we? God, show your power like this in more and more and more people. Oh, God, change lives. Change hearts. Change minds for your glory.
Lord, I think about people right now that I’m praying for on a regular basis who are apart from Christ, whose hearts are far from you, whose lives show evidence of that. God, change them. Show your power. Save them from their sin. Save them from their pursuits of this world and save them from the emptiness where it all leads.
Exodus 14:31 Leads Us to Pray For Unbelievers
God, give them fulfillment in you, satisfaction in you, joy in you, salvation in you, and in the process show your power. God, we pray that. I just encourage you to pray that right now for specific people in your life. Pray that God would show His power. God, show your power in these people’s salvation. We just lift their names to you right now. I got names, I’m not gonna say them on the podcast here, but for this person, for that person, God, we pray. Show your power in saving them. Use us to share the Gospel with them so that that might happen, we pray. Give us boldness. Show your power on our behalf. Give us boldness to share the Gospel with them.
God, we pray this for people groups around the world. We pray for the Dubla in India. 681,000 of them, little to no followers of Jesus among them, maybe a couple. God, show your power in saving Dubla people in India. Please, oh God, they’re on the far western corner of India. God, please, please, please, show your power among the Dubla in India. Save, transform that people group by your grace, for your glory. God, do it in people around us. Do it in our churches as we gather this Sunday. Save sinners by your power. Transform sinners. Transform lives, we pray, by your power and do it around the world for the glory of your name that you might be praised for your saving power. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
David Platt serves as a pastor in metro Washington, D.C. He is the founder of Radical.
David received his Ph.D. from New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and is the author of Don’t Hold Back, Radical, Follow Me, Counter Culture, Something Needs to Change, Before You Vote, as well as the multiple volumes of the Christ-Centered Exposition Commentary series.
Along with his wife and children, he lives in the Washington, D.C. metro area.
