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

The Israelites stood on the edge of what looked like destruction. The Red Sea was in front of them. Behind them? Pharaoh’s army. They were terrified, questioning everything, even longing to return to slavery in Egypt rather than face the unknown wilderness. But in that moment of desperation, God revealed a deeper truth: freedom often begins with letting something die.

In my own journey this past year and a half, I found myself in a similar wilderness. I made a hard decision to realign my church affiliation, stepping away from what was familiar, predictable, even comfortable in some aspects. Like the Israelites, I didn’t know what was ahead. But I sensed God calling me to something deeper, something freer.

What needed to die?

My own plan. I had carefully built a roadmap for how things “should” go in ministry and life. But God asked me to lay it down, not because He wanted to take something from me, but because He wanted to give me something better – His will, not mine.

My fears. Fear of being misunderstood. Fear of losing community. Fear of starting over. These “Egyptian chariots” chased me for a while. But like Moses told the Israelites, I had to learn to be still and trust that God fights for those who follow His lead.

My need for control. In the wilderness, I had no choice but to depend on God. No amount of planning could part the Red Sea. Only trust could.

In letting these things go, letting them “die” in the wilderness, I experienced what the Israelites eventually saw: God is a Promise Keeper. He doesn’t lead us into freedom and then leave us. He leads us through the impossible. Through the wilderness. Through the uncertainty. And into the Promised Land.

I found out last week that I am approved for ordination in Church of God, and we’ll be celebrating that very soon. Today, I stand freer. I feel made new, not because it’s all been easy, but because I know that sometimes, God has to let things die in us so we can truly live in Him. Praise God!