Moving Forward Into a New Year

“Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move forward.’”

— Exodus 14:15 (CSB)

There are moments when prayer has said all it can say.

Tears have already spoken.

Fear has already explained itself.

And God’s response isn’t a new word—it’s a direction.

Move forward.

Not backward into what once held you.

Not sideways into comparison.

Not frozen in place by what might happen.

Forward.

In Hebrew, one idea connected to moving forward is קָדַם (qadam)—to go before, to advance, to meet what’s ahead intentionally. God wasn’t rushing Israel. He was positioning them. Forward meant stepping into what God had already gone before to prepare.

Another word that matters here is הָלַךְ (halak), meaning to walk, to proceed, to continue. This wasn’t a dramatic leap. It was steady obedience—movement without full visibility.

Then there’s נָסַע (nasa), often used for breaking camp. It carries the idea of release. You don’t move forward without loosening your grip on where you’ve been stationed.

Forward wasn’t motivation.

Forward was deliverance.

The sea didn’t part while they stood still discussing possibilities. It opened after they moved. God responded to motion. He made a way while they were walking.

That’s still how He works.

Forward doesn’t mean fearless.

Forward means fear doesn’t lead.

Forward is obedience with shaking hands.

Forward is faith that walks before it sees.

And sometimes, the miracle isn’t waiting in the water—

it’s waiting on your step.

Scripture Focus (CSB)

“Tell the Israelites to move forward.” (Exodus 14:15)

Before You Go

If God is pressing you forward, it’s not to overwhelm you—it’s to free you. What’s ahead may already be under His authority.