Leadership in Biblical Hope: Moses and Hope in God's Deliverance

As I reflect on Moses standing on the shores of the Red Sea, I can almost picture the scene: a desperate people, trapped between the Egyptian army and an impassable sea. It’s easy to imagine Moses as this towering figure of confidence, fully trusting in what God was about to do. But the truth is, Moses’ leadership in hope didn’t come in an instant. It was shaped over decades—40 years as a prince of Egypt, followed by 40 years in the wilderness, tending sheep and wrestling with his own sense of failure and purpose.

Moses had seen suffering firsthand, both in his people and in his own life. I wonder how often he questioned God’s timing and plan. But through those long years, God was preparing him to trust in a deeper way—a trust that wasn’t based on his own strength or understanding but on God’s faithfulness.

By the time Moses stood before the Red Sea with the Egyptian army closing in, he had learned one of the most important lessons of leadership: hope in God’s deliverance isn’t about seeing the solution ahead of time; it’s about trusting in God’s promise, even when the way forward looks impossible.

In Exodus 14:13-14, I find some of the most powerful words Moses ever spoke:
"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."

I can feel the weight of those words. Moses wasn’t free from fear, but he had learned to place his trust in God’s power. He led the people to hold onto hope—not because their situation made any sense, but because he had seen God’s faithfulness before, and he believed they would see it again. God’s deliverance came, just in time, parting the Red Sea and leading His people through to safety.

As I consider Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 1:8-11, I see a similar kind of hope in the midst of fear and despair. Paul talks about being under such pressure that he despaired of life itself. He thought it was the end. Yet, in that darkness, Paul discovered something profound:

 For we do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the affliction we experienced in Asia. For we were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. [9] Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. [10] He delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will deliver us again. [11] You also must help us by prayer, so that many will give thanks on our behalf for the blessing granted us through the prayers of many. (2 Corinthians 1:8–11 ESV)

It makes me think of those times when it feels like every door is closed, like the path ahead is blocked. Paul faced that kind of opposition throughout his ministry, as we see in the book of Acts. Yet, through it all, his hope wasn’t diminished. Instead, it grew stronger, because it was rooted not in his own ability to escape, but in God’s power to deliver.

When I look back at history, I see these kinds of leaders, the ones who inspire hope even when everything looks hopeless. Dunkirk is a powerful example of this. When the Allied forces were trapped, with no apparent way out, it was leadership that rallied them to hold on, to take action, and to trust that rescue was possible. What seemed like an impossible situation became one of the greatest rescues in history—an act of deliverance at just the right time.

This is what I take from Moses, from Paul, and from stories like Dunkirk: true leadership in hope isn’t about denying the reality of fear and danger. It’s about standing firm in the face of those challenges, trusting that God’s deliverance will come, even if it seems impossible at the moment.

Courage is not the absence of fear; it is action in the face of fear.
Faith is not without doubt; it is belief in the face of doubt.
Hope is not without uncertainty; it is trust despite uncertainty.
And love is not without sacrifice; it is devotion in the face of sacrifice.

These words resonate deeply with me because I see them reflected in the lives of those who have trusted God through overwhelming circumstances. Moses led a people to freedom, Paul found hope in the midst of despair, and I’m reminded that in our own lives, when we stand firm in faith, we, too, can witness God’s deliverance—just in time.