I Will Rescue You

My An Arkie's Faith column from the December 14, 2022, issue of The Polk County Pulse.

The audience filed into the spacious auditorium and quickly found seats. As I sat down and looked around, I noticed life-size marble statues that looked like they were from ancient Greece and Rome surrounding the auditorium. The ceiling, high overhead, was inky black with tiny points of light, mimicking a starry, moonless night sky. It was as if I had been transported to a 15th-century Italian courtyard.

I am in the historic Saenger Theatre on Canal Street in New Orleans. The theatre was built in the 1920s and opened in 1927. The opulent theater was exceptionally ornate with marble, crystal chandeliers, oil paintings, and sumptuous seating for 4,000. A magnificent organ accompanied silent films, and vaudeville acts drew large crowds. In the 30s, the theatre was updated to show talking movies. After closing in the 70s and reopening in the 80s, the theatre housed a variety of events, from live performances to films.

In 2005, Hurricane Katrina caused significant damage to the theatre. Water entered the theatre and rose 14 feet. Water covered the stage, filling the basement and the orchestra level. In response, the New Orleans Building Corporation and Canal Street Development Corporation partnered to restore the theatre authentically and historically. No detail was overlooked, including using historical photos to match hardware, light fixtures, windows, etc. The $53 million redevelopment project took several years to complete, and the theatre reopened in September 2013.

My wife and I were at the Saenger for a Lauren Daigle Christmas concert. Our tickets included a question-and-answer session before the show. As Lauren came out on stage, she walked to the center of the stage at the very front and sat down on a stool. She talked to us in the audience as friends, and you could feel the intimacy in the room. Because Lauren grew up in Southern Louisiana, she felt a special connection with the audience, and you could feel how much the audience loved her. 

With just a solo pianist accompanying her, Lauren began quietly singing, "You are not hidden. There's never been a moment you were forgotten. You are not hopeless though you have been broken, your innocence stolen. I hear you whisper underneath your breath. I hear your SOS, your SOS." The auditorium was hushed as the song continued. Lauren's soft but rich, earthy voice drifted out over the audience. As she began the chorus after the second verse, her voice transformed from peaceful and quiet to a powerful instrument that filled the room as she sang, "I will send out an army to find you in the middle of the darkest night. It's true; I will rescue you. I will never stop marching to reach you in the middle of the hardest fight. It's true; I will rescue you."

After singing, Lauren began taking questions from the audience. People asked, "what is your favorite food," and "what is your favorite venue where you have performed?" But there were several more serious questions. One girl asked, "When did you know that Jesus was real in your life?" Lauren told her story of being so sick as a teenager that she couldn't attend school for two years. She said that during this time of isolation, she first really got to know Jesus and have a relationship with him. Even though she was raised in the church, Lauren felt for the first time that it was real, not just a ritual. "I came to know him as my confidant, as my friend, as someone I could dream with, someone I could talk to," she explained. "That time was really special, because I was so alone," she continued. As she talked, I could see that the lyrics to her song, Rescue, might have come from personal experience.

A young girl asked, "what is your favorite Bible story?" After thinking for a few seconds, Lauren answered, "Moses and the parting of the Red Sea." She continued, "the story where Moses has all the Egyptians coming behind him, and he stands right before the water. He's probably thinking, 'God, you are crazy. There is no other option; there's nowhere else for us to go. Where are we supposed to go?' And God says, 'no, no, no, keep going forward.' I would imagine that it wasn't like the waters parted right there, and they walked through. I imagine they probably had to step into the water just to show the element of faith. And as they walked, the waters did part, and God provided a way through." Lauren concluded by saying, "I think, for me, when I'm dealing with any moment of anxiety or pressure, or when I feel like there's nowhere else to go. When everything is pushing in on me from all sides, this is the story I am reminded of. So, stay focused even when you feel like you are walking through water. God has a way of parting those and making it possible." 

Like Lauren, I love this story. "The Egyptians went after the Israelites. All Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen and troops chased them. They caught up with the Israelites as they camped by the sea. The Israelites were near Pi Hahiroth, across from Baal Zephon. As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked back. There were the Egyptians marching after them! The Israelites were terrified. They cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, "Why did you bring us to the desert to die?" Exodus 14:9-11 (NIRV)

I like how confident Moses is in God's ability to save. Even before God told Moses how He would rescue them, "Moses answered the people. He said, "Don't be afraid. Stand firm. You will see how the Lord will save you today. Do you see those Egyptians? You will never see them again. The Lord will fight for you. Just be still." Exodus 14:13,14 (NIRV)

The Israelites were terrified when they saw the enemy coming their way. They doubted their leader, questioned God, complained, grumbled, and panicked. Yet God didn't get mad at their humanity or fears. He only asked for their obedience. And their trust. 

Gentle Reader, you may be in a place where you can't see any way forward. You may be facing your own Red Sea moment. Maybe the obstacles ahead seem way too hard to overcome. You may want to turn back or give up. But, the Bible tells us that "the Lord will fight for you. Just be still." Exodus 14:14 (NIRV) God says to you, "I will send out an army to find you in the middle of the darkest night. It's true; I will rescue you. I will never stop marching to reach you in the middle of the hardest fight. It's true; I will rescue you."