Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring. Exodus 14:13.
Moses and the children of Israel were standing between a rock and a hard place. Well, actually they were standing between the angry Egyptians and the Red Sea. They couldn’t go back and there seemed no way to go forward. Moses continues on speaking with such faith and confidence: The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you only need to be still. Putting myself in their position, I wonder how would I feel? What would I do? As exciting as the escape had been from Egypt with the recent memories of experiencing the 10 plagues, it would still take a minute to adjust.
I find the next verse an interesting conversation between Moses and the Lord: Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. Exodus 14:15-16.NIV. Moses was faced with the same hard place and as the leader, he felt responsible to keep leading. He knew what God had called him to do. All those encounters with Pharaoh, and watching God perform His Word must have encouraged and strengthened his faith, but I think I would have still been crying out to the Lord–Now what??? We are stuck. The faith Moses demonstrated as they looked at the Red Sea and knowing what was behind them was amazing.
God gave him very doable instructions. Lift up your rod. My friends, I want to encourage you when you are feeling stuck to cry out to the Lord, believing He will give you very doable instructions. Just follow the first one. Trusting He will help you move ahead. Do not let fear paralyze you, or push you back. Take the time to do what He encourages you to do. Some of my college bound grandchildren are seeking their next step. The sea of choices stand before them. I know they will find the right path for each of them specifically, because God has a good future for them, but it takes trusting faith to watch them navigate this journey.
My rock and a hard place today is my car. As a single woman, with one car, how do I navigate getting it fixed? So my first step was ask for a reputable auto repair place. Did it. Called and got their process sorted. It is drivable, but making a sound like something is hitting the underside–off and on. I’m nervous, but using my trusting faith to believe it will be fixed. Decided today to wait till Monday to bring it to them. In the meantime, I am trusting God for all the in between steps. I know I will get across this minor red sea with His help. It feels like a BIG one, but I know He will help me cross.
Father, thank you for your help in the time of trouble. You are aware of our every need and I am so grateful for the examples of Your faithfulness in every aspect of our lives. Please help my friends have courage for their Red Seas, no matter how big or how small. In Jesus’ Name, amen.
Faith Encounters 