Text: Exodus 13:17-22, Exodus 14:1-31, Psalm 77:14-20
In college, I worked at a summer camp that had a massive ropes course. Every once in a while, I was put on “zip line duty.” The zip line was at the very end of the ropes course. It was the fun part that came after climbing and wiggling and jumping and leaning on your partner through a somewhat rigorous series of obstacles, all beneath the hot Texas sun.
Though the campers had tested their harnesses and carabineers to the extreme by the time they reached me at the zip line, they were often afraid to jump off the platform. It was my job to reassure them.
“Don’t be afraid,” I’d say, “Look back there at that obstacle course you just did. Did you fall? Did your equipment fail you?”
“No,” they’d whisper.
“So why do you think it will this time?”
Though I was confident on the zip line that summer, I am not always so confident in the face of scary things. I understand how easy it is to forget God’s steady hand and His faithfulness.
I forget how He’s brought me safely through the obstacles behind me when I’m staring down the big, seemingly insurmountable one sitting right in front of me.
When God parted the Red Sea in Exodus 14, His people had been through a series of events in which they witnessed God’s power and protection: plagues, the first Passover, and finally, delivery from Egypt. But then, just as they thought they were home free, Pharaoh’s army was chasing them.
Forgetting God’s power and protection in their past, they protested, “What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? … It would have been better for us to serve Egyptians than to die in the wilderness” (Exodus 14:11-12).
But Moses, who trusted in the God who had promised to deliver them, reassured the Israelites, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation will provide for you today” (Exodus 14:13).
And the Lord did provide. He parted the water. He carved a path in dry land for His people to walk through. And once they were safely across, He crashed the waters back together, destroying Egypt’s entire army, bringing glory to His name by protecting His people. “When Israel saw the great power that the Lord used against the Egyptians, the people feared the Lord and believed in Him” (Exodus 14:31).
Our lives are marked with similar Red Sea moments—times when God carried us through an obstacle we deemed insurmountable. Each time He does this, our faith is deepened and our view of God and His goodness and power is broadened.
These are the times we ought to remember when we’re standing on the platform, knees shaking, palms sweating. Like the Israelites with Egypt hot on their trail, we stare at the expanse of the valley before us, doubting how or even if God will bring us through this time.
At camp, almost every kid eventually attempted the zip line. After I reminded them about the strength of the cables and counted to three multiple times, down they went. The more they did it, the more they trusted, and the less afraid they were.
If you’re standing on a platform today, instead of focusing on the fear in front of you, look back and remember the path behind you. When has God parted the sea in your past? When has He made a way when there seemed to be no way?
Remember, ours is a God “who works wonders” (Psalm 77:14). Even the sea obeys Him. Trust that the One who provided for you yesterday will provide for you today.
Such a sweet reminder!
This. So needed it this morning and God placed it in my path.
Thanks for joining us today, Heidi! Love to you!
xoxo-Kaitlin
Thank you for this devotional, Amber. Ironically enough, I am looking into trips to Costa Rica and have been wondering if I’m brave enough to attempt the zipline. It’s something I’ve always wanted to do in a beautiful, lush jungle but often teeter on just doing it. In a way, this reminds me of my newfound, deepened faith. I am often afraid to just let go. Let go of past hurts, control, worry, fear, etc. Those are things I’m used to. They’ve become my safety cord. But in reality, and when I look back on my own Red Sea moments, it’s none of those things that was keeping me safe. Helping through the valley. God was steering me safely down the zipline the entire time I was afraid. I love Him so much for that. Lord, I repent any obstacles that keep me from you. Please give me the grace to step out on the platform of life and jump, knowing that you will never let me fall. Amen.
I think God loves doing life BIG! He didn’t just sneak them out into the desert but made sure that ALL of Egypt knew which God was truly in control! The night before they crossed there was basically a wind storm.. So when the winds in my life rise up and I’m struggling to see the deliverance ahead I can know God is about to part the waters!! He’s about to prove his never ending faithfulness and love to a forgetful people! I just returned from Israel and Jordan and I actually sailed on the Red Sea about 35 miles from where they crossed!! So this is especially meaningful to me!! God is good. Thanks SRT!
Wow. What an experience! That’s definitely on my bucket list! I do also believe He likes doing things in a big way. Have a blessed day, Amber.
I love it when I read things I know I need to hear. I have felt God calling me to do something crazy lately, and honestly I don’t want to. It would require me to lose a lot of things I cherish dearly. However, I am looking back and not once has my Abba failed me. I am a daughter and a college student, but soon I may be someone completely different
Wow this is so good. God works wonders. I just have to have the faith to trust Him by jumping off that platform. I’m definitely on that platform now, as I continue to be on Homebound in my junior year of highschool, due to dizziness from a concussion I had four years ago. I’m extremely behind in some of my classes, and the burden has really been catching up with me. But during this time, I’m finding out that getting all stressed out isn’t going to help anything. I just have to take a deep breath and give it all to God. I have to leap off the platform and trust Him. He’s got me through it before, and He will again. He knows what he’s doing.
Sarah! Thank you for sharing this. I am praying for healing for you! Our God is Jehovah Rapha, the God who heals! I am also praying for the mercy and patience of your school staff in helping you through this challenge. God sees you and He knows every hair on your head. May His indescribable peace fall on you today.
We all have experienced some form of hopelessness in our past.
Some cope by not looking back, because doing so invokes or reawakens painful memories we would rather not experience again.
And yet, here is a perspective that when we do look back, we can focus on the light that brought us out of the darkness, instead of the fear we felt while in the midst of it.
Isn’t it amazing to know that He was with us all along, and He has brought us to where we are now?
We are here, where we are, because the Lord continues to fight for us.
How grateful I am, that He continues teaching me to have confidence during times of crisis.
Amen, what a wonderful thought: to “focus on the light that brought us out of the darkness, instead of the fear we felt while in the midst of it.” There are aspects of my past I have been running from, but I think this is the key to finally be able to face them without feeling overwhelmed. If I look for God’s hand in every trial I’ve been through, maybe I can finally lay some of those memories to rest.
Amy, I am glad to learn my thoughts helped you find a key to facing your own past without feeling overwhelmed. I remember reading “A Confident Heart” by Renee Swope. Her book planted seeds that resonated as I began learning how to handle my own shadows of doubt. Folks can learn more about Renee’s book on her website http://reneeswope.com
This is so good. I love that He is always with us. He WILL come to our aid! I am declaring that today
http://Www.In-due-time.com