Text: Exodus 14
“Why, God? Why are you taking us here? We were better off before! Why can’t you just leave us alone?” [v. 11-12, my paraphrase]
The Israelites had to be weary. Can you imagine? Centuries of slavery. An entire history of bondage. In light of God’s dramatic rescue, the lament in verses 11-12 sounds ungrateful, even hateful. But I hear more in their voices. I hear fear. Fatigue. Confusion.
O, God, why? After all we’ve been through, why this?
Friends, is this not us?
Each of us lives in a specific brokenness today, a place from which we cannot fathom freedom. Eventually, we learn our way around the darkness. There are times it feels so familiar we’d just as soon stay as venture into freedom’s light.
Our weariness sighs, Lord. Can’t you leave good enough alone?
The Israelites were terrified. As my pastor points out, they hadn’t seen the movie. They didn’t know what was coming. And in the Moses moments of our own lives – when we are asked to believe what we cannot see, to walk in a way that seems beyond impossible – we don’t know either.
This is where Redemption’s work is done. Right here, in our fear and helplessness. Right here, among the broken and weary.
If Moses were in the middle of our impossible mess with us today, he might say something like this:
“Don’t be afraid. Stand up and look! The Lord, He will work out your rescue, you just watch. He will fight the battle for you, and he always wins. You don’t have to say a word.” [v. 13-14, my paraphrase]
The Israelites’ doubt and forgetfulness did not disqualify them from God’s redemption and promise. Neither did their past sin – even their future sin! – keep them from God’s rescue. God wrote the story. They had only to walk in it.
How is God redeeming you today? How has he paved the way for your fresh start? Let’s not sabotage our Moses moment by touting our goodness or cowering in darkness. Let us quiet our hearts and watch as God, full of grace, fights daily for our hearts. And wins.
WOW! I needed to be reminded of this story. I’m so amazed every day that I read these devotions, but this lesson in particular hits home. I have been “cowering in the darkness” afraid to “venture into freedom’s light.” But God is with me, fighting the battles for me. There is nothing for me to fear.
Thank you Lord, for fighting for me, for your mercy & love, & thank you for placing people & things in my path to remind me of your glory & power & compassion & unconditional love. Help me to dwell in your word & practice what I learn. Give me strength & courage & patience. Amen..
If anyone is passionate about this passage of the bible & would like to explore it more, there is a book I was reading about this passage a few years ago called “The Red Sea Rules” by Robert J. Morgan. It is a powerful & encouraging perspective & helped me through some challenges in my life.
The most powerful part of this is that God just wants us to stand still ladies. He wants us to trust him, he knows we are scared we are afraid and alone but STAND STILL in Gods salvation and we will become whole again. We need to leave all of our troubles, depression, weakness, abuse, the bruise in the Red Sea, let God part our Red Sea and let us leave the bondage we are in there in the sea. The bondage is no longer who we are, we will be made whole and new again. So just stand still and allow him to bring you through your test, and trouble, he has not brought us this far to leave us here, his plan is far greater then anything this worldly earth can provide for you. Trust him. He knows you. He loves you. Thank you Jesus, for your mercy and love. Thank you father God, in your son Jesus name I pray for every one of you ladies going through any life struggle you may be battling remember this is just your test. In your son Jesus name I pray AMEN!!
Its God's story. We just need to walk in it.
Sooo true but easier said than done! I am realizing that trusting God doesn't mean you know when, where, or how He will act. And that makes it tough. Great lesson this morning!
I was really convicted by this particular devotional as I have recently undergone a period of heartbreak that I slowly realized had resulted from a time of distance from God. After sinning and letting my heart grow harder and harder to his Voice and urging, I began to view sin as being okay and allowable in certain circumstances. I could no longer distinguish between what was right or wrong, even with full knowledge of the law and commandments that I had grown up with for all of my life. Thanks be to God that I was able to free myself from heartache and darkness through his Grace and mercy! I’m slowly recovering but everyday I pray for a sensitive heart that is constantly yearning for Him and that I stand up for what I know to be right.
This is so what I needed today. The whole series so far has been a blessing. It’s so down to earth, and real. I can relate to everything that’s being said. I look forward to reading the other series. Thank you for sharing this Word!
My family might care, but they’d be fine, but no one else would care, on fact, they’d better better off if I were not here. Yes, I now God loves me and am saved and have been a faithful servant, maybe even liked in the past, but now totally alone.. my life will not be missed … Massive failure.
Never underestimate the positive impact you may be having on someone else's life, even if it is unknown. Don't underestimate your impact in and on the world.
We don’t see Hod in our situations , but He’s always faithful when I remember that I can see my faith/ hope. I recently learned hope is not seen just believe and trust which is faith.
I have been following this blog 4 about a week now and i just wanted to say thank u 2 everyone! So often i feel like i’m alone the only person going through the attacks of the enemy but i no that my DAddy is with me. All ur transparency blesses and encourages me! There has been so much on my plate lately! I had an injury about 8years ago that halted my career path. Which has placed pressure on my husband to support our family. It seems that the enemy is trying to keep me depressed by attacking my family. My daughter is in an abusive relationship and the more i try to help her the more she pushes me away. My son is a witness in a murder trail involving gang members-which he has never been a, part of praise God. He has been dealing with death threats, and if that wasnt enouph, my husband has been fighting The spirit of addiction again. I am sharing this because todays reading takes place in the desert, im sure that all God’s people could see with thier natural eyes was desert, or shall i say that is what the enemy wanted them to see! I realized that is the lie that the enemy is trying to tell me! For about a year now he has tried to convince me that everything in my life was s waste land! But thank u Jesus for leading us through the desert to our promise land! I may not b able 2 c it in the natural but u can still hold on to his hands and enter into the promise land with my entire household! Again thank u everyone for sharing & blessing me so!