Moments With God

Exodus 14:1-12

Praise God that we have the confidence that all the events of our lives be they pleasant or difficult work together for the Lord’s glory and for our spiritual and eternal good.

God’s Old Testament people, the Israelites, had been freed from slavery in Egypt. This did not mean, however, that their lives from then on were going to be free from problems. In fact, very soon after leaving Egypt God placed them in a frightening situation which would stretch their faith and their spiritual lives. God told Moses to instruct the Israelites, God’s Old Testament people, to set up camp near the Red Sea. This made it necessary for them to turn back in the general direction from which they had come when they left Egypt. God said, "Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert’---and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am Lord.’" (Exodus 14:3-4) God was deliberately choosing to place the Israelites by the Red Sea so that when Pharaoh and the Egyptians chose to pursue them, they would be hemmed in with no visible means of escape. At first glance it seems puzzling that the Lord would do such a thing. The Lord, however, wanted to teach His people of old that they needed to be completely dependent on Him, and He wanted to teach them to not depend on their own perceived resources. The Lord God wanted to teach His people that they needed to trust in Him alone. This frightening situation which the Lord was allowing in their lives was ultimately for their spiritual growth and well-being. Further through the deliverance the Lord would ultimately bring the Lord Himself would be glorified. (Exodus 14:4b) In the same way the Lord sometimes brings and allows difficult situations in our lives as believers today also. This is to stretch and strengthen our faith and is for our ultimate spiritual good. It also brings glory to the Lord God’s name. It brings glory to His name, if we respond to the trials God allows in our lives in faith and trust. It also brings glory to His name when He helps us and delivers us in His perfect timing.

Because they regretted their decision to free God’s Old Testament people from slavery Pharaoh, ancient king of Egypt, and his officials decided to pursue them. As Pharaoh and his army approached God’s people, they were terrified. They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die?----It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" (Exodus 14:11-12) By this display of fear God’s Old Testament people were denying God’s power to help them. Sometimes when we face a fearful or difficult situation, it is easy for us also to panic and to forget that we have a powerful and faithful God. We need not fear, however. We may face serious illness, job loss, financial insecurity, the loss of a loved one, or a host of other situations; but the Lord has said, "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5b) Let us always say with the Psalmist, "I will fear no evil, for You (God) are with me." (Psalm 23:4) God was about to bring about a glorious deliverance for God’s Old Testament people. (Exodus 14:13-31) In the mean time when they did not know for certain what was going to happen, God’s Old Testament people had to trust the Lord to work things out for them for their ultimate spiritual good. In the face of a difficult situation and an uncertain future we too must trust that the Lord is in control. (Psalm 33:11) We also must trust that the Lord will bring about His deliverance in His perfect timing if not in this life then in eternity. The Lord hears our prayers and will work things out, but it will not necessarily be the way we think it should happen. We must let Him lead the way, and follow Him in trust. May this be our passion.