Caught In The Middle Exodus 14:13 (KJV) – And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. Have you ever felt as though you were stuck between a rock and a hard place, after following God’s orders? During Israel’s flight from Egypt, the people found themselves in a situation where the destroyer (Pharaoh’s army) was coming after them, and a wall of great measure (The Red Sea) stood before them. They were trapped between two insurmountable entities with no way of escape. Like the children of Israel, there will be times in your lives brothers and sisters when you will find yourself in bad situations because you listened to God. And you may ask yourself, “How could this be? I thought this was what God wanted me to do? So why is this happening?” Your questions could even turn into sorrowful complaints with great remorse (Exo. 14:11,12). God was bringing the children of Israel from death to life, but they thought they were being brought from life to death. This story reveals that there are times when God has to lead you into a dark-like situation in order to lead you out of a dark-like situation. Processes such as these can be stressful, frustrating, and scary! But have you ever considered that you might be being delivered to something that’s better then what you had, or where you were? You may have thought that you were better off in, “Egypt”…you may have thought that life was good in that relationship with your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend…you may have thought your previous job had more benefits…you may have thought your old church was where you needed to be. Well, think again beloved. God has something better for you. The trip that you thought was taking you from life to death, is actually one that will take you from death to life! God is taking you to something, someone, or some place that is healthier, holier, and that will make you happier than where you were before your exodus. Ultimately, He’s bringing about His plans, which for many of us, are our true purpose in life. But sometimes God has to put a “Red Sea” in front of you in order to get you to completely surrender to His will. Moreover, to totally depend on Him to do for you what you cannot do for yourself. It may take a “Red Sea” or two to increase your faith. At the end of the day, it may take a “Red Sea” or two, or three, to prepare you for the greatness that God wants for you. To be fair, the Christian life is marred with matters of perspective. But verily I say unto you that what may seem dark-like in your eyes is merely God’s way of setting the stage that will bring you closer to Him and positive change to your character, not to mention your life story...forge a testimony that will help someone else in their walk, and give greater glory to God, to name a few grounds for His actions. God was in the process of delivering Israel to a land flowing with milk and honey (Exo. 3:8) as He remembered His covenant with Abraham, Issac, and Jacob (Exo. 2:24). After being enslaved for 400 years, Israel was being freed so that they could serve and fear the Lord (Exo. 3:18). Additionally, so that the Egyptians would know that JEHOVAH is the Lord God Almighty (Exo. 14:17,18). But in order to accomplish these things, God had to free Israel from their taskmasters…free them from worshipping other gods…free them from, themselves. God wasn’t just relocating their bodies, He was also relocating their minds. He had to shift their thinking from darkness to the light. He had to change their mindsets in order to prepare them to receive His promise. He had to teach them obedience and trust in God. He had to give them the truth that would set them free. And if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed! (John 8:36). That said, a critical takeaway from this historical event is that God allows similar trials in our lives in order to take us to the next level, spiritually. God is never satisfied with where we are, and does not want us to ever get comfortable in our walks with Him. The Lord is more interested in our spiritual growth and maturity than anything else. Even more, He commands us to seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness - upon doing so all other things shall be added (Matt. 6:33). Before the Lord used Moses to part the Red Sea, the bible says in verse 19 that the Angel of God who had gone ahead of Israel had now moved behind them. The pillar of cloud that was before them went and stood behind them as well. Verse 20 says that the cloud was now between the camp of Israel and the Egyptians. What happens next is astonishing. Exodus 14:20 in the Contemporary English Version reads, “The cloud gave light to the Israelites, but made it dark for the Egyptians so that they could not come closer to them at all during the night”. This kept Pharaoh’s army at bay while God opened up a pathway for Israel to escape. This spacing not only gave Israel enough time to cross on dry land, but setup the Egyptians to fall with no chance to recover. This pathway would be one that would not only secure Israel’s freedom, but show everyone that God keeps His word. And the children of Israel saw salvation come from the Lord that day through a miracle that would be told from generation to generation afterward. Ladies and gentlemen, not only can God keep your enemies from catching up to you to destroy you, but He’ll delay their efforts so that He can continue to prepare or simply bring forth the blessing that awaits you! Hallelujah!! No weapon that is formed against you shall prosper when the enemy is at your doorstep (Isa. 54:17)! The Lord will see to it that you will not be consumed, but instead Hell make a way of escape for you. Amen!! Now I believe its safe to say that Israel did not expect their freedom from annihilation to come in the form that it came in. It is true that God may not always deliver you in the way that you expect. Our job is to trust that He’ll do it His way, in His time. So you must wait on the Lord family. And while you wait, cast your cares upon Him...take His yoke upon you and learn of Him, and find rest for your souls (Matt. 11:28,29). Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:6,7). Make sure to praise God in advance, for the hour of your deliverance to where God wants you to be is soon to come. And so, should you find yourself in a predicament where you’re caught in the middle, hold on to God and dont let go. As Moses said to Israel, “Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which He will shew to you to day…”. Know that your uncertain situation wont last forever. The Lord is with you. David reminds us that “…weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning” (Psa. 30:5). Things may look bad on paper, but as long as God’s name is on it, you can expect that you will be taken from the prison to the palace, from the pit to the promised land, and/or from pain to peace. God Bless, Rob Stewart
Posted on: Mon, 24 Mar 2014 23:17:13 +0000
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