The book of Exodus is such a beautiful example of God’s power, His ability to work in hearts, make a way of escape, to deliver, and to make miracles happen and pathways of provision in ways that we could never imagine or know how to pray for on our own.
I've been so encouraged and also convicted while studying in Exodus lately about God’s might and mercy and about the faith God desires to be in the hearts of His people.
He CAN do anything and make ANYTHING happen. There are no limitations on God and His power and wisdom rules over all things. Yet our faith is so important to Him that sometimes He does or allows things in His mercy to increase our faith or to push us towards choosing faith in Him over fear and uncertainty.
Life provides plenty of opportunities and justifications to create our own plans of escape out of situations and trials. Human nature leans on fight or flight in those moments of pain, unknowns, or hard and frightening situations. What doesn’t come naturally is making room in our life for unseen possibilities. It is hard to make a plan for going forward when all the details aren’t available to calculate and map out for ourselves, but we have to remember that going forward or going around a situation isn’t always in God’s equation.
Sometimes God desires us to stand still, hold our peace, and wait on His plan of salvation for our situation.
God CAN do anything. He could have stopped the Egyptians before they ever got to the Red Sea, but He didn’t because He is able to grow our faith and show His might by bringing us THROUGH AND to the other side of our situations completely victorious. It may not be the easiest path, and it may be slow walking His path (just as it was slow moving that large group of Israelites) to the other side, but it’s the ONLY right way that brings complete victory.
Our human minds relegate us to those things that are factual, proven, historical and visible. We know that the earth spins a certain direction, the sun shines in the day, the moon shines at night, we know that every living thing needs water to live, and human hands alone can’t move a mountain. It’s hard to fathom the elements of our world changing drastically to make way for positive change.
The Israelites probably never imagined frogs and flies invading Egypt would be a way that God would choose to work on the hearts of the Egyptians, but beyond human vision is a world of unseen ways that God can work through to bring us closer to His promise.
The Israelites became worried when all they could SEE was the vast sea before them; but what was unseen to them was that their God, who created all things and holds all power to change and reverse all elements of the world, was about to defy the laws of gravity to make a path THROUGH to a new place full of victory and to simultaneously defeat the enemy of their lives and families.
“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.” - Exodus 14:13
“The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.” - Exodus 14:14
I just feel it writing this and felt it rising up in my soul through studying these scriptures that our flesh wants to flee from having to trust in the unseen hand and plans of God. But if we can just stand still, hold our peace, and make room in our souls for faith in God to do things differently than we would handle our situations, then we will be opening the door to impossible things becoming possible.
“And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness? Wherefore hast thou dealt thus with us, to carry us forth out of Egypt?” - Exodus 14:11
“Is not this the word that we did tell thee in Egypt, saying, Let us alone, that we may serve the Egyptians? For it had been better for us to serve the Egyptians, than that we should die in the wilderness.” - Exodus 14:12
Part of the Israelites' problem was that when things got uncomfortable or the future became uncertain they would resort to their own idea of how things should be or how they deserved more out of life than what they had. They would begin romanticizing about their past experiences or wanting their old selves and situations back. What it came down to was they just really wanted things to be comfortable and they wanted to find the easiest route possible within their human sight to reach that destination. The Israelite people of Exodus were a real and relatable group to humans today. Even in our day and age we still can find ourselves wanting to get out of situations or have the “out with the old, in with the new” mentality instead of working to preserve, revive, replenish. and renew what is fading, failing, or broken in our lives. It sometimes makes more sense to us to just get rid of what's bothering us or what's broken down and start over at square one. Some of the older generations can't understand the mindset of newer generations that buy new stuff instead of fixing what they already have. It’s a real mentality shift to say, I'm going to stick with this and work and trust the process until all things are made new.
I’ve been in places where my flesh was pushing me to give up and move on, to try to regain an “old me” that seemed happier or more fulfilled. I’ve been in that position of making plans and saying, “I think I can do this. Everything is going to be better this way”. What helped create the shift in my soul and mind was my Pastor and sisters in the Lord encouraging me and saying “God CAN do this. God can work it out.” When “I” is the driving force behind the plans we are pursuing then we will miss out on a lot of the growth and strength that is found in the plans of God and His unseen ways.There is an ache in my soul for anyone struggling to find a way out of a hard situation or relationship, and I want to encourage someone to let go of your plans. I know you feel that in some ways YOU can do this on your own, but to find the true fulfillment, true victory over your enemy, and to see promises fulfilled, you must listen to the voice that says “GOD CAN DO THIS IMPOSSIBLE THING” and trust in His unseen way. I know you can’t envision hope or how any of it could possibly become better, new, or healed, but it is possible if God is allowed the space to work. He will part waters for you and your family will be able to stand on the other side, hand in hand, and be able to rejoice in the Lord together, because He has done great and mighty things for you! In JESUS name, I am believing with you and have faith for you, my sister! He will give strength to His people in times of great faith and waiting on Him.
“Thus the Lord saved Israel that day out of the hand of the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead upon the sea shore.” - Exodus 14:30
“And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the Egyptians and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and his servant Moses.” - Exodus 14:31
“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: the horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.” - Exodus 15:1
ALLOW GOD TO DO NOTHING LESS THAN A COMPLETE AND GREAT WORK!!
I encourage you to read the song of victory that rose from the Israelites when they crossed the Red Sea in Exodus 15. Apply it to your own situation and allow your faith in God to increased as you sing His praises!
Your sister in Christ and in love,
Hillary Wheeler
Photo courtesy of Pawel Nolbert via Unsplash.
