0 And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the Lord.
11 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?
12 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.’”
13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will shew to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to- day, ye shall see them again no more forever. -Exodus 14:10-13
As a kid growing up, I always marveled at this story! It was one of my favorites.
I have to admit, that yesterday…I felt a bit like the children of Israel as they faced the Red Sea before them, and Pharos army closing in from behind! Something greater than fear gripped my heart and I questioned “Why?” I had taken on a task, become attached, and now, in all likelihood, this wonderful journey would end and the thing I loved most would be snatched away from me.
The clock slowly ticked away as I waited for things to unfold, and I kept on thinking…It would have been easier to stand on the side lines and cheer on someone who was much younger than myself to do the job…seize the task at hand; but God spoke to me and said I was the one to do the task…I was the one to get in the race and run it with all my heart, all my mind, all my soul. So, I did; yet here we stood with the possibility of this race being cancelled.
I don’t think I’m alone in this boat. When the road following Jesus gets steep, rocky and rough, I believe that we question “Why?” we didn’t take the easy path…even if it’s but a passing thought! But Jesus said in Matthew 7:13-14
Enter in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leads to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: But strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it.
Following Jesus is not for the faint of heart! It takes real courage…guts, to look the devil in the eye, stand your ground and fight-even when it looks hopeless. Not for a medal or a purple heart…or any recognition from the world, but just because it’s the RIGHT thing to do!
So…I stood my ground and fought, even when it looked hopeless…and then it happened! God opened up the way…right through the middle of all the mess; he performed the miracle that we needed, and swept the enemy away right before our very eyes! Thank you Lord! I’m so glad I was able to see the Salvation of the Lord!
WHAT AN AWESOME GOD WE SERVE!
Anita