"And the Lord said to Moses, 'Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward'" (Exodus 14:15).
Where can you go when no matter where you turn there's no way out? Mountains of difficulty tower above you, an impassable sea stares you in the face, and in the distance, all you can see is the enemy gaining ground. It looks like a hopeless mess, doesn't it? And it might very well be if God hadn't led you here. But He did. He led you to the lonely shores of the Red Sea for a very important reason.
When all you can see are problems staring you in the face, you don't notice the chains around your hands or ankles. You don't realize that fear has enslaved you. All you see is blackness. All you feel is this heavy burden on your back, pulling you down-down-down and threatening to carry you away.
You and I can be trapped just as much as Israel was when she was a slave in Egypt. And just like Israel of old, we need to be delivered. Sometimes, the only way God can set us free is by bringing us to the shores of the Red Sea--to come to the place where we feel powerless. For if we're ever to get out of this mess, we need Him to save us. Only when we reach the point of utter dependence can Jesus be our Deliverance.
We have to let go. We have to stop trying to solve things on our own and allow Jesus to lead the way. He has a way out. And if we stop long enough to listen, we'll hear Him say, "Don't be afraid. Don't fear to trust Me with your life. Just stand still. Allow me to work and you'll see what I can do!" That's pretty near to what God said through Moses as the children of Israel panicked on the shores of the Red Sea:
"Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will work for you today; for the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again" (Exodus 14:13, RSV).
This command really makes me think. Many versions of the Bible say, "Fear not, stand still" but just as many say, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and see..." So I doubt that God just wants us to sit in the bleachers and cheer Him on. He didn't want Israel to just STAND THERE either. He wants us to stop long enough to hear Him speak--I will provide. I've got the way out! Jesus knows what we're up against and He's going to do something about it.
And standing still doesn't mean doing nothing, for God does nothing without our cooperation. It means He wants us to take a leap of faith--to stop thinking like a slave--as if we're on our own, with no helper in sight. When we put our life in God's hands, He becomes our mighty Deliverer. He makes it HIS BUSINESS to rescue us from the pit of sin or the ravine of fear and to pull us out Himself. "The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace" (Exodus 15:14).
But when did the waters go back? Did the people sit on the shore, waiting 1st to see if God could do what He said? Did they think, "I'll wait here until I see it with my own eyes"? Did they act like a doubting Thomas, reserving the right to believe after they'd seen the evidence? Absolutely not! For the Bible says "By faith they passed through the Red Sea as by dry land, whereas the Egyptians, attempting to do so, were drowned" (Hebrews 11:29, italics supplied). You see, God works as He sees us exercising faith or trust in Him. Why couldn't Jesus do as much healing in Nazareth as He had in Capernaum? Because His neighbors only saw Him as the son of Joseph and Mary; they didn't believe He could do it. And their unbelief kept them from receiving healing and deliverance. And God didn't work any different for the children of Israel on the shores of the Red Sea.
"If the people had held back when Moses bade them advance, God would never have opened the path for them...In marching down to the very water, they showed that they believed the word of God spoken by Moses. Then the Mighty One of Israel divided the sea to make a path for their feet" (From Eternity Past, pg. 197).
Whatever problem we may face on our journey with Jesus, there's a way to go through it. Remember, we have a mighty Deliverer who's on this journey with us. He doesn't just hand us a map and tell us to get going. He knows the dangers we face. He understands the trials along the way--He's been there before us. And He knows the way out. He is the way out! And He's walking beside us every step of our journey.
move - work - pray - wait
So what can we do when we find ourselves on the shores of the Red Sea? Move forward in faith, holding onto God's promise, "I will never leave you or forsake you." Hebrews 13:5. "Work in faith, and leave the results with God. Pray in faith, and the mystery of His Providence will bring its answer. At times it may seem that you cannot succeed. But work and believe, putting into your efforts faith, hope and courage. After doing what you can, wait for the Lord, declaring His faithfulness, and He will bring His Word to pass. Wait, not in fretful anxiety, but in undaunted faith and unshaken trust" (Testimonies for the Church, book 7, pg. 245).
You may not know exactly how God will work things out. But He wants you to know today that He is able and longs to deliver. Don't be afraid, only believe, and you'll see the salvation of the Lord. Move when God says move. Start marching and you'll see the waters parting for your deliverance!
Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?
For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:35,38,39).
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