God rescued them over and over again and they whined at the slightest hiccup.
Not like I can identify with that or anything.
Whatever.
Anyway, I came across this Bible verse and it resonated with me.
Quick set up: Pharaoh had just released the Israelites when he changed his mind and decided to go after them. The Israelites were at the edge of the river with no place to go. They could see Pharaoh and his army behind them, barreling down on them. So, naturally, they did what most people would do. They lost it. They'd been through so much... but this was the final straw. So they berated their leader, Moses:
"'Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness? Weren’t there enough graves for us in Egypt? What have you done to us? Why did you make us leave Egypt? Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, ‘Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness!’” Exodus 14:11-12
But Moses, being the ever patient leader, said to them:
" ...'Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.'" Exodus 14:13-14
I love that - "just stay calm."
I lose it when I get to the proverbial "water's edge." God's rescued me so many times, yet I still lose it when I can't see what God sees. If I was in the same place as the Israelites, I'd probably see a river too. Who would have envisioned God parting the river so they could walk through it? Yet that's what He does every time I get to the water's edge. He parts the waters to make a way out for me.
My takeaway after reading those verses is something that I needed to be reminded of. Frequently.
It's this: don't lose it. The person or thing that I feel like I can't escape from will go away. I may feel defenseless, but my feelings aren't telling the truth. God's taking care of it. He's fighting for me. So I just need to take a chill pill and let God do the thing that He does. Because He always comes through.
Such a simple lesson that I need to be reminded of over and over again.
I don't know where you are today or what you're facing, but don't lose it. God's fighting for you. Just stay calm. Get ready to watch God do something amazing...like part a sea before your very eyes.
Erin :-)
I talked with a man Sunday at the gas station in Catonsville, who was wheeling about in his wheelchair. I went over and spoke with him a bit, and he simply told me, "Life stinks!" I said, "You're right about that." It sure is a dark and fallen world we live in. I asked him if he had a church. He said, "I'm not thinking much about the lord right now. I may get kicked out of my house with my wife and boy. Life really stinks." I was silent for a few seconds, and then I told him: "I wish you would come to church with me. I go to Bishop Cummins Church down the road. And by the way, this was Joni's home church. Do you know who Joni is?" He said no he didn't.
ReplyDeleteIt opened up a bit more of a conversation, and I finally had to go.
He then asked for any spare change, and I gave him a couple bucks.
I pray that God will help this man, whose name is John.
If you think about it, perhaps you could pray that God would have mercy on this man and his family. Thanks.