Fear you not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD Exodus 14:13I had to laugh when Rebekah called me one afternoon, saying the road to our house was blocked due to a fallen tree. I could just picture her in her business dress and city car, trying to deal with this tree. She didn't even bother. She just called for help.  Smart girl!
But the people around our little place in the forest are always prepared. What was literally impossible for Rebekah or I to fix, was hardly worth batting an eye at to our strong, well equipped, and experienced neighbor guys.
Before I could get my neighbor, Glen, to come to the rescue, another neighbor drove up.
Like most of our neighbors, this one, whom I'd never met, "just happened to have' a massive gas powered saw in the back of his truck. That tree was gone in 3 minutes. In fact, we had three neighbors there before he was done. We neighbors take care of each other.
Crisis over.. and her city car and flip flops were safe for another day of work. lol
If only we would trust God as quickly and completely as Rebekah and I trusted our neighbor men with situations over which we are hopelessly inadequate to deal with.
You have to admit though, that the children of Israel, were facing a rather more insurmountable barrier than a fallen tree. They had the angry armies of Pharoah behind them, mountains all around, and a massive sea in front of them.
God hardened Pharoah's heart to make him want to chase them and he led them to a dead end, on purpose.. just so he could show himself strong to them--both the Egyptians and the Israelites.
He knew that they neither knew nor trusted him as Yahweh.. yet.
Has the Lord put barriers in your way today?
When I think of the many many impossible situations we have faced over the years, and even this year, I really do wonder why I ever get scared when the next crisis arises? God has never ever failed to come through--ever. Ever.
Most of the time I'm convinced that the Lord simply allows these situations, to test our faith, and to show us His love and his sovereign power. He wants us to know, love, and honor HIM as God.. not ourselves.
Yes, God often puts us in places where the only solution.. is a miracle.
Because he is uniquely qualified to handle crisis of that magnitude. And he wants relationship.. with you.
When your finances, your health, your family situation or relationships, .. whatever it is, has gotten to the place where it would 'take a miracle to fix', you can be sure, that God is trying to get your attention.
God knows we can handle the 'little things'.. and sometimes we can handle big things. But he wants us to look to Him for everything, big or little.
On Exodus 14:10-14 There was no way open to Israel but upward, and thence their deliverance came. We may be in the way of duty, following God, and hastening toward heaven, yet may be troubled on every side. Some cried out unto the Lord; their fear led them to pray, and that was well. God brings us into straits, that he may bring us to our knees. Others cried out against Moses; fear set them murmuring as if God were not still able to work miracles. They quarrel with Moses for bringing them out of Egypt; and so were angry with God for the greatest kindness ever done them; thus gross are the absurdities of unbelief.
Moses says, Fear ye not. It is always our duty and interest, when we cannot get out of troubles, yet to get above our fears; let them quicken our prayers and endeavours, but not silence our faith and hope.
Stand still, think not to save yourselves either by fighting or flying; wait God's orders, and observe them. Compose yourselves, by confidence in God, into peaceful thoughts of the great salvation God is about to work for you. If God brings his people into straits, he will find a way to bring them out.~ Matthew Henry
I've written before about the astonishing mountains God has moved in my life this year and impossible situations he has cleared up.. heavy bills, damaged relationships, job loss, addiction, pride, self-sufficiency, chronic health problems and the salvation of souls.
Nothing. Is. Impossible. for. God. Nothing.
Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God." Mark 10:27
The most impossible thing of all.. which Jesus' disciples were so upset about.. is to live a life that pleases God. He had just told them that they had to be 'more righteous' than the Pharisees! Those guys were as perfect as a human could be in their culture.
The Lord had just explained that not only did they have to live perfectly on the outside, but also feel, think, and speak perfectly.
Yes, it's impossible.. apart from Jesus living his life through you.
I am so so glad that I quit trying. That I quit striving to live the Christian life. I was trying to do the impossible. How foolish of me!
No we can't save ourselves, nor can we live a life that is pleasing to the Lord. He has to do both of those things in us, for us, and through us.
"Look unto Me, and be ye saved."
Isaiah 45:22
Do we expect God to come to us with His blessings and save us? He says - Look unto Me, and be saved. The great difficulty spiritually is to concentrate on God, and it is His blessings that make it difficult. Troubles nearly always make us look to God; His blessings are apt to make us look elsewhere. The teaching of the Sermon on the Mount is, in effect - Narrow all your interests until the attitude of mind and heart and body is concentration on Jesus Christ. "Look unto Me."
Many of us have a mental conception of what a Christian should be, and the lives of the saints become a hindrance to our concentration on God. There is no salvation in this way, it is not simple enough. "Look unto Me" and - not "you will be saved," but "you are saved." The very thing we look for, we shall find if we will concentrate on Him. We get preoccupied and sulky with God, while all the time He is saying - "Look up and be saved." The difficulties and trials - the casting about in our minds as to what we shall do this summer, or to-morrow, all vanish when we look to God.
Rouse yourself up and look to God. Build your hope on Him. No matter if there are a hundred and one things that press, resolutely exclude them all and look to Him. "Look unto Me," and salvation is, the moment you look. ~Oswald Chambers
We sometimes think we can do these things. It's like when your 3 yr old son grabs a tool and says, "I can fix it Daddy!". He really thinks so, and so do we.
But the results are always less than what Christ could have done through us.
When we fix things, we mostly make messes. If you are tired of trying to do the impossible, perhaps now is a good time to ....
Fear you not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD Exodus 14:13
I always know when I'm talking to someone who has stumbled across or been led into rest in Christ. The anxiety, frustration, worry, exhaustion, and pride is all gone. Instead, they are standing still, and resting in the Lord, knowing that sanctification comes from the Lord's grace, not our efforts. And when it's time, like Moses did, they step out in faith, knowing God will provide.
They do not doubt or worry, but pray.
What we do is pray. If that doesn't 'work', pray again. If that still doesn't work, wait. And keep praying... God will answer!
9And I say to you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and you shall find; knock, and it shall be opened to you. 10For every one that asks receives; and he that seeks finds; and to him that knocks it shall be opened. 11If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him? Luke 11:9-13
Dear Lord,
How I pray that my readers could enter in to rest with you, as they face insurmountable problems. Give us, I pray, the grace to believe that you are always in control, and that you never would leave us helpless, but will rescue us, one way or another.
Give us the faith to pray, believing that you will answer.
Give us patience and endurance to keep praying and seeking, till we have the answer.
There are things you know that I have been praying about all year that have not yet come to pass, but I will not give up hope. You have answered so many prayers! Encourage my readers Dear Lord, to trust you and honor you for your mighty miracles worked on our behalf. Amen
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