Have you ever begged God for answers and deliverance from a situation, only to feel as though you are standing between a rock and a hard place? This is where the Israelites found themselves. They had been led by miracles to a dead-end road. In front of them was the Red Sea, and behind them, the Egyptian army was closing in fast. The all-too-familiar feelings of desperation, panic, and fear can stop us in our tracks emotionally and spiritually, just as they did in that desert. They say you should never make a decision in panic mode.
“As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. They said to Moses, ‘Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, “Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians”? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!’”Exodus 14:10–12 NIV
Panic Mode
Some of them may have been wracking their brains, looking for escape routes and trying to calculate where they could run and hide before the Egyptians got too close. Maybe it crossed their minds to take matters into their own hands and try to swim. Some may have thought, Maybe we could throw ourselves on the mercy of Egypt and see if they will take us back as slaves. It might be worse for a while, but we would still live. Maybe they would treat us better if we surrendered than if they had to capture us.
The Fixer in Us
When we are desperate, we can think of some creative and foolish solutions. I have prided myself for years on being a fixer, using my talent to quickly calculate many creative solutions for any given problem—or even the suspicion of a problem. So many times in my life, I have jumped into the ocean or made a break for the hills, hoping the enemy would not see me. That is not God’s style. At those times, we need to stop and remember God’s character. We need to ask ourselves, What miracles has God performed before, and what prayers has He answered? Chances are, the Red Sea you face is not your first rodeo. It is not mine.
Faith Logic
Had they used faith logic, they might have said, God led us out of Egypt with many, many miracles. God came and spoke to them. He told them that He saw their problems, heard their cries, and would deliver them. He carried out a systematic deliverance through the plagues, the treasure they received from the Egyptians, and the pillar of fire by night and cloud by day. He did not lead them directly into the Promised Land but guided them in stages. They had opportunities to doubt, cry out to God, and witness His deliverance. This was meant to build their faith and turn the Egyptians to Him.
If they had taken time to consider how Moses came to them—an Israelite baby spared, raised in Pharaoh’s palace, his mother allowed to care for him until he was weaned —it could have strengthened their faith. They could also have remembered everything God had already sent:
Remembering the Evidence
The Plague of Blood — Exodus 7:14–24
The Plague of Frogs — Exodus 8:1–15
The Plague of Gnats — Exodus 8:16–19
The Plague of Flies — Exodus 8:20–32
The Plague on Livestock — Exodus 9:1–7
The Plague of Boils — Exodus 9:8–12
The Plague of Hail — Exodus 9:13–35
The Plague of Locusts — Exodus 10:1–20
The Plague of Darkness — Exodus 10:21–29
The Plague on the Firstborn — Exodus 11
The Egyptians gave Israel their riches and treasures — Exodus 12:36
The Pillar of Fire by Night and the Cloud by Day — Exodus 13:21
After these miracles, they faced the impossible and still stood on the shore complaining. God was gracious, and He delivered them as He had promised. This generation would ultimately fail to enter the Promised Land because of its deeply ingrained habits—not only its complaining and lack of faith. They were in the habit of seeing the worst, expecting the worst, and believing God had abandoned them. They had felt abandoned for years, and though God began to answer their prayers, they were never able to overcome that feeling or change the way they saw themselves. As a result, they never reached their Promised Land.
“My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for He has looked on the humble estate of His servant. For behold, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for He who is mighty has done great things for me, and holy is His name.” Luke 1:46–49 ESV
The Key
Why do we doubt? We do not magnify the Lord. Praising Him for the past in the middle of our present troubles is one of the most powerful things we can do. Consider Jesus’ mother, Mary. Her first response was to magnify the Lord. Paul and Silas praised God in the dark prison in Acts 16, and God set them free. The walls of Jericho fell with a mighty shout of faith in the Lord.
God has given us the key: to know Him, His power, and His character; to develop the habit of praising Him in every situation; and to trust Him based on His past miracles rather than our past disappointments.
“Then I thought, ‘To this I will appeal: the years when the Most High stretched out His right hand. I will remember the deeds of the Lord; yes, I will remember Your miracles of long ago. I will consider all Your works and meditate on all Your mighty deeds.’” Psalm 77:10–12 NIV
The Prayer
Dear God,
I am facing a Red Sea in my life. I choose to remember the many times You have come through for me, answered my prayers, and delivered me in the past. Nothing is impossible for You. I heave this onto Your altar. I will not run and hide or charge into the sea without You, but I will trust in You.
Help me walk in Your ways and not make a mistake. Thank You for being there for me so many times, and thank You that You will not leave or forsake me as I stand in front of this impossible thing.
In Jesus’ name, amen.
“But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, ‘With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.’” Matthew 19:26 KJV
