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For, you will cross over. And that too on dry land, for it will signify the miraculous handiwork of the Lord Almighty. You will not be drowned! be patient! Cultivating godly patience, It is the promise of God to you, whatever may be the situation of fear and threat, that you are faced with, this day. And it comes with a procedure; one in which godly patience plays a pivotal role, in the faith that comes through a heart that is established and firm in the word of God. The heart of the issue, lies in the heart, it has been said.
And, why is the heart so important ?
Out of it spring the issues of life, declares the word of God, in very clear terms, as it points out the need to guard it with all vigilance. [Proverbs 4:23] For, it is not an external behavioral change, but a transformation from within that God is always interested in. Therefore, the attribute of patience too, in His sight, needs to become part of your nature and fruit, that springs forth from within your innermost being, or your heart.
The role of faith in patience:
An evil heart takes you away from God, while a good heart, one that is established in faithfully trusting in the Word, that proceeds from the mouth of the One who remains faithful, brings you close to Him. And He is a Rewarder, of all those who draw near to Him in faith. Without faith it is impossible to please Him, says the word of God. A faithless heart on the other hand, separates you from God, to take matters into your own hands, being wise in your own eyes, and not waiting upon God, patiently trusting in Him, to be led to an overwhelming victory in the challenges that you face. The apostle James dwells upon this truth, in his epistle, as he says, You also be patient. Establish your heart, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. [James 5:8] The Israelites were literally between the devil and the deep blue sea, on that day! But, Moses heard the voice of God, and with a heart established and firm, had the faith to do what the Lord asked him to. He lifted up his staff, to stretch it over the waters, only to see the miraculous path that saw them cross over, one that the Pharaoh and his pursuing army tried to repeat, but were drowned.
The revelation truth:
The truth it reveals is that, the same problem, can find the one with faith, triumphantly crossing it, while the one who does not have the faith that comes by hearing God, drowning in it, as he rushes forward led by his own instincts and plans. It is with faith that comes with a heart that is established in His word, that you will not rush, but will be patient, to not drown, but cross over, and on dry land! It is the word that you need, in every challenge that comes against you, for it is always a fight of faith. The enemy, or the evil one, targets your faith in many different ways. It could be through your health, your relationships, your finances, whatever. But they are all aimed to make you drift away from your faith in the Lord who loves you, that He gave Himself for you.
And it is the word that you receive from God, the promise that addresses your particular need, very specifically and relevantly, that keeps you established and built up in your faith, and emerge victorious. You will walk through the Valley of tears, transforming it into refreshing springs. You will live and not die, to declare the goodness of the Lord, in the land of the living. You can pass through the valley of the shadow of death, without fearing any evil, knowing that He is there with you. Above all, you will know that there is a glorious purpose to it all, that you and I can never fathom, trusting in our own human wisdom and understanding.
HIS glory & HIS purpose:
The miraculous parting of the Red Sea, happened so that God could be glorified, and glorified through the children of Israel, even as the Pharaoh dared to pursue them. [Exodus 14:4] It was connected to the purposes of God. And, so it is with your life, and all that happens in your life. ‘For such a time as this…’ Your life has a purpose to it; one that has been ordained by God, that He may be glorified through it. And may your heart’s desire also reflect it, to be connected to His glorious purposes. ‘For such a time as this’, is how Mordecai so very aptly expressed the truth to Esther, when royalty became hers, through God’s foreknowledge. And we know that God causes all things to work together for the good of those who love Him, and are called according to His purpose. [Romans 8:28]
HIS purpose – HIS glory – your blessing !:
But, when it is all about God’s purpose, being worked out in your life, and also for His glory, where does it leave you, could be the logical query that rises in you. And the Bible, the unsullied book of truth, that answers every legitimate question that can ever arise, in any person leaves no room for doubt concerning it! For, the apostle Paul, in his letter to the Ephesians, explains how the end result of what is from God, and for God, with you seemingly nowhere and in no way taken into consideration, is ultimately a blessing to you. Such is the God whom you worship!
1. HE has chosen you:
You were in the mind of God, even before He created the world! He chose us in Him, before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before Him in love. He has predestined us to adoption as sons by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will. [Ephesians 1:4,5] And it is to fulfill His purpose that you were born. This is the ultimate truth that can give tremendous meaning to your life.
2. HE has a purpose for you:
A purpose that is, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made us accepted in the Beloved. [Vs 6] And, the blessing of your redemption, through the Blood of Christ, is the praise of the glory of His grace. It is what Paul makes clear subsequently, and in the process highlights a glorious truth.
What is your place in HIM being glorified?
In Him you also trusted, after you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, in whom also having believed, you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise. [Vs 13] It is through you, in blessing you, with the gospel of salvation that He has chooses to be glorified. It is the glorious place that is yours, sealed by the Holy Spirit, to show that you belong to Him, and as a guarantee of your inheritance in Him. [Vs 14]
It is the truth regarding which you can be certain and sure:
For all the promises of God in Him are Yes, and in Him Amen, to the glory of God through us. [2 Corinthians 1:20] It is through you, through His redemptive salvation that is a blessing to you, that the glory of God is attributed unto Him. And, as in the spiritual, so it is in the natural or physical. For it was how God chose to be glorified as His people faced the Red Sea in front, and the pursuing army from behind. And yet again, there was a purpose to what the Lord accomplished on that day, that remains the same even today.
People saw it, and believed in HIM:
So the Lord saved Israel on that day, out of the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. Thus Israel saw the great work which the Lord had done in Egypt; so the people feared the Lord and believed in Him, and His servant Moses. [Exodus 14:30,31] It is the same God who has saved you too. And He continues to meet your need in life, whatever it may be, by being glorified in your life. But the path to it, the procedure can be very different. It emphasizes therefore, the need to keep your eyes upon Him, to hear from Him, when your immediate problem can so very easily divert your attention, away from Him.
God chooses the ways in which He is glorified:
The manner in which the Israelites crossed the Red Sea, and the river Jordan, the procedure of God, was different. And, it was only at the wedding at the Cana, that Lord Jesus, changed water into wine, that His Father may be glorified, though He could have done it whenever He chose to. But God’s thoughts and His ways are higher, leading ultimately to a greater glory in your life. And He is the God of the unexpected!
The Son of Man glorified:
When Judas had gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of Man glorified, and God is glorified in Him. [John 13:31] When the Lord said this to His disciples, it was the glory of a political kingdom that they were expecting, and not the shame and reproach of the Cross. But it was how God chose to be glorified in the life of His only Beloved Son. And the Son endured it all in love, so that He may bring many sons to glory! He carried away all our sin and shame to give you and I His glory, and to enjoy the gift of salvation.
HE does all things well:
He took the Israelites through the Red Sea, for He knew that the Pharaoh had not truly repented, and would pursue them with his mighty army. He and his chariots and horses drowned in the place that is the place of baptism, signifying your death to your sins, and to cross over as the Israelites did, to live for righteousness in Christ, as you serve the Living God. Whatever the path to glory that God chooses in your life therefore, you can rest in the truth that the All Knowing God does it all well. Dr. Paul Brand, the medical missionary, who came to serve the leprosy patients in South India, found all that he had learned, prior to his medical calling, unconnected though his engineering and carpentry skills seemed to him initially, put to remarkable and unexpected use in ministering to the afflicted ones.
It is a privilege to be connected to His purposes for your life, and even in what may seem like a diversion to you, He is teaching you, and training you, making you like a polished arrow. Nothing that you go through in life, is ever wasted by Him. And it is all connected to your faith, that comes by hearing from Him continually. It was the voice of God that Moses needed to hear in the midst of the thousands of clamoring human voices that were raised in anger all around him. He knew then, that the Lord was fighting for them. And that, they only had to trust and be still. The procedure was laid out to Moses by God. He had to lift up his staff, and stretch it out over the sea, to divide it. [Exodus 14:14-16] What Moses needed to do, he had to do. And God sent the strong wind to dry up the sea, for all of them to cross safely and miraculously.
Even today, you and I are co workers with Christ in accomplishing His purposes. As we stretch out our hand in following His procedure, He works along side us, to be glorified in and through us. And just as Moses stood alone in hearing from God, as Paul stood alone in hearing from God during the shipwreck, sometimes you may be the only one who is called to hear God’s procedure. And, just as it happened with Moses and Paul, your act of obedience, in following God’s procedure, can bless you in leading you to the saving of many lives, the salvation of your whole household.
Procedure and presumption:
But, in the same place that the Israelites walked, the Egyptians in trying to do the very same thing were drowned. It was the difference between procedure and presumption. The Egyptians did not have God in their lives, to hear from Him, and simply presumed that because others were able to do it, they also could, and ended up drowning in the waters of the sea. And when you rush ahead, without patiently waiting to hear from God in your situation, it could very well be your experience too. Therefore with faith, have the patience to wait and not rush ahead in your own steam, only to end up in misguided folly, even as the word of God points out, to counsel you, that you may not give in, or give up on His word to you. It will surely come to pass, for He is God; and not man that He should lie.
1. ‘May be …’:
It was the doubt in the mind of Sarah, when the promise of God was delayed, that led her to suggest to Abraham, what was culturally accepted at that time, but was definitely not the plan of God. [Genesis 16:2] And though later by faith, she herself was strengthened to conceive and bear the child of promise, the world is still reaping the negative effect of it! Therefore, let not any doubt in the word of God rush you. Be established in His word, that you may be strengthened in your faith, to be patient, until you see His promise comes to pass in your life.
2. Situational ethics:
He thought the situation demanded it, and went on to pay a heavy price for it. Giving up on the prophet’s word to him, when he saw the people scattering, and the enemy approaching, was what made King Saul rush ahead with his sacrifice unto God, instead of waiting for the prophet Samuel, to come at the appointed time. [1 Samuel 13:11]
Pressure of circumstance:
He was a prophet, who heard from God regularly to obey it. But Elijah was human with emotions just like you and I, is also made very clear in the scriptures. And, it was the pressure of his circumstance, Jezebel’s threat over his life, that made him flee. But the Lord sought him, to ask of him, ‘What are you doing here, Elijah ? You have a long way to go still..’ [1 kings 19:13] It is the love of God, that never lets you go ! You will cross over, and on dry ground! By faith, that comes with a heart that is established upon God’s word, to be patient in your situation, and by His grace, and His favor, you will certainly cross over in victory. People may have laid snares for you, on your path, but you will pass them by unhurt, to the place where God wants you to be. Give thanks unto the Lord, for His grace and favour that will see you cross over and not be drowned. May clarity be birthed in you, to do only what God bids you to do, and not be carried away by the pattern of the world. And may all your needs be met, for the praise of His glory in Christ.
In the Name of Christ Jesus Amen.
