God
did great miracles for His prophets and the leadership of Israel. He took constant
care of His people, regardless of their unfaithfulness to Him. He did this due
to His unconditional promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
One
night in particular, the Lord drove back the waters of the sea, which prevented
Israel from crossing out of Egypt. He used a strong east wind that blew all
night long and divided the waters and dried up the ground (Exodus 14:21).
The
entire nation was able to cross over the Red Sea with a wall of water on their
right and on their left (Exodus 14:22); yet, once Israel crossed, the walls of
water tumbled down, and the Egyptian army drowned in that exact same spot
(Deuteronomy 11:4).
God
did a similar feat during Joshua's time of leadership. When the priests who
carried the ark reached the Jordan, and their feet touched the water's edge,
the water from upstream stopped flowing and piled up in a heap a great distance
away (Joshua 3:15-16).
When
we face insurmountable odds stacking up against us, as well as the raging tide
of world events threatening to overwhelm us, we are afraid to trust the Lord.
We experienced disappointment in the past, which hinders us from believing for
the future.
We
desire a fulfilled life, but are crippled by the fear of having to give up
something that we hold dear. Or we wonder what God will call us to do, if we
surrender our will completely to His. This causes us to miss the opportunity to
experience the deliverance and provision of our Daddy God.
All
He requires of us is to take that first step of obedience, that first step of
faith into the swollen river of life. Then, once we do obey, the seeds of our
faith spring up into a garden full of spiritual fruit.
Prayer:
Father
God, each time that You deliver us through a trial, our assurance of Your love
and faithfulness grows. We gain more confidence to live a more committed life
through our covenant with You. You are simply waiting for us to take that first
step, so that You can roll back the floodwaters and lead us in Your will for
our life.
Fill
us with Your peace, and help us to submit to Your Spirit's guidance through
every moment of our day. We want to live in Your spiritual reality, rather than
in the carnal pursuit of our own desires. Remind us to draw near to You, to
resist the devil's lies, and he will flee from us (James 4:7). We want to walk
in Your ways, and to live in Your grace.
Thought
for the Day:
Taking
a secure hold of God's hand will allow us to proceed with each new step of
faith that we take into His plans and purpose for our life; all that we need is
simple obedience and a heart full of trust in His goodness and love for us.
