Just as Moses and the Israelites found themselves caught between an attack from Pharaoh’s rushing army and the deep Red Sea, so are we sometimes overwhelmed by life’s problems.
Are you facing your own Red Sea experience and don’t fully understand how God is going to provide a way for you? Pastor Robert J. Morgan gives us a few strategies for trusting in God’s promises in the face of seemingly impossible situations.
Red Sea Rule #1 – Realize that God means for you to be where you are.
We may not always be able to see past our circumstances. Rob reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways and we can trust in His sovereignty.
“The Lord could have given the Israelites the ability to walk across the Red Sea the way Jesus walked across the sea of Galilee. He could’ve gotten them over that sea in many different ways; He could have created a giant bridge that appeared and disappeared, He’s the God of miracles! But He did this the way He wanted to do it. He works in His own unique way.”
“We have no idea how He may resolve problems, crises or difficulty in our lives, but He very often has a solution that we never thought about. He has a way of doing things that brings Him glory in the long run and that’s why the Bible says that ‘all things work together for good to those who love the Lord.’” (Romans 8:28)
Red Sea Rule #2 – Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief.
Drawing from the Israelites’ Red Sea experience, Rob encourages us to make a mental shift when it comes to handling difficult life circumstances.
“It shows up early in that chapter when God says, “I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for Myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD.” (Exodus 14:4)
“The Lord allowed all of that to happen so that He would be glorified and His power would be exhibited. Jesus discovered the same thing.”
“In John’s Gospel as He was going towards Calvary He said the most remarkable thing: “Now my soul is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” (John 12:27-28)
“We’ve got to learn when we face these panic attacks and these anxious situations not to say, how did I get into this mess and how can I get out? But how can the Lord be glorified through these circumstances?”
The parting of the Red Sea was one of the most remarkable miracles in the Bible. Sometimes God brings us through our own Red Sea experiences so that we can trust Him on a deeper level and be reminded of His faithfulness once again.
Robert J. Morgan is the teaching pastor of The Donelson Fellowship in Nashville, Tennessee, where he has served for 38 years. He is author of several books including The Red Sea Rules and Worry Less, Live More.
A third way on immigration | Red Sea Rules
