This week I read about the Israelites walking through the Red Sea.
Exodus 14:21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
and… I can not stop thinking about those walls.
They must have been high, above their heads and the strangest sight. Have you ever seen a wall of water and nothing making it stand? We know God used wind to divide it, but I imagine the wind must have died down to enable them to walk through.
And they walked next to them.
They kept moving forward, next to those walls.
I can only imagine looking to my right and left and only seeing giant walls of water, yet going farther into the sea.
In the midst of it, there must have been sheer terror in their hearts.
They must have been in awe. The mouth open, no words seem to fit kinda awe, with terror.
We know from reading the next chapter that once they got to the other side and the Lord had delivered them from the their enemies they had a big ol' praise session.
The Lord was faithful and from the overflow of their hearts, they praised.
This story and those walls have gripped me this week. I think this picture can be played out in the paths God has called us to today.
With adoption, the walls are huge. They are: money, paperwork, social workers, lawyers, judges, birth order, R.A.D., judgement from others, leaving home …..and on and on.
If I had a dime for every time I heard "no" in adoption I could fund everyones adoption!
In missionary work the walls are: safety, longing for home, support, not fitting in, Spiritual attacks, malaria…to name a few.
God did not remove the walls for His chosen people. He asked them to walk beside them.
One foot in front of the other, to walk beside those walls.
Those walls may "feel" like they will crash in at.any.moment but the resounding word in our hearts, to God, should be "I will trust you."
He is asking us to trust Him.
He was asking the Israelites to trust Him and they saw the salvation of the Lord.
He is asking me to quit asking for the walls to be removed but walk beside them.
God, You are faithful. In the midst of the walls, in the deep of the sea, You are faithful. Please help me to walk on. Amen
wow, great word sister....I want to walk trusting and having faith as I walk next to those walls also.
ReplyDeleteCan you imagine what would have happened if they got half way there and gave up on their faith and trust and began to panic what would have happened then?
Amen. This is wonderful.
ReplyDeleteOh, Shauna, what a great picture of the fear of God coupled with faith and trust. Easy to forget in our posh America, and I'm so grateful for the reminder. love you!
ReplyDeleteAwesome Awesome. What a hard truth to live but I love that at the end they stopped to praise and worship the Lord!
ReplyDeleteI also second everything Marlece said. :)
Beautiful truth, Shauna. What a powerful, faithful and (luckily for me) patient Lord we serve.
ReplyDelete