Delay is not Denial
Today I was thinking about the story about the children of Israel and their journey from Egypt to crossing the Rea Sea. I realized their story speaks to most of us. I found myself imagining their joy and excitement when Moses came back with the news that finally, the God of Israel was going to take them out of Egypt to the promised land. I am sure upon hearing this, the atmosphere became saturated with whispers of hope, that at last freedom was beyond the horizon. A few zealous ones must have started packing their belongings in faith and decluttering in preparation of the journey ahead. After all, it was God himself who was sending Moses to instruct Pharaoh to let the Israelites go, so what could go wrong? Indeed their victory was imminent. Little did they know that they had a long walk to freedom ahead. Their hope and faith would be put to the test when time after time, Pharaoh continued to harden his heart and refused to let them go. The icing on the cake to this story is the fact that God was the one who kept hardening Pharaoh’s heart. At the first request, Pharaoh could have yielded and let them go, but God had His own plan in motion…
“You cannot cross the Red Sea and witness it parting until you have gone through the struggles of Egypt!”
Like the children of Israel, many of us have received a word from God concerning our lives. Often, we want that word to manifest as soon as yesterday; when it turns out otherwise, we begin to question it and doubt. Our faith fizzles, and hope is lost. The positive confessions die a premature death and, in their place constant complaining and negative affirmations become the order of the day. We begin to envy others because we think our story is over. Why am I not there doing that? Why them and not me? Yet each one of us is walking a unique individual path, and as such we will not always cross the Red Sea at the same time.
Stay strong, and encouraged, knowing that God is always in control. He is not a man that He should lie nor the son of man that He should repent. Be patient, have faith and continue walking your path. Keep a firm grasp on the words you utter for in them lies the power of life and death. Remember, sometimes you must witness the plagues and go through the hard times before you can experience the miracle at the Red Sea. In the same manner, things can also happen to you in the blink of an eye, and your miracle manifests instantly- like when the chains suddenly fell off from Paul and Silas while imprisoned. In everything remember this,
“For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,” says the Lord. “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways, And My thoughts than your thoughts. “For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, And do not return there, But water the earth, And make it bring forth, and bud, That it may give seed to the sower And bread to the eater, So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, But it shall accomplish what I please, And it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it. (Isaiah 55:8-11, NKJV).
