And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.”
And Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall see again no more forever. The Lord will fight for you, and you shall hold your peace.” And the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward. But lift up your rod, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it. And the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea. Exodus 14:13-14
Fear is gripping. The children of Israel finally made it out of Egypt and now they’re facing a huge body of water ahead of them and the Egyptian army behind. Death is imminent. The people are afraid, so after crying out to God, they begin to grumble and blame Moses. Moses’ responded with the best leadershipy- type leadership that any leader would lead with. He told them to stand still and don’t be afraid. He explained how they wouldn’t even have to fight. He told them to hold their peace. Such a great word as a leader, right? Words from God’s heart to Moses’s lips.
The next few words of the next verse jump out at me, though… And the Lord said to Moses, why do YOU cry to me?
Could it be that the leader was just as afraid as those he’s leading? Yes, He knows what God said He would do. He has seen God work in the past, right? You know, with the 10 plagues and the whole leading them out of Egypt thing?
We’ve been talking about the power of God.
As you know, Moses did just as God instructed him to do. He stretched out His rod and the sea divided. The children of Israel crossed through the water. They were kept completely from harm while the Egyptian army drowned behind them.
God worked despite the grumbling, questioning, and fear. He worked in the midst of a leader’s cry. God worked with the one thing Moses had going for him- obedience. Moses did exactly what God asked him to do. Even though Moses was afraid, Moses obeyed.
Even though Moses was afraid, Moses obeyed.
God is powerful. God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. The same God who parted the Red Sea can reveal His power in the circumstances of our lives. It required a leader’s compliance despite the presence of fear. God will work with any little nugget of faith or obedience we have to accomplish His will.
God is powerful. Isn’t it great to be reminded of just how powerful a God we serve? He is working in the middle of our circumstance with the same power He used parting the sea. Today I plan on living in His obedience.
How will you devote2day?
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm.
Mark 4:36
On the same day, when evening had come, He said to them, “Let us cross over to the other side.” Now when they had left the multitude, they took Him along in the boat as He was. And other little boats were also with Him. And a great windstorm arose, and the waves beat into the boat, so that it was already filling. But He was in the stern, asleep on a pillow. And they awoke Him and said to Him, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?”
Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, “Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!” Mark 4: 35-41
The Lord has prompted me to dig a little deeper while trying to understand just how powerful He is. If God’s power is made perfect our weakness and His power is at work in us, it’s important to try to grasp just how powerful God really is.
In Mark chapter 4, the disciples and Jesus are crossing over to the other side of the sea. Jesus is tired, so He decided to take a nap. The storm is getting aggressive, and the disciples are beginning to fear they may drown. Jesus is still sleeping soundly when the disciples approach Him.
I’m sure the disciples were wondering how Jesus could possibly be sleeping during such a great storm. They have forgotten it was Jesus’ idea they cross over to the other side. Jesus said in verse 35 of Mark 4- “Let us cross over to the other side.” He didn’t say, “Let’s attempt to cross over and see if we make it.” Jesus said with confidence… “Let us cross over to the other side.” It doesn’t matter what they may run up against. If Jesus said let’s cross to the other side, they were absolutely going to make it the other side. We find out in verse 38 Jesus rebuked the wind and the waves, and the sea calmed.
Jesus was able to sleep soundly because He knew who His father was. He understood the power of The Holy Spirit in His life. He understood the power He had through His father and The Holy Spirit.
The disciples clearly didn’t understand who Jesus was or the power He had. (v.41) Aren’t we the same? We know Jesus had the power and used it to calm the wind and the waves and we’ve read miracle after miracle He performed. It’s difficult, however, to truly grasp just how powerful The Savior of The World is.
I want to understand His power so fully that like Jesus, I can sleep soundly when I’m in the middle of the sea and the big storm hits.
Stay with me as we continue to explore the overwhelming power of God.
How will you Devote2Day?
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore, I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:9-11
Every time I read the above scripture, I scratch my head. A few verses prior to Paul saying he delights in insults, difficulties, etc., he begs the Lord 3 times to take away a “thorn in his flesh.” It seems as if he is contradicting himself. How could anyone delight in an insult? How could anyone delight in difficulties or hardships? How could anyone delight in weakness?
Maybe the apostle Paul is exaggerating just a bit.
Then the light bulb hits. When Paul hears the still small voice of God and the Holy Spirit speaking to him, his attitude changes.
“My grace is sufficient for you, Paul. My infinite power is made perfect in your weakness.”
My grace is sufficient for you, Lori. My infinite power is made perfect in your weakness.”
Wow!! When I think about His power at work in my life, I suddenly settle within my spirit. I suddenly have the overwhelming, unexplained peace of God. All the sudden my weakness feels like strength. It’s not my strength, but the strength and power of the Holy Spirit at work in me.
It gets better. The weaker I am, the stronger His power is at work in me. The greater the hardship or the worse the insult, the greater His power at work in me.
The only way we can delight in hardships is if we truly believe the word of God.
We must truly believe ‘His power is made perfect in our weakness.’ The only way to truly believe in His word is to meditate on it and speak it out loud day and night.
Say it over and over my friends… HIS Power is made perfect in MY weakness.
How will you Devote2Day?
Therefore, in order to keep me from becoming conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me.
But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.”
Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong. 2 Corinthians 12:7b-10
Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice,
holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship.(Reasonable Service)
Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2
I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ Luke 15:4-6
4 “What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he loses one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the wilderness, and go after the one which is lost until he finds it? 5 And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. 6 And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep which was lost!’ Luke 15:4-6
In this parable, Jesus is talking about a sheep who has escaped and is not with the other sheep. The shepherd knows when just one sheep is missing. It’s easier to search for something when you know it’s missing.
What if you don’t know a sheep is missing? Better yet, what of the sheep that is lost is still in with rest of the sheep? Afterall, maybe “the lost” is amongst the other sheep and the shepherd doesn’t even realize they’re “missing”. I’m not talking about Jesus. He always knows when someone is lost. He always knows when sheep are wounded. He always knows what’s happening inside the heart.
I’m talking about you and me. Every day we see people at work, church, or even the grocery store. They look like everyone else. You can’t tell they are lost by their appearance. Their appearance doesn’t show the “weights” they carry or the ache in their heart from grief. Their appearance doesn’t show their hurt from broken trust or why they are getting ready to walk away. Their appearance doesn’t show why they left church or why they can’t trust.
Today you will see someone you won’t even know is lost. It’s sobering to think about, isn’t it? You may be the only smile or act of kindness they happen to run into.
Today Jesus needs your hands and feet. He needs you and I to take the extra effort to help someone we don’t even realize is lost.
He who says he is in the light, and hates his brother, is in darkness until now. He who loves his brother abides in the light, and there is no cause for stumbling in him. 1 John 2:9-10
But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. 1 John 1:7
In this the children of God and the children of the devil are manifest: Whoever does not practice righteousness is not of God, nor is he who does not love his brother. For this is the message that you heard from the beginning, that we should love one another 1 John 3:10-11
And this is His commandment: that we should believe on the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another, as He gave us commandment. 1 John 3:23
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. 1 John 4:7-11
What is it you’ve been believing for?
But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. Luke 2:19
**Ponder- to think carefully about something, especially for a noticeable length of time.
When does positive pondering turn to negative OVERTHINKING?
OVERTHINKING
If we aren’t careful, our pondering turns to:
1.Questioning where we went wrong
2. Self-doubt
3. Manipulating the situation “helping God”
4. Our pondering turns to action. We take matters into our own hands and out of God’s hands- the situation can’t be in God’s hands AND our hands
1. God can and will work beyond our ability to ask
(Did you know you’re not able to ask for what God is able to do?)
Ephesians 3:20-21
Isaiah 55:8-11
2. God can & will work, but we must let go & get out of the way because we create setbacks (The less setbacks we create, the less time we MAY have to wait)
Genesis 15:5
Genesis 16:2-4
3. God can & will work beyond our level of faith- (we aren’t at our faith potential- but we can there)
Genesis 17:15-19
Genesis 18:10-15
4. God will work- but sometimes we must wait. Does a period of waiting cause us to forget God’s promise?
Abraham was 75 years old when he first received the promise, and Genesis 21:5 tells us he was 100 years old when Isaac was born.
The dust has settled during the waiting.
It’s time to polish off the promise
In the 25 years of waiting there was disbelief, setbacks, ‘man’ipulation,
A total of 4 times God promise Abraham, When He promises Abraham, He promises Sarah. They are one
Genesis 12:2
Genesis 15:5
Genesis 17:1-2
Genesis 18
What is it you’ve been believing for?
!Impossible is God’s Starting Point!
Psalm 37:23-26
Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord. 1 Corinthians 15:58