As we all seek to be a presence for God in the world we need to hear what God is saying to His local churches around the world.  I find a helpful and needful story in Exodus that might just help us all to realize that the work of God must be done according to the will of God, for the purposes of God, and for the establishment of the kingdom of God.

On the shore of the Red sea where faith and fact met face to Face, Moses made a most remarkable statement to the people of God. 

The army of the Pharaoh was behind them and the sea lay before them.  If the sea would not open up before them, they were in trouble – deep trouble.  But, on the seashore Moses said, “Do not fear!  Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord, which He will accomplish for you today” (Exod. 14:13).  The rest is history.

As was their custom, in the spirit of grumbling the people of Israel took their eyes off of God and focused their attention on the situation at hand.  So it was that Moses stepped up to encourage the people. 

Apparently God was not impressed with the grumbling and told Moses, “Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward” (Exod. 14:15). 

           

I’m not sure how to receive God’s statement here, but I sure like it.  I believe it signifies that if God is God in the group, then the group had just better “go forward” regardless of what lies ahead. 

But we might drown.  Well, so be it; go forward anyway.  But it doesn’t make sense.  Well, so be it; go forward anyway.  But the odds are against us.  Well, so be it; go forward anyway. 

So the question comes down to “Who is Lord around here, the sea or God?  Pharaoh’s army in hot pursuit or the Sovereign power of Almighty God?”

I have decided that maybe trapped is not a bad place to be, because it forces us to know that the only way out is GOD