Some things just don't make sense when it comes to our relationship
with God. There is mystery to living by faith. Imagine Moses standing
at the bank of the Red Sea with about 2 million people crying out in
fear as they faced the waters. Moses had to have at least a moment of
anxiety when God said: "Use your shepherd's staff -- hold it out over
the water, and a path will open up before you through the sea. Then all
the people of Israel will walk through on dry ground" (Exodus 14: 16,
NLT).
Seriously? Really? That's it? Raise the staff?
Wouldn't you have thought it was crazy to think the solution was to raise his staff over the water?
Yes, I know Moses had experienced God's empowerment through his staff in his past. But . . . that was then . . . this was now . . . the pressure of the mass of fearful people must have shifted the atmosphere . . . from celebration of freedom . . . to fear for their lives. You and I have been there . . . at the line between fear and faith. The way God moves us across the line requires the choice of faith and obedience.
Think what it would have been like from the people's
perspective. People have not changed despite all the technology and
information we now have. As they had fear, we have fear.
The people were stuck in a difficult place . . .
that required a difficult choice . . .
to either go back to what they had always done . . .
in a place of oppression and slavery . . .
OR . . .
to believe God had a plan for them to move forward into the sea.
Moses was faced with the pressure.
The
places of difficult choices are a part of life. Fear and faith are
companions of difficult choices. To make the choice of faith we must
face the fear and run head-on into it. To live by faith requires a belief that God will use
something in our life . . . our "staff" . . . to move us across the line
between fear and faith.
If, you had been Moses, would you raise the staff as two million people watched?
Or would fear win?
Will you cross the line between fear and faith?
Trusting God does not always make sense . . .
but that is what faith is . . . believing God will do what He has
promised to do . . . to make the impossible . . . possible. Choosing
to live by faith requires seeking God, believing God can do more than
you think is possible, and following His directions.
Raise "your staff" in faith that God will empower you.
Believe God has a plan.
Experience God's empowerment to move you across the line between fear and faith.
Learning to Kick Start the day to choose to raise the "staff" and cross the line between fear and faith.
Kerrie
(written by Kerrie Palmer © 2010 All Rights Reserved)