Crossing the Red Sea

In Exodus chapter 14, Moses and the people of Israel faced what appeared to be an impossible situation - impossible that is, without God. They were trapped on the one side by the Red Sea, and on the other they faced six hundred of Pharaoh's best chariots. There appeared to be no way out. In fact, to many of the people, the situation may have appeared to be hopeless. The reason for this was that in those days, everyone knew that untrained people could not win against chariots and cavalry. To see chariots and horses charging across an open field would have been an absolutely terrifying sight, especially if you were a person who had never been to battle before. We know this because Exodus 14:10 says, "They were terrified and cried out to the Lord."

Many times we face similar circumstances in life where something seems to be so big - so impossible looking - that we wonder whether we will ever find a way out. Annie Flint (1866-1932) wrote a poem that describes this kind of dilemma:

"Have you come to the Red Sea place in your life,
Where in spite of all you can do,
There is no way out, there is no way back,
There is no other way but through?
Then wait on the Lord with trust serene
Till the night of your fear is gone;
He will send the wind, He will heap the floods,
When He says to your soul, 'Go on.'"

The words "Go on" strike at the heart of what needs to happen, for even though there are times when things appear to be impossible, we know that God will always show us a way forward. Essentially this is what Moses said to the people of Israel as they cried out for help. He answered the people by saying, "Do not be afriad. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today...The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still" (Ex. 14:13,14). The direction for the nation was not to move backwards, but "to move on" (Ex. 14:15), and to "go through" (Ex. 14:16). This is why we are never meant to retreat or to go backwards in our faith, but we are always encouraged to go through all the situations of life with trust and confidence in the Lord. As we learn to "stand firm" and not to be afraid, God will bring about an amazing deliverance! He will "part your circumstances" by the wind of His Spirit in order that you will "Go on" in joy and determination.