When It's Time To Move - Daily Devotioinal March 4th, 2009

Daily Bible Reading - Exodus 14, Luke 17, Job 32, 2 Corinthians 2

(I apologize but the online Bible Reading plan we are using is having issues. We are using the M'Cheyne Bible reading plan. If you are following along with the pdf version you are probably a day ahead of today's passages)

When It's Time to Move

Exodus 14. Pharaoh had finally let the Israelites go and they began their journey out of Egypt. The Lord didn't just thrust them out into the unknown; he was leading them every step of the way with the pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. They were only gone a few days when Pharaoh regretted his decision and changed his mind. He realized he had lost the services of a nation enslaved to him. I can just hear him; "What have I done?" He probably thought he was out of his mind to even consider such a thing. I guess he forgot that his son had died recently because he had hardened his heart.

But the Lord had a purpose in it all and said he would gain glory from all that was happening. He told the Israelites to camp between Migdol and the sea. They quickly forgot their miraculous deliverance too and when they saw the Egyptians approaching with all their horses, chariots, horsemen and troops, they were terrified. The first thing they did was turn on moses. "You brought us out here to die." (They forgot so quickly that it was God who had brought them there.) "You should have left us alone. We would have been better off serving the Egyptians." It's almost unfathomable that they would think they were better off being slaves. Weren't they remembering all the miracles they had seen in the past few weeks?

We aren't told how Moses reacted, but evidently he cried out to the Lord. We aren't told what he prayed. (I can imagine how I would have prayed!!) But the Lord basically told him to be quiet. "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on." He told Moses to raise his staff over the sea and that it would divide so the Israelites could go through the sea on dry ground.

This was not the time to fast and pray. This was the time to listen to the Lord and do what he said. I would say that this was a big leap of faith for Moses. Hold his staff over the sea? It would part and dry ground appear? I don't know about you, but my human reaction would be, "Are you kidding me, Lord?" That kind of stuff does not happen every day. But Moses did as the Lord told him and all night long the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned the bottom of the sea into dry land.

I've been pretty hard on the Israelites but to their credit this took some faith on their part too. They walked through the midst of the sea (granted the ground was dry) with a wall of water on each side of them as they crossed to the other side. Can you imagine how that might make you feel? A wall of water on both sides? You know the rest of the story. The Egyptians tried to follow them and the Lord told Moses to stretch his hand over the sea and the waters flowed back over them and they were all drowned. When the Israelites saw the great power the Lord displayed, they feared the Lord and put their trust in Moses as their leader.

Perhaps the Lord is telling you to do something. If it is something that is a leap of faith our human tendency is to pray and pray about it, ask for confirmation, check it out with the pastor, and our best friend. Think about it some more. Pray some more. Fast. Examine all the options. But sometimes the Lord just says, "Do it. Get a move on." This is the time for action, not for praying. I'm not minimizing the importance of prayer. Moses cried unto the Lord. But there comes a time when we have to step out in faith and do what God has told us to do.

I guess I am speaking from my own perspective right now. As I prayed about what the rest of my life would look like alone, since my husband passed away last June, I felt the Lord was leading me to move to San Diego to be a part of Urban, but I didn't see how it could happen. I needed to sell my home of 28 years. It's a manufactured home and they aren't always the easiest to sell. I have been saying for weeks that if it happened it would be a God thing. The Lord impressed upon me that I would know it was his will by the way things transpired. I put my house on the market two weeks ago and I had a buyer within three days. In today's economy and the housing market, especially on Whidbey Island, that is astronomical. So I think the Lord was saying to me, "Why are you crying out to me. Move on."

Is there something the Lord is telling you. Maybe it's time to act on it.

Tomorrows Bible Reading - Exodus 15, Luke 18, Job 33, 2 Corinthians 3

God is good all the time,

Naomi Brinkman