MOVE ON

Exodus 14:15 “Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on.”

A college student wrote the following letter to her parents:

Dear Mom and Dad:

"I am writing this letter on school paper because my stationary got burned in the fire. I got out of the hospital, and have moved in with my new boyfriend, Bill. He got me a job where he works--I’m a waitress at the Red Dog Saloon. Your new grand baby is due next fall." The next page continued...

"Mom, Dad, none of the above really happened. However, I made a "C" in French and I’m failing History.

Love,
Your Daughter."

Have you ever been asked, “What do you want first, the bad news or the worse news?” Sometimes even some bad news is better than some other news. I wonder how many times in my life I have said “Things could be worse” or “Now what!” Can you image the scene described in Exodus 14? After a tremendous ordeal of just getting out of Egypt, the sea lies before the people and Pharaoh’s army rapidly approaching from behind. Everyone could see the cloud of dust coming. There are no boats to ferry the people across. There is no arsenal to distribute to the people so they could fight. No one had to tell the Hebrew people that the situation was basically “impossible.” It did not take the Hebrew people long to start complaining.

Basically Moses tells them to stand there, do nothing and let God take care of it. It is evident that God wanted them to do more than just wait for Him to do something. There is a powerful message in the following passage. There is a spiritual principle to be understood here. Moses told the people just to stand still and let God take care of it. But God countered, “Get the people moving forward.” The Christian life is not a static or passive life. It is a dynamic or active life. This principle doesn’t change when an obstacle is placed in our path. This principle doesn’t change because road gets a little bumpy. This principle doesn’t change because there is a sea in front of us and no boats can be found. This principle doesn’t change because the enemy is on the attack and its look much bigger than our abilities. God requires us to keep moving forward regardless.

Moving forward would not be easy. Many of them had already lost hope. They proclaimed that it would be easier to return to Egypt and bondage. They were missing the point. God had brought them out of Egypt knowing that the Red Sea was awaiting them. It seemed to them like a perilous situation. They would, however, need to move forward if they were going to overcome in this circumstance. Moving forward would require a supreme confidence in God, obedience to God’s direction, and a comprehension of the fact that all their experiences had a godly purpose.

For you and me, the same is true. We will face seemingly insurmountable circumstances. We will be challenged to press on. Panic and complaining will only paralyze us and prevent our growth. Let us take courage and exhibit confidence, obedience, and purpose in God’s salvation for us. Then, we can truly live in the promises of God for us.