Some of you are morning people. My understanding is that only 25% of the worlds population is like this. The rest of us "normal" people sleep in. Well this morning, I had a 6:30 a.m. meeting that was about 30 minutes away. There I am up at 5:15 a.m. As I walked outside to get in the car I thought I could hear the birds go "huh"? Well, I arrived early and so I took advantage of the time to read from Exodus. In 13:17-18 I read where God directed the children of Israel to leave Egypt by the long route. Why? Because they might get into a war with the locals, and go running back to Egypt for their old jobs.
As I read on, they get pinned between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. Now wait a minute! Were not going to take the short route because it might run everyone back to Egypt, so were going to trap them against the Red Sea? Their response isn't a big surprise. Ch 14 vs. 11... "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
Then it hits me. While it was God's will that the Egyptians couldn't get to Israel, He also desired to keep Israel from running back to Egypt. Has God ever pinned you down? You need a miracle or you can go to "plan B". Plan B is, "I guess my old job wasn't that bad." "My husband isn't that abusive." "I suppose I can be a better Christian later." What's your plan B? Yep, I've got one. That would be the one I pray about when I say, as Jesus taught, "not my will but Yours be done." God is trying to get us to the Promise Land - we've just got to quit trying to go to Egypt.
Not bad for 5 a.m., huh?
As I read on, they get pinned between the Red Sea and the Egyptian army. Now wait a minute! Were not going to take the short route because it might run everyone back to Egypt, so were going to trap them against the Red Sea? Their response isn't a big surprise. Ch 14 vs. 11... "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
Then it hits me. While it was God's will that the Egyptians couldn't get to Israel, He also desired to keep Israel from running back to Egypt. Has God ever pinned you down? You need a miracle or you can go to "plan B". Plan B is, "I guess my old job wasn't that bad." "My husband isn't that abusive." "I suppose I can be a better Christian later." What's your plan B? Yep, I've got one. That would be the one I pray about when I say, as Jesus taught, "not my will but Yours be done." God is trying to get us to the Promise Land - we've just got to quit trying to go to Egypt.
Not bad for 5 a.m., huh?
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