God wants us to trust Him. This might be easy to do when life is going well and we see God at work but when life gets difficult and we don’t see God doing anything, our confidence in him can waver.
Here are 3 steps to being reminded of how God works:
1. Sometimes the most obvious way is not God’s way
The Israelites, after the initial euphoria of liberation from Pharaoh and the Egyptians, found themselves led by God into the desert by the Red Sea. This was not the most direct way for them to take. But, God had chosen the route for their protection and well-being. The shorter route would have taken them through the land of the Philistines where they could have faced war. God knew this would make them run back to Egypt and that was not what he had in mind for them. Exodus 13:17
When God doesn’t seem to be working in the most direct way or doing what makes sense, know that what he is doing is always for your safe-keeping and your well-being.
2. God’s way is always so he will receive the glory
At one point God instructed the Israelites to camp by the Red Sea. In doing so, Pharaoh would think they had lost their way and were hemmed in by the desert unable to escape. God needed Pharaoh to think that the Israelites had failed to escape and that he, Pharaoh, was more powerful than the God of the Israelites. God would show Pharaoh that he was the all-powerful God. Exodus 14:1-4
This may sound like God used the Israelites as “sitting ducks,” that the Israelites were being used at the expense of God’s message for Pharaoh. But, God would never fail in his plan. They too would see God’s glory in his deliverance of them.
When it seems like we are in danger, we too have the all-powerful, mighty God fighting for us.
3. God’s way is so we will be amazed by him and praise him.
The Israelites certainly saw God fighting for them. A pillar of fire gave them light and led the way. A pillar of cloud created a barrier between them and the pursuing Egyptians. God divided the waters of the Red Sea so they could pass through. Then God created confusion amongst the Egyptian army and jammed the wheels of the chariots so they had difficulty moving. And the waters of the Red Sea flowed over them. Exodus 14:19-28
No wonder the Israelites then sang:
God is my strength, God is my song, and, yes! God is my salvation. This is the kind of God I have and I’m telling the world!
Exodus 15: 2 MSG
Let’s pray to be amazed by God so we can trust in him and sing his praises too.
Pray
