Miracles can happen. Even in your life!
Birmingham, England
Have you ever felt like everything was going wrong?
You were sure God had given you clear direction and yet one disaster after another seemed to be confirmation that you clearly missed the message. I'm sure Moses felt that way too! His life of luxury was massively disrupted and suddenly, he faced endless challenges. He was given a task to take the Israelites to the promised land, and I'm sure most days it felt like everyone and everything was against him. He could have given up time and time again. However, He kept walking with God.
In my life, I've tried to embrace what I refer to as "The Moses Principle". This involves seeking God, doing what He calls me to do to EVEN if it makes no sense and stepping forward by faith towards the miracle He is leading me to. Some of the most incredible miracles have happened when I've done this. I often wonder how much I miss by thinking I can do things my way.
Below are some helpful steps that I've used to help me walk into God's miracles.
1. God guides when He calls
God did not communicate to Moses why he was leading him toward the Red Sea, He just led him that way.Exodus 13:17a, 18 “God did not lead them on the road through the Philistine country, though that was shorter….. God led the people around by the desert road toward the Red Sea”
2. An Opportunity to Make a Choice
The Israelites wanted to go back – they were so afraid. Moses made the choice to rely on God’s promise.10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD . 11 They said to Moses, "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!"13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
3. The Reality of God’s Presence
God wanted to be glorified. He surrounded them with his presence through a pillar of cloud which gave them light which protected them from Pharoah’s army.15 Then the LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. 16 Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground. 17 I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them. And I will gain glory through Pharaoh and all his army, through his chariots and his horsemen. 18 The Egyptians will know that I am the LORD when I gain glory through Pharaoh, his chariots and his horsemen."19 Then the angel of God, who had traveled in front of Israel's army, withdrew and went behind them. The pillar of cloud also moved from in front and stood behind them, 20 coming between the armies of Egypt and Israel. Throughout the night the cloud brought darkness to the one side and light to the other side; so neither went near the other all night long.
4. God Gives a Clear Command that Requires Great Faith
This is where it is easy to miss the miracles to settle for an ordinary life.
If we want to live a God-sized life, we need to take faith steps that may seem impossible.
God provides as we move forward in faith
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, 22 and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.
5. The Relentless Pursuit of the Enemy
Even though God is at work, and incredible things are happening that requires great faith, the enemy is seeking to destroy and we are given choices to keep walking in faith or to succumb to the enemy.
The army that seeks to destroy us:
Self doubt
Bitterness
Unforgiveness
Wrong motive
Anything that will take our focus off God
When the army pursues we need to keep walking
There are times God gives us clear direction and ways to destroy the enemy. Moses was given this opportunity:
23 The Egyptians pursued them, and all Pharaoh's horses and chariots and horsemen followed them into the sea. 24 During the last watch of the night the LORD looked down from the pillar of fire and cloud at the Egyptian army and threw it into confusion. 25 He made the wheels of their chariots come off [1] so that they had difficulty driving. And the Egyptians said, "Let's get away from the Israelites! The LORD is fighting for them against Egypt." 26 Then theLORD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea so that the waters may flow back over the Egyptians and their chariots and horsemen." 27 Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and at daybreak the sea went back to its place. The Egyptians were fleeing toward [2] it, and the LORD swept them into the sea. 28 The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen-the entire army of Pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived.
6. The Lord is glorified through the Victory
29 But the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left. 30 That day the LORD saved Israel from the hands of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians lying dead on the shore. 31 And when the Israelites saw the great power the LORD displayed against the Egyptians, the people feared the LORD and put their trust in him and in Moses his servant.If we want to live our lives radically abandoned to Christ, it will need a release of our agenda and that we may be misunderstood. However, if we have a deep inner reliance on God – quiet times where we listen and hear those commands, He will give us what we need to walk with Him.
Spend time in prayer.
You can learn to experience God as you never have before when step out in faith and allow Him to do remarkable things!