There will in everyone’s life be difficulties, problems, and situations that you feel you cannot endure, never mention, rise up against and conquer. Because of our fear, and the uncertainty of what will happen if we act, we do nothing, we sit in stagnation, and we settle. Too afraid and unable to stretch out on the faith that we claim to have, we sit. I’m here to tell you today that if you ask God for the strength, and make the 1st step, God will make the 2nd, 3rd , or however many steps it takes to bring you out of that situation.
To illustrate this, I take you to Exodus, primarily the 14th Chapter. Here in Exodus, we find Moses leading the Israelites, through God’s direction out of Egypt. The Israelites are being led out of Egypt, out of their slave status, out of their bondage, away from the source of their heartache and disappointment, their unfair treatment. The Israelites were nonetheless afraid, they felt that they had no other choice but to stay and be bound by the Egyptians, stay and be under the rule of Pharoah. The Israelites felt like this, but God did not see this as an option for them.
God was aware of the fragile state that the Israelites were in, and because of this he made things easier for them, but, the Israelites still had to make the 1st move. God made it easier for them because, he knew that the quickest route was through the Philistine country, but, if they went through the Philistine country, they would have faced war, and God knew that being faced with war may have been enough to change the minds of the Israelites and frighten them into returning to Egypt. But, returning to Egypt was not an option for the Israelites, and God steered them in the other direction. You may remember from your reading that Israel was "armed" for battle, they were equipped with spears, bows, and slings, and they marched as a unit. But, you see, God knows all, and God knew that the Israelites were not "mentally" prepared for war. The fact that they were dressed for war was so that the Israelites would start to visualize themselves as a free nation, belonging to him alone. You see, the people of Israel did not know it, but God was working on them, even as they marched through that wilderness, feeling alone and afraid, even during this time God was right there, working with them. Even in your darkest hour, God is there with you.
The Israelites told Moses in the 12th verse of Exodus that they would have rather stayed and served the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness. They had gotten to the point where they were facing the sea, they wanted to turn around and run back to Egypt, to return to the very slavery that they cried out to God about. But, going back to Egypt was not an option that God had for the Israelites.
Now that the Israelites had taken the 1st step, God was about to intervene and take the other steps necessary to deliver his people out of their bondage. The Israelites had to get to the sea on their own, but once they took the 1st step and got there, only God could take over from there. God parted the waters of the sea, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground. A wall of water on their right, and a wall of water on their left. Then to take another step to ensure the safety of his people, the Lord restored the sea, so that when Pharoah’s army were certain that they had finally caught the Israelites, they were covered with the waters and drowned. God brought the Israelites out of their bondage, out of their slavery, and saved them from Pharoah’s army. Even when the enemy thinks that you’ve been captured, God has a way of turning the situation around.
I say to you today, staying in your hopeless situation, is not an option, remaining in your stagnation, in that situation that you have asked God to bring you out of, is not an option. God has a plan for your life, make the 1st step, no matter what that 1st step is, no matter how afraid, and unsure that you are, no matter how you feel defeated, make that 1st step and God will bring you out of that situation. God will bring you out of your personal bondage, your unhappiness, your helplessness, whatever the problem is, go to the rock, ask him for the strength to make the 1st move, and be faithful, be assured, be certain that God will not leave you nor forsake you. Doing nothing, is not an option that God has for you, make the 1st step and God will proceed from there to deliver you to that point where you need to be.
