What a year 2010 was! We watched as new businesses started, and others closed their doors for good. We watched as new leaders stepped up to the plate for Christ, and others went home to be with Christ. We watched as families grew and felt on top of the world, and others lost everything and felt like they hit rock bottom. No matter what your 2010 story was, it’s soon to be behind us. With 2011 upon us, what will your story look like this time next year? Will you have stepped up for Christ? Will you feel on top of the world? Or will you feel like you’ve lost everything?
As we move into 2011, let’s remember to keep our eyes on Christ and meditate on the words of Job:
“…The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; Blessed be the name of the LORD.” (Job 1:21, NKJV)
From my family to yours, have a happy and safe New Years!
“The LORD bless thee, and keep thee: The LORD make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: The LORD lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.” (Numbers 6:24-26)
My family has been working hard at preparing for our move to Roanoke. This move, however, has proven to be anything but easy. While trying to prepare for this move our well pump has broken twice, our air conditioner twice, our vehicles multiple times, our dish washer, and the list goes on and on. And our move isn’t for another week. The circumstances have forced me to look at an old scripture in a new light. We’ve all heard the story of God parting the Red Sea for the Children of Israel. But what about the moments leading up to the parting of the Red Sea? Imagine this for a moment, the Children of Israel are encamped by the Red Sea. I can only imagine they are celebrating the fact that they are no longer in Egyptian bondage. When all of a sudden they look up and see Pharaoh and his men are closing in on them. With the Red Sea in front of them and Pharaoh’s army behind them the Children of Israel begin to cry out to Moses "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!". The Children of Israel had lost hope.
What Red Sea are you facing today that has caused you to lose hope?
God had a purpose for bringing the Children of Israel to the Red Sea and he has a purpose for the Red Sea you and I are facing today. When we face difficulties in life, God wants to accomplish two things: 1) He wants to make known His glory to others and 2) He wants to teach us to trust Him completely.
"…I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the LORD." Exodus 12:4
The Red Sea you are facing serves a purpose. God can use it to glorify himself and bring you into a closer relationship with Him. You can come through this ordeal with a stronger faith than you’ve ever had before. He knows how your faith is being tested. He knows the times you just want to give up and throw in the towel. He knows how painful it is, the times you lie awake at night wondering how it will all work out. He sees the stress and strain in your life. He knows all the tears you shed when no one is around. But as the Psalmist declared,
“for weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning.”
Just as sure as the sun sets at night, a new day will dawn. You might be in the midnight hour of your life, but hold on a new day will dawn in your life.
While doing some reading today I came across a story by David Slone. If you’ve been driving long, you have a similar story to tell. Yours might be while traveling up the interstate, sitting at a red light, or even trying to turn right onto the highway. We’ve all had the same decision to make. Yield the right of way to another person or face a possible "really bad accident". Mr. Slone’s story goes like this: "As we were driving through downtown brazil I was continually amazed at how often cars would cut in front of us or dart out of side streets. We were making a right turn merging with a roundabout lane. As we started the turn a car darted out of the lane beside us and our driver hit his brakes. Our driver had a choice, he could yield or he could continue his current path. He chose to yield and because he did, we avoided what probably would have been a really bad accident."
When we choose not to yield, we open ourselves up to trouble in our lives.
Romans 6:11-15 "11 In the same way, count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus. 12 Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its evil desires. 13 Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness. 14 For sin shall not be your master, because you are not under law, but under grace. 15 What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? By no means!"
God wants to take charge of your life through the presence of the Holy Spirit but we must yield to Him.