OBEDIENCE IS A DECISION
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
“Order the Israelites to turn back and camp by Pi-hahiroth between Migdol and the sea. Camp there along the shore, across from Baal-zephon. Then Pharaoh will think, ‘The Israelites are confused. They are trapped in the wilderness!’ And once again I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will chase after you. I have planned this in order to display my glory through Pharaoh and his whole army. After this the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord!” So the Israelites camped there as they were told.”
Exodus 14:2-4 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
God gives to Moses come very strict instructions and reveals the outcome—Pharaoh would come chasing after them and God would display His glory against Pharaoh. If you notice God doesn’t give a lot of details. It doesn’t explain to Moses why He wants them to camp in this specific place with the Red Sea in front of them on hills on the sides of them. From a logical point of view the water may be a nice source of renewing but they have trapped themselves with no good way of escape. We know that God is going to part the Red Sea and drown Pharaoh and his army. But Moses and the children of Israel don’t know that yet. However, out of obedience to God they are doing to do what Moses tells them. Oftentimes God invites us to follow Him without giving us all the details. Our journey of faith involves some twist and turns that seems confusing. When Cindy and I stepped out of being lead pastors after over 36 years we had no guarantee of what the future would hold. We made a decision to walk by faith and allow God to show us each step of the journey. In the past six months there have been a lot of twist and turns, but we have attempted to always do whatever God tells us. We have tried to walk through every open door and trust God. The journey of faith is what we are all called to. That doesn’t mean we sit at home watching TV and waiting for God to supply all our needs. It means we take time to listen to God through His Word and through prayer. After we have consulted the Word and the Spirit through prayer, we then take steps forward to the best of our ability. God has given us a brain to make good decisions. When our brain is renewed by the Word and prayer, we then choose our path. It must be a path of obedience to what we know God has said. If there is any area of our life where we are not walking in obedience we must repent, ask for forgiveness, and choose to obey. Disobedience will always block God’s ability to fully do His work in and through our lives.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit please show me any area of my life where I am not in obedience to You. Forgive me and empower me to walk daily in obedience. Help me to take Your steps of faith.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”