When people match their desires with God’s wishes, it lets God’s power shine. This is a key rule from God.
This was shown when Jesus met a man who couldn’t move. The man waited by a pool, hoping to be healed. Jesus asked him to do something he couldn’t imagine being able to do.
Jesus said to him, “Stand up, take your mat and walk” (John 5.8).
The results were striking.
At once the man was made well, and he took up his mat and began to walk (John 5.9).
Moses faced a serious problem. 600 top-notch Egyptian chariots were chasing them, and the Red Sea was in front of them. What could they do?
God instructed Moses to do something that seemed utterly impossible.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry out to me? Tell the Israelites to go forward.
But you lift up your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the Israelites may go into the sea on dry ground.
Then I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go in after them, and so I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army, his chariots, and his chariot drivers.
Then the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord, when I have gained glory for myself over Pharaoh, his chariots, and his chariot drivers” (Exodus 14.15-18).
A God-Sized Vision
God often gives his people huge, God-sized visions. He does this to build his followers’ faith and demonstrate his power to the watching world.
Whether you’re a person paralyzed for years, asked by Jesus to do the impossible, or Moses standing before the Red Sea with just a stick, God asks for faith and rewards it.
Most folks don’t look forward to having their faith put to the test. Yet, looking back, they often see benefits from these divine tests.
Testing will often deepen a person’s faith and relationship with God. When we are driven to rely on God’s strength and seek his guidance, we develop a deeper understanding of His character and faithfulness.
As we face challenges and difficulties, we experience firsthand God’s provision, guidance, and deliverance.
I’m sure the Israelites who walked through the Red Sea on dry ground, or the paralyzed man by the pool whom Jesus healed, never forgot when God helped them.
Recall times in your life when you trusted God. Remember how He helped you during a crisis, and you still feel His love today because of that moment.
The Bible often talks about endurance as staying strong under pressure. When we trust God and He helps us through tough times, our relationship with Him grows stronger.
We may not like tests, but whether we like it or not, they help to shape our character.
Tests expose areas of weakness, pride, or self-dependence. When we respond to the correctly, they allow us to grow in humility, patience, and dependence on God.
Qualities such as perseverance, compassion, and empathy are most often developed during times of hard times.
When we work together with God, and he performs actions in our lives that can only be credited to him, we have a story to tell.
One of my greatest pleasures is sharing about God’s work in my life and in the lives of my friends.
Crisis of Faith
Moses’ story could be told as one faith crisis after another. We can learn from him how to trust God to handle big problems in our lives.
Even though God told Moses to stop praying and start working at this stage in the journey, Moses’ life was still depicted as one filled with prayer about everything.
Prayer connects us directly with God, who is ready to step into human matters. We should rely on him in all situations.
In Exodus 18, Moses’ father-in-law reenters the story. He advises Moses and reminds us to lean on others for guidance when facing God-sized visions or serious problems.
I often discuss this: we shouldn’t wait for a crisis to know God. Having a daily bond with him prepares us for when we need his help the most.
As we meet with the Lord daily let’s be open to the Holy Spirit’s conviction and correction, allowing him to transform our thoughts and desires.
In the end, faith requires action. We must act in faith and believe in God.
We need to align our actions with what we believe God is leading us to do, stepping out in faith and relying on his strength and guidance.
YouTube Video
Rudy Ross, Whispering Danny and I discuss this passage on YouTube today. It is on the Bob Spradling channel.
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