Stand Firm

"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. ... The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still." Ex 14:13-14

The Israelites had just left Egypt with Moses. The Egyptians were after them, intending to do them great harm and they were backed up against a body of water. They were following the Lord into what looked like an impossible situation. They were frightened.

God did not tell the people where they were going. They went on faith. It looked as if they would be destroyed before they had a chance to even get started.

These people had seen great miracles performed by the Lord in Egypt. They knew he could deliver them, even though they had no idea how. That's a pretty scary position to be in.

God assured them they did not have to do anything. He would fight for them. All they needed to do was keep moving when He said to move.

Impossible situations can happen in our lives too, particularly as we mature in the faith. God may tell us he wants us to do something or go somewhere. We may have to act on faith having no idea what the details are. It will work out okay and He will tell us when the time is right.

I find comfort in knowing, when we do our best to be obedient, it is He who fights for us. We do not have to be afraid. We only have to stand firm and wait. Even if it looks really bad. The Egyptians mistakenly believed they were fighting the Israelites when it was God they were fighting. That wasn't bright. God always wins.

More hot thoughts for hot days

Many people dislike this scripture.

"Jesus answered, 'I am the way, the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.' " John 14:6

What does it mean if someone can't go to the Father? Where is the Father? Learned theologians love to debate this.

I think I'll go for the explanation for a seven year old. The Father is called God. If he is in your heart, Jesus is in your heart and you love both of them. You want to do only those things that would make them smile because you love them. If Jesus is not in your heart, God can't be in your heart either. If God and Jesus are not in your heart, you don't care whether they are happy or not. You only care if you are happy.

When the time comes, God and Jesus are also in heaven. If you love them, they will welcome you and meet you and you will not be afraid. You will be very happy to see them.

If you do not love Jesus, you do not get to go to heaven to be with him. That is very bad. Have you ever had a very bad day when everything went wrong? It's worse than that. Nobody smiles and, since you don't want Jesus, there is nobody to show love to you. God stays with Jesus.

Hot thoughts for a hot day

Pondering....

"Beware of the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and love to be greeted in the marketplaces and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. Such people will be punished most severely." Luke 20:46-47

Sometimes I get discouraged when I meet a person like this. Someone I care about very much refuses to ever go to church because of a few such people. I hope they will eventually come around.

It doesn't make sense that God would punish the showy and arrogant most severely until you are aware of the destruction they leave in their wake. They make the Lord look like something He is not since they represent God to the people. Arrogant and cruel leaders chase people out of the kingdom. Their fruits are bad. Their heart is not with the Lord.