ON THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT
Jojo Agot | Tuesday, October 20th, 2009 | 14 Comments »
We all know the story when the Israelites were freed from Egyptian slavery, how they went happily on their way feeling all great and excited. Then the Pharoah suddenly realized that he just lost the entire labor force of Egypt and began pursuing them. (Exodus 14).
The human drama started when the Israelites realized that they were being pursued by their former masters. Some peole cried to the Lord, some cried to Moses, others simply grumbled and wished they died in Egypt. Moses, being the godly leader that he was, cried out to the Lord.
It was one of those “edge of your seat” kind of situations. The Lord allowed them to feel the danger first before finally doing the miraculous. What’s interesting is how the hearts of men are tested in those moments.
Looking at this, I think one definition of faith should be “trusting God in that span of time between the minute you realized you are in mortal danger until the time the miraculous rescue happens.” It’s hard to pull off actually, trusting God when everything around you is in chaos. Most people would panic and question God. Moses knew better.
But how did Moses know that God was gonna save them that way?
The answer is obvious: he didn’t. He simply trusted the character of God. Maybe he figured that it was so unlikely that the God who took all the trouble negotiating their release from Egypt would simply let them be slaughtered in the desert. He didn’t know what God would do next. He simply knew that God’s heart, plans and intentions can be trusted no matter what.
(This post is part of the blog carnival Bridget Chumbley and Peter P. started. Read all the posts from the link here.)
I think the hope of Heaven really helps with trust. I mean, for us, if the situation doesn’t pan out, what is really the worse that can happen? Death? Hah!
“Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?”
I’ll tell you a secret though. I still worry about messing up…
Faith and Trust go hand in hand, don’t they?
I agree with Helen… I too worry about messing up!
Thanks for joining the carnival!!!
I like the way you talk about God allowing us to experience danger. There has to be some level of uncertainty before trust or faith can be used. Thanks for bringing that out.
Great post!
Now I am smiling big time, to see how close our two posts are. I think you managed to be far more concise, however. I’m working on that.
Good point. We need not know the how and why, just the Whom.
The underlying assumption of trust is that we really DON’T know, do we? That is, unless our trust is in Him alone.
This was great! It reminds me of all the times I’ve been afraid to take just one more step because I just knew I was going to be in over my head. But God gives me the grace to keep my head above water even when I don’t quite have the faith to walk ON the water.
You’re right about that Helen. I guess the reason why people fear so much is the uncertainty of where they’re going if they die right there. Or maybe they’re just not ready yet. Thanks!
Russell, I agree with you. I guess that’s what makes faith so difficult for most of us. Nobody likes to get stuck in uncertainty. Only faith could get you through it.
Oh come on Anne, you’re making me blush in front of my screen, lol. Maybe we’ve just been reading the same passages these days. Don’t you think it’s just God’s way of reinforcing his lessons for all of us?
Maybe we CAN know sometimes, but whenever we can’t, maybe that shouldn’t bother us that much.
Candy, sometimes we know very well. It’s the act of trusting that’s difficult. Most of the time, our natural reaction of fear simply takes over DESPITE our knowing that God is gonna do something.
Bridget, thanks for dropping by. Like you and Helen, I too worry about messing up, lol.
You’re right Sarah, where would we be without him?