Category: Life & Lessons

Big Problems, Bigger God

By Ife J. Ibitayo

It’s been more than six months since I wrote about my “Petty Problems”. Since then, my problems have grown tremendously. I’ve struggled with throat-constricting anxiety, debilitating stress, and crippling loneliness. I’ve been examined by an ophthalmologist, a cardiologist, and a psychologist. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. I’m like a mountaineer climbing Mount Everest who had his feet sliced off and his legs shattered.

As I continue to drag myself up this unending mountain, head buried in the frigid snow, the LORD sent me this verse: “He humbled you by letting you go hungry; then he gave you manna to eat, which you and your fathers had not known, so that you might learn that man does not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of the LORD.” (Deuteronomy 8:3 CSB)

Point of Humbling

The word translated “humbled” in this verse is the Hebrew word “anah”, meaning to be brought low. To be humbled is to be forced from a position of strength to a posture of submission, from sufficiency to need.

Apostle Paul said “we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us” (2 Corinthians 4:7 ESV). As my life unraveled before my eyes, I came to cherish these words. Affliction has weighed down my back but hasn’t crushed me. My circumstances have confused me, but God has rescued me from despair. I’ve been battered time and time again, but here I stand all because of His “surpassing power”.

Point of Waiting

I’ve seen the necessity of relying on God’s word alone. God’s promises and character have proven to be far better barometers for the future than what I can see in my day to day life. Just as I know that researchers are working on a vaccine to cure coronavirus but can only see the death count spiking in our nation, I know that God is working all things together for my good (Romans 8:28), even when I can only see my mounting suffering.

If I want to make it till tomorrow, I can’t depend on what my eyes can see today. I have to view reality through lenses of faith.

Conclusion

I cannot promise myself that “everything will turn out okay”. I don’t know if my worries of today will become reality tomorrow or be dispelled with the new year. All I can do is wait. My problems are big and growing by the week, but my God is even bigger. And I still believe in Him.

“I believed, even when I said, ‘I am severely oppressed.’”

(Psalm 116: 10 CSB)

The Quenching Tsunami and the Purifying Fire (Broken Hallelujah Pt. 4)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “A Foundation of Rejoicing and Regret”, click here; Part 2 on “Expecting Much but Finding Little”, click here; Part 3 on “A Tearful Thanksgiving”, click here.

The book of Psalms is the Christian poster child of the Thanksgiving season. These poems have greatly cheered my soul and contain rich wisdom for us during this holiday season.

A Faithful God

In Psalm 89, a psalmist named Ethan the Ezrahite extols the faithfulness of God: “I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever; with my mouth I will make Your faithfulness known through all generations…. ‘I have found David My servant; with My sacred oil I have anointed him… I will maintain My love to him forever, and My covenant with him will never fail’” (Psalm 89:1, 20, 28 NIV).

The psalmist rejoiced in the LORD’s unchanging character. God promised that He’d be with the Israelites and with their king, David. He vowed they’d be His people and He’d be their God forever (2 Samuel 7:24).

A Quenching Tsunami

Yet the psalmist’s joy was quenched by the harsh tsunami of reality: “But You have rejected, You have spurned, You have been very angry with Your anointed one…How long, Lord? Will you hide yourself forever? How long will Your wrath burn like fire…Lord, where is Your former great love, which in Your faithfulness You swore to David” (Psalm 89:38, 46, 49 NIV)?

Many of us may share this same sentiment. We live in a nation known for the blessing of the LORD, yet America is being ravaged by a resurgent virus. God seems to be pouring out His wrath full blast upon us. Where is His right hand of blessing, His strong arm of salvation, the comfort of His presence? Where is His faithfulness?

A Healing Punishment

Bridging the psalmist’s song of praise and his lament of sorrow are these four verses: “If his children forsake My law and do not walk according to My rules, if they violate My statutes and do not keep My commandments, then I will punish their transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes, but I will not remove from him My steadfast love or be false to My faithfulness” (Psalm 89:30-33 ESV).

Discipline is never welcome. A child will never thank their parents for being grounded, and a driver will never thank a cop for a speeding ticket. But its these very punishments that can heal our destructive habits. Judgment can sometimes be the only way to save us from ourselves.

Conclusion

Psalm 89 ends with “Praise be to the Lord forever! Amen and Amen” (Psalm 89:52 NIV). These words may seem misplaced, but they are truly fitting. The end result of a lesson well learned should be gratitude. The fire of discipline may be agonizing, but there is a bright future ahead for those who endure the flame.

“And have you forgotten the encouraging words God spoke to you as his children? He said, ‘My child, don’t make light of the LORD’s discipline, and don’t give up when he corrects you. For the LORD disciplines those he loves, and he punishes each one he accepts as his child.’”

(Hebrews 12:5-6 NLT)

A Tearful Thanksgiving (Broken Hallelujah Pt. 3)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “A Foundation of Rejoicing and Regret”, click here. For Part 2 on “Expecting Much but Finding Little”, click here.

With Thanksgiving coming in a couple weeks, many positive scriptures are rightly on people’s minds. Verses like “the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10b) pop up in our “Verse of the Day” apps. And we find ourselves repeating these words without grasping the original context in which they were spoken.

Background

The LORD had restored the exiles to their homeland of Jerusalem. They had just finished reconstructing their city’s protective wall. But the returnees were few in number and homeless (Nehemiah 7:4). It was the beginning of the Israelites’ holiday season, the first day of the seventh month of the Jewish calendar. But here they were living in ruin, far from their friends and families still in exile.

New Year

The first day of the seventh month is Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. As the Jews stepped into a new year, they sought the LORD’s will.  “[A]ll the people came together as one in the square before the Water Gate. They told Ezra the teacher of the Law to bring out the Book of the Law of Moses, which the Lord had commanded for Israel… He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square before the Water Gate in the presence of the men, women and others who could understand. And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law” (Nehemiah 8:1,3 NIV).

As we step into a new year, a new presidency, and a new phase of this pandemic, we need God’s word more than ever before. The book of Psalms says, “Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path” (Psalm 119:105 NLT). As we venture into new territory, it’d be wise to not journey in the dark.

Fresh Tears

The book of Nehemiah goes on to say, “All the people wept as they heard the words of the Law” (Nehemiah 8:9b ESV). Simply hearing the word of God is not enough. The hearts of the Israelites were clearly moved by the message Ezra read to them. When was the last time you wept while reading the Bible? When was the last time the living Word challenged you to change the way you live your life? When was the last time Holy Scripture pierced you to your very core?

Conclusion

As the Israelites wept, Nehemiah encouraged them with the words, “‘Go and celebrate with a feast of rich foods and sweet drinks, and share gifts of food with people who have nothing prepared. This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!’…So the people went away to eat and drink at a festive meal, to share gifts of food, and to celebrate with great joy because they had heard God’s words and understood them’” (Nehemiah 8:10,12 NLT).

As we prepare to fill our bellies with delicious grub, we must approach the dinner table aright. Let’s weep over the ashes of our nation decimated by disease. Let’s acknowledge how far we’ve fallen short of God’s holy standard.  But let’s also find joy in the strength of our LORD and rejoice mightily before Him.

“Many are they who say of me, ‘There is no help for him in God.’ But You, O Lord, are a shield for me, My glory and the One who lifts up my head.”

(Psalm 3:2-3 NKJV)

Expecting Much but Finding Little (Broken Hallelujah Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “A Foundation of Rejoicing and Regret”, click here.

The Israelites returned to the ruins of Jerusalem in 538 BC. As soon as they reached their homeland, the LORD commanded them to rebuild Jerusalem and His temple. They took the command to rebuild the city to heart, resurrecting their homes and businesses as soon as they arrived. But they put the command to restore the LORD’s temple on hold. Haggai the prophet said, “‘The people are saying, “The time has not yet come to rebuild the house of the Lord.”’ Then the Lord sent this message through the prophet Haggai: ‘Why are you living in luxurious houses while my house lies in ruins’” (Haggai 1:2-4 NLT)?

Expecting Much

The Israelites priorities were clear: their own health and well-being. They furnished fine homes for themselves and planted much seed for themselves hoping to achieve success for themselves. But here was the fruit of their labor: “‘You have planted much, but harvested little. You eat, but never have enough. You drink, but never have your fill. You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages, only to put them in a purse with holes in it… You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little. What you brought home, I blew away. Why’” (Haggai 1:6,9a NLT)?

God not only didn’t assist their hard work, He actively opposed it. He worked to minimize their profit and increase their losses. Why indeed would a good God trouble His people as they strived to secure security and prosperity?

Finding Little

The rest of Haggai 1:9 says that the LORD blew away the reward for their labor “‘because of my house, which remains a ruin, while each of you is busy with your own house.’” There are two reasons the LORD opposed the Israelites’ efforts: priority and provision.

Jesus Himself said, “‘Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you’” (Matthew 6:33 ESV).  An honest inventory of our time, money, and energy would force many of us to admit that God is not number one on our lists. He may receive one day of our week and—in good months—one-tenth of our paycheck, but He is the moon to our world of self rather than the Sun we revolve around.

The reason why God often finds Himself second-best is because of worry. Our cratering economy pushes us to labor from the crack of dawn to midnight. Our strained marriages send us into a death spiral of heated arguments and cold shoulders. We need financial peace, relational peace, and bodily peace, so we strive to lay hold of these things before we find spiritual peace.

Jesus, right before speaking about priorities in Matthew 6:33 said, “‘Don’t worry about these things, saying, “What will we eat? What will we drink? What will we wear?” These things dominate the thoughts of unbelievers, but your heavenly Father already knows all your needs’” (Matthew 6:31-32 NLT).

Our God knows what we need better than we do, and chief among our list of necessities is not food, water, or shelter but our heavenly Father.

Finding Much

Once the Israelites finally prioritized building the LORD’s house over their own, the LORD told them, “‘“Does anyone remember this house—this Temple—in its former splendor? How, in comparison, does it look to you now? It must seem like nothing at all!”… The future glory of this Temple will be greater than its past glory, says the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. And in this place I will bring peace’” (Haggai 2:3,9 NLT).

If we align our priorities with the Father’s, He’ll fill us with spiritual peace and restore the other areas of our lives. But we must have the faith to reorient ourselves from our worries to His temple.

“‘Think about this eighteenth day of December, the day when the foundation of the Lord’s Temple was laid. Think carefully. I am giving you a promise now while the seed is still in the barn. You have not yet harvested your grain, and your grapevines, fig trees, pomegranates, and olive trees have not yet produced their crops. But from this day onward I will bless you.’”

(Haggai 2:18-19 NLT)

A Foundation of Rejoicing and Regret (Broken Hallelujah Pt. 1)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

The Babylonians exiled the Israelites for seventy years (Jeremiah 29:10). When they returned to Jerusalem, they were welcomed by a devastated temple and a ravaged city. A grand legacy built over the course of centuries had been reduced to rubble. As they sat among the ashes, the LORD commanded the Israelites to rebuild.

Two years after the Israelites’ return, they began restoring the temple, the symbol of the LORD’s presence among them and the pride of their country. The book of Ezra says, “With praise and thanksgiving they sang to the Lord: ‘He is good; His love toward Israel endures forever.’ And all the people gave a great shout of praise to the Lord, because the foundation of the house of the Lord was laid. But many of the older priests and Levites and family heads, who had seen the former temple, wept aloud when they saw the foundation of this temple being laid, while many others shouted for joy. No one could distinguish the sound of the shouts of joy from the sound of weeping, because the people made so much noise.” (Ezra 3:11-13a NIV).

Thanksgiving

As we enter into the month of November, we have much to give thanks for. With every new election comes renewed hope of a fresh start. 2021 is fast approaching with the promise of vaccines that will heal our land and restore our economy. And the holiday season promises a welcome reprieve from the monotony of the past six months.

Weeping

But just as the older priests remembered the former glory of Solomon’s temple, so we too remember all that’s been lost. We remember the joys of community, collective celebration, and above all the precious lives that were snuffed out by this pandemic. So as we clothe ourselves with a garment of praise, we also shoulder a boulder of grief.

Conclusion

These two truths must remain in tension, joy for what’s to come and pain over what’s been lost. Many of us have a tendency to drift to one extreme or the other. Some are drinking themselves to despair on memories of yesteryear. Others are whitewashing this year with platitudes and denial. But Apostle Paul said to “be happy with those who are happy, and weep with those who weep” (Romans 12:15 NLT). As we near the end of 2020 and turn over a new leaf with 2021, we must learn to embrace the bittersweet. We must belt out laughter from our bellies with tears of grief streaming down our faces. We must cherish the joy without neglecting the sorrow. For only from that razor-thin vantage point will we have the eyes to rebuild properly.

“I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail.”

(Lamentations 3:19-23 NIV)

Food for Thought (40 Years of Muttering with Moses Pt. 6)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “Hope or Hopelessness”, click here; Part 2, “Between an Army and a Watery Grave”, click here; Part 3, “Bitter Sweet”, click here; Part 4, “Worth the Wait”, click here. Lastly, for Part 5, “Spies and Lies”, click here.

The long days of the Israelites’ divinely-ordained road trip ate at them. After weeks of consuming manna for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the people complained to Moses, “‘If only we had meat to eat! We remember the fish we ate in Egypt at no cost—also the cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. But now we have lost our appetite; we never see anything but this manna’” (Numbers 11:4b-6)!

The Food They Used to Eat

Egypt clearly had its perks: homes to live in, luxuries to enjoy, and delicious food to munch on. But by maximizing the good, the Israelites neglected the horrific aspects of Egypt. Egypt had been the source of their suffering, oppression, and decades of slavery.

For all of us sequestered away in lockdown, we’ve lost access to some key joys of life. We miss hangout nights with our pals, glorious getaways to faraway locals, and coffee breaks with colleagues. But as we lament our current circumstances, we may be making the same mistake as the Israelites. When God plucked us out of Egypt and placed us in the wilderness, He may have rescued us from the bad influences we used to surround ourselves with or the expensive trips we financed with credit cards and Hail Mary prayers or the gossip we inhaled as we sipped our cappuccinos.

The Food They Were Eating

More than neglecting the bad God rescued the Israelites out of, the Israelites neglected the good the LORD provided for them in the wilderness. Manna was bread from heaven, a consistent source of sustenance in the middle of a barren wasteland. The LORD fed the Israelites faithfully day by day for the forty years they were unable to feed themselves (Exodus 16:35).

We also may be sniffing our noses at our God-given bread from heaven. We’re lucky to be able to spend our isolation alone together, with sophisticated communication technology to bring our far-flung loved ones one click away. We’re fortunate to have an advanced infrastructure that allows our children to receive a modicum of education from the safety of our homes. And we’re blessed that almost half of America was able to transition to working virtually at such short notice.

The Food They Would Eat

Lastly, the Israelites forgot where they were going. The Promised Land was a country flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8, 3:17, 13:5…), a land of “wheat and barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates and olive oil” (Deuteronomy 8:8). It was a bread basket even deeper than Egypt (Deuteronomy 11:10-12).

The LORD God gives good gifts, and He adds no sorrow with them (Proverbs 10:22). Even though He may have taken us away from the luxuries of Egypt and is leading us through the waterless desert, He will deliver us into a better country. In this new homeland, we’ll be free to live and eat without the shackles of our past slavery.

“I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten– the great locust and the young locust, the other locusts and the locust swarm — My great army that I sent among you. You will have plenty to eat, until you are full, and you will praise the name of the LORD your God, who has worked wonders for you; never again will My people be shamed.”
(Joel 2:25-26 NIV)

Spies and Lies (40 Years of Muttering with Moses Pt. 5)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “Hope or Hopelessness”, click here. For Part 2, “Between an Army and a Watery Grave”, click here. Part 3, “Bitter Sweet”, click here. Part 4, “Worth the Wait”, click here.

At last, after years of sulking through the burning desert, eating heavenly trail mix (a.k.a. “manna”) and whining about their problems, the Israelites finally reached the Promised Land. It was a glorious land flowing with milk and honey, vineyards and orchards, and precious metals and fine wine (Deuteronomy 8:7-9). But it was also inhabited.

The Israelites sent out twelve spies to investigate the Promised Land, and it was worse than they had feared: the people of the land were powerful, and the cities well-fortified.

The Ten Spies’ Response

Seeing the great challenge that lay before them, ten of the twelve spies spun the story out of proportion. They lied to the people, “‘The land we traveled through and explored will devour anyone who goes to live there. All the people we saw were huge. We even saw giants there, the descendants of Anak. Next to them we felt like grasshoppers’” (Numbers 13:22-23a NLT)! Now why would they do that?

When we are tasked with a difficult undertaking such as going to college, kicking a bad habit, or winning a woman’s heart, convincing ourselves failure is inevitable can be far easier than chasing after success.

The People’s Response

When the Israelites were told this tall tale, they flipped out. “All the Israelites grumbled against Moses and Aaron, ‘If only we had died in Egypt! Or in this wilderness! Why is the Lord bringing us to this land only to let us fall by the sword’” (Numbers 14:2-3a)?

Some of us share this same tendency. We trust God when times are good but doubt Him when times get tough. We suspect He is like the sun: Present with clear skies but vanishing with the rain.

The Two Spies’ Response

The report of those ten spies drove the Israelites to hysteria. They were ready to turn tail and run all the way back to Egypt (Numbers 14:3-4)! But there was a brave remnant that did not share their terror. Joshua and Caleb, two of the twelve spies, rose up and said, “‘If the Lord is pleased with us, He will lead us into that land, a land flowing with milk and honey, and will give it to us. Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the Lord is with us. Do not be afraid of them’” (Numbers 14:8-9 NIV).

Joshua and Caleb understood something about God the others did not: God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). The same God that sustained their forefathers, blasted open Pharaoh’s palace doors, and protected them in the blazing desert would topple giants before them. He would bring them into the Promised Land because He promised He would. God always keeps His promises (Hebrews 6:17-18).

God’s Response

Hearing the Israelites’ muttering, God asked Moses, “‘How long will these people treat me with contempt? Will they never believe me, even after all the miraculous signs I have done among them’” (Numbers 14:11 NLT)?

It shouldn’t take long for us to remember the amazing miracles God has done in our own lives: the illnesses He’s healed, the blessings He’s given, the hearts He’s changed, including our own. We mustn’t give in to lies about the challenges that lay before us or doubts about the God who walks along side us. If we take Him at His word, we will enter the Promised Land.

“He who calls you is faithful; He will surely do it.”

(1 Thessalonians 5:24 ESV)

Worth the Wait (40 Years of Muttering with Moses Pt. 4)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1, “Hope or Hopelessness”, click here. For Part 2, “Between an Army and a Watery Grave”, click here. For Part 3, “Bitter Sweet”, click here.

Three months after leaving Egypt, the bone-weary Israelites finally reached Mount Sinai. Before this mountain, the Israelites saw the LORD descend in a dark cloud with raging fire and crashing lightning. Moses walked into this fearsome maelstrom and emerged forty days later with the ten commandments, written by the finger of God. But forty days is a long time.

“When the people saw that Moses delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, ‘Come, make gods for us who will go before us because this Moses, the man who brought us up from the land of Egypt–we don’t know what has happened to him’” (Exodus 32:1 CSB)!

Challenge of Waiting

Anyone you ask from the age of six to sixty will affirm that waiting is hard. While in school, we pine the semester away waiting for summer. Then, when summer arrives, we languish the summer away waiting for the school year to start again. While single, we wait for our special match to arrive. When they do, we wait for our precious baby to arrive. When it does, we wait for our children to have children of their own. We will always be waiting for something, yet, in spite of so much familiarity with the experience, we often struggle to spend that time well.

Lying in Waiting

Once the Israelites noticed how long Moses was taking to return, they regressed to their old ways. They swan-dived right back into the sinful practices they’d followed in Egypt.

Similarly, in the midst of this pandemic, some of us may be locked in a death struggle with the resurrected zombies of past addictions. We may find ourselves helpless to defeat former sin cycles like explosive outbursts of anger or a perpetual spirit of indolence.

Wasting Waiting

After turning back to their old habits, the Israelites “sat down to eat and drink, and got up to party” (Exodus 32:6b CSB). Seasons of waiting are often wasted. Because we don’t understand the purpose behind the wait, we often squander it through mindless distraction, desperate for an easy way to pass the time.

Waiting Well

But the word says, “The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who seeks Him” (Lamentations 3:25 CSB). Waiting for the LORD and seeking His face are supposed to be joint at the hip. While we wait, we should lift up fervent prayers and faithfully mine His word, so that when He does move, we are ready.

Conclusion

Let us not make the same mistake as the Israelites and squander this golden season. If we turn our hearts to God as we wait, He will open His heart to us in due time. God is always worth waiting for.

“Ask, and it will be given to you. Seek, and you will find. Knock, and the door will be opened to you.”

(Matthew 7:7 CSB)

Bitter Sweet (40 Years of Muttering with Moses Pt. 3)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For article 1 on “Hope or Hopelessness”, click here. For article 2 on “Between an Army and a Watery Grave”, click here.

With Pharaoh vanquished by tons of roaring water and the Red Sea behind them, the Israelites danced! They sang praises to the LORD and heralded Him as their hero (Exodus 14:31-15:21). This newfound faith lasted about three days.

They hadn’t brought much water along for their journey out of Egypt. Parched and cranky, they finally reached a river in the land of Marah. But to their dismay, the water was bitter. The Israelites’ frustration frothed over, and “the people grumbled against Moses, saying, ‘What are we to drink’” (Exodus 15:24 NIV)?

Frequency of Droughts

Just as droughts are common in areas prone to flooding, spiritual droughts are similarly common after spiritual floods. After God led the Israelites into the Promised Land, idolatry plunged the nation into centuries of foreign oppression. Following the consolidation of the Israelite empire under King David and King Solomon, their children immediately fractured it. And once the Israelites were restored to their homeland in the 6th century BC, the LORD didn’t speak to His people again prophetically for hundreds of years. Drought following flood is not an anomaly in the way God operates. Some might even say it’s the norm.

Reason for Droughts

This truth may rub some people the wrong way. The prosperity “gospel” teaches us we are supposed to go from “glory to glory”. With riches upon riches and success after success, we’re supposed to be living the #blessed life now.

But speaking on the Israelites’ forty years of wilderness wandering, Moses said, “‘Remember how the Lord your God led you through the wilderness for these forty years, humbling you and testing you to prove your character, and to find out whether or not you would obey His commands’” (Deuteronomy 8:2 NLT).

In this passage, Moses highlights two purposes for our seasons of drought: Humbling and testing. The greatest danger we face in this world is not disease, physical deprivation or politicians; it’s sin. The pride lodging in our own chests is our chief liability, constructing a fortified wall between us and the Father (Proverbs 16:5). A prideful person cannot rely on God, and pride is nourished by self-sufficiency. It’s only from the wellspring of need that we discover our dependency on our Creator.

Secondly, character develops fastest in drought-ridden soil. Apostle Paul, an unparalleled expert on suffering (2 Corinthians 11:23-28), said we can “rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character” (Romans 5:3-4b ESV). Righteousness is not formed foremost in the soft embrace of health and wealth but in the cauldron of suffering and destitution. The wilderness is where mighty oaks of faith grow.

Conclusion

After the Israelites cried out to Moses, he called on the LORD, and the LORD showed him a log to throw into the bitter waters. Once he chucked it in, the bitter waters became sweet (Exodus 15:25). Similarly, the LORD will transform our bitter circumstances into the sweet fruit of righteousness if we allow Him to instruct us through this season.

“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow. So let it grow, for when your endurance is fully developed, you will be perfect and complete, needing nothing.”

(James 1:2-4 NLT)

Between an Army and a Watery Grave (40 Years of Muttering with Moses Pt. 2)

By Ife J. Ibitayo

For Part 1 on “Hope or Hopelessness”, click here.

After years of slavery, months of miracles, and a tragic night of death (Exodus 12:29), the Israelites were finally freed. Pharaoh drove the Israelites out of his land.  The LORD then navigated them into a box with the desert beside them and the Red Sea in front of them. Then He roused Pharaoh to pursue the runaways with the most fearsome technology of his day: the battle chariot.

With an unpassable liquid wall before them and an awesome army behind them, the Israelites cried to Moses, “‘Didn’t we tell you this would happen while we were still in Egypt? We said, “Leave us alone! Let us be slaves to the Egyptians. It’s better to be a slave in Egypt than a corpse in the wilderness”’” (Exodus 14:12 NLT)!

Some of us feel similarly boxed in today: We moved for a job that vanished when the economy cratered, another baby is on the way when we don’t know how we’ll keep feeding our first. Our strength and sanity have reached their snapping points. Many of us may be where are we now in spite of being faithful to God or because we felt like we were acting in accord with His will. But now we’ve come to our own Red Sea with the enemy closing in on us by the minute, and we wonder if those surging waves will become our watery grave.

How We Got Here

Famous gospel singer Marvin Sapp once said, “The only reason why you’re in that position now is because God has ordered your steps.” Here Sapp emphasizes the sovereignty of God. We are not caught between a rock and a hard place because God fell asleep at the wheel. We’re here because He deliberately drove us here.

Why We Are Here

The question then becomes, “Why are we here?” God told the Israelites, “‘Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again…When my glory is displayed through them, all Egypt will see my glory and know that I am the Lord’” (Exodus, 14:13,18 NIV).

The LORD is glorious and awesome in power, working miracles and wonders for His people. But when life maintains its ho-hum rhythm of ease and predictability, these truths tend to escape our grasp. Sometimes the only spark that can rekindle this flame is difficulty.

Where We Go From Here

The LORD then told Moses, “‘Tell the people of Israel to go forward’” (Exodus 14:15 ESV). Keep in mind, God gave the Israelites this command before He parted the Red Sea. As they trudged ever closer to those murky waters, many must have foreseen a sodden, bloody end for themselves. But as we all know, the LORD led the Israelites through the Red Sea, and the LORD defeated the Egyptian army. The only part the Israelites had to play was not turning aside or turning back. They had to keep on moving forward.

Conclusion

After six months of isolation, most of us are not where we’d like to be: socially, emotionally, and financially. As we wait for the LORD to part our Red Sea and slay our enemy, we can lambast Him for bringing us here. Or we can trust that He will successfully lead us to the other side.

“Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. Don’t be discouraged, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will hold you up with my victorious right hand.”

(Isaiah 41:10 NLT)