In Exodus 13 and 14, the Lord led the Israelites out of Egypt and parted the Red Sea for them. It may be a common (even over-referenced) story, but let me tell you about how it is so relevant to our current circumstances.
In Exodus 13, as the Israelites leave Egypt, God leads the Israelites through the long desert path instead of on the shorter road past the Philistines (v. 17-18).
In Exodus 14, God tells the Israelites to turn back and camp by the Red Sea (v. 1-2).
However, when Pharaoh and the Egyptians come chasing after the Israelites, they become trapped against the body of water, with no logical escape route.
The Israelites said to their leader Moses, “Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Didn’t we say to you in Egypt, ‘Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians’? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!” (v. 11-12)
The Israelites seemed to be in a hopeless place, a place of certain downfall. They wanted to be back in the comfort of their Egyptian homes, even if that meant they would still be slaves in bondage.
But what the Israelites didn’t know is that God had a much better plan, even if it looked worse in that moment. Not only was God going to turn this scary situation into good through the Israelites’ freedom and the parting of the Red Sea, but He had the most beautiful home and future prepared for them ahead.
And this is us right now: the trapped, seemingly hopeless Isrealites.
The Lord has taken you out of your pre-pandemic situation and now everything seems worse, more hopeless. Will there ever be a vaccine? Will we ever be able to gather as groups again?
But God is turning this terrible situation into something good for each of us. He wants to free you from the bondage you were in pre-pandemic. What areas of your life were not (or are not) life-giving? What areas are holding you back from complete freedom in Jesus? Let the Lord remove you from those situations (both physically – because you might be stuck at home – and spiritually – because He frees us, heals us, redeems us).
Everything may seem worse right now, but this is the beginning of your journey into your “promised land”. The journey won’t be pretty or easy; it might be a long journey, but the Lord will guide you each day. Right now we can’t see or understand how there could be a “promised land” ahead of us, but neither could the Israelites see or understand how God would bring them to their Promised Land.
Don’t wish to return to your “Egypt” where you served your old “masters.” God has something so much better ahead. Have faith in the coming of your promised land.
