s20050403mpo_LORD You Want Me To Go There
LORD! You Want Me to Go There? Exodus 14:1-4
21 The Lord went in front of them in a pillar of cloud by day, to lead them along the way, and in a pillar of fire by night, to give them light, so that they might travel by day and by night. 22 Neither the pillar of cloud by day nor the pillar of fire by night left its place in front of the people. Exodus 13:21-22
¨ What Ever Place You are In Life; Realize that God has Led You To That Place!
Then the Lord said to Moses: 2 Tell the Israelites to turn back and camp in front of Pi-hahiroth,
between Migdol and the sea, in front of Baal-zephon; you shall camp opposite it, by the sea. Verses 1-2
“Consider these men and women who, through no fault of their own, found themselves beset with soul-disabling difficulties while trying to follow God: HAGAR, a single mom, was forced into the desert with her boy to die of thirst. JOSEPH, wanting to fulfill divine dreams, was seized, stripped, sold as a slave, and imprisoned in Egypt. MOSES was caught between the splendors of Egyptian royalty and thankless affliction with God’s people. DAVID, being anointed by Samuel, was pursed by Israelite troops. HEZEKIAH, seeking revival, was trapped by the most powerful army on earth, bent on annihilating his people. The LORD’S DISCIPLES sailed at His command on Galilee only to face a terror-filled night of storms and waves. THE SON OF MAN HIMSELF, fulfilling the Father’s will, was nailed fast to wood and left to hang by His hands until dead. THE APOSTLES, trying to preach this Crucified one, were horsewhipped.” (Red Sea Rules by Robert J. Morgan pg. 9)
God Says I Am At This Place and In This Time
Ú By His [DIRECTION]
“The human mind plans the way, but the Lord directs the steps. Proverbs 16:9
Ú In His [PROTECTION]
14 Those who love me, I will deliver; I will protect those who know my name. 15 When they call to me, I will answer them; I will be with them in trouble, I will rescue them and honor them. Psalms 91:14-15
Ú Under His [TRAINING]
Now, discipline always seems painful rather than pleasant at the time, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it. Hebrews 12:11
Ú For His [TIME]
I said in my heart, God will judge the righteous and the wicked, for he has appointed a time for every matter, and for every work. Ecclesiastes 3:17
¨ God Wants Us To Be More Concerned For His Glory Than Our Relief.
3 Pharaoh will say of the Israelites, ‘They are wandering aimlessly in the land; the wilderness has closed in on them.’ 4 I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, and he will pursue them, so that I will gain glory for myself over Pharaoh and all his army; and the Egyptians shall know that I am the Lord. And they did so. Verses 3-4
According to the Jewish rabbinical tradition Baal-zephon was a place to worship this false god. In the Jewish Encyclopedia it says “The idol at Baalzephon was the only one that remained unharmed when God sent the tenth plague upon Egypt, which not only brought death to men and animals, but also destroyed the idols. When Pharaoh overtook Israel at the sea, near Baal-zephon (Ex. xiv. 9), he said, "This idol is indeed mighty, and the God of Israel is powerless over him." But God intentionally spared Baal-zephon in order to strengthen the infatuation of the wicked Pharaoh (Mek., Beshalla?, 2; Bo, 13).J”. (Jewish Encylopedia.com)
To Be More Concerned For His Glory God Wants Us To
Ú Ask the Right [Questions]
Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned; he was born blind so that God’s works might be revealed in him. John 9:3
Ú Embrace The [SUFFERING]
27 “Now my soul is troubled. And what should I say—‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, it is for this reason that I have come to this hour. 28 Father, glorify your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.” John 12:27-28
Ú Trust Him To [DELIVER] In His Own Way
Call on me in the day of trouble; I will deliver you, and you shall glorify me.” Psalms 50:15
Ú If It’s Our Fault Then [REPENT]
18 Come now, let us argue it out, says the Lord: though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be like snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall become like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land. Isaiah 1:18-19
It was written by 13 year old Kaitlyn Drinkwater, who lives in Alba, Texas. There is a faint rustle of feathers and brush of wings as the angels re-arrange themselves to allow a newcomer to join their ranks. The door brushes shut, squeaking on its hinges. Feet step in front of it, and the tense silence, broken only by the occasional weary shuffle of feet, is resumed. The demons and the angels stand on their respective sides of the room, which is badly lit. Save for the single, bare bulb hanging over the room's only table and the dim, red neon sign on the far wall reading, 'Welcome to The Game.' Below the bulb a chessboard is laid out, and a game is in progress. At one side sits God, at the other Lucifer. Quietly the Lord bends down and whispers to one of his pieces, which then moves a few spaces to the right. The angels let out the air they hadn't been aware they were holding in until that moment in a simultaneous sigh. Now it was Satan's turn. He reaches out with a long, thin finger and pushes one of his pieces into a position to take one of his opponent's men. The demons at his back quietly snort and snicker appreciatively. The pieces they were playing with weren't your normal Kings, Queens, Bishops, Rooks, Knights and Pawns. They were people. All shapes, sizes, colors and nationalities. And they were playing on the game board of life. The angels drew a sharp breath as the Lord bent down and asked one of his pieces to move in a direction that would take it out of harm's way. The room was silent. No one breathed, and everyone present distinctly heard the piece's response to its master: "No. I don't understand. I don't see why you want me to go there, so I'm not going." Quietly, God leaned back. The neon sign flickered as Satan took the piece and a faint scream was heard throughout the room. I hope you see the relevance in my story. The pieces of God are Christians. The pieces of Satan are everyone else. When he created us, God gave us free will. He doesn't just "move" his pieces like Satan; he asks us to move. We need to trust God and realize that when he asks us to do something, he knows what he is doing, and it is for our own greater good. When the piece was taken, it was not symbolic of us being stolen by Satan, because we are bound to God by unbreakable bonds forever and ever, so much so that we become a part of his body. Rather, this piece shows how easy it is for us to fall into sin. But to God be the glory! For even through all our stubbornness and blind disbelief, he will triumph in the end, and the game of life will be won at last!
Pray with me. Heavenly Father. I want to go where you lead me. Open my eyes and heart to your direction. Thank you for protecting, training, timing my life for me. Thank you for the blessings of your grace. Lord I will ask you the right question. How may I glorify you as I embrace suffering? Father you have the power and majesty to deliver me out of all the tight places and I put all my faith in you. And for the places I’ve been that have been my fault. I repent. I’m sorry to not have followed you. Help me Lord to be committed to the journey with you. Forgive my sin. In Jesus Name Amen.