"AND THEY DID SO!"

Jeremiah 32:26-28                           (ESV)
"26 The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
27 "Behold, I AM THE LORD, the GOD of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?
28 Therefore, thus says the LORD: Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it."

Hebrews 12:9                                     (ESV)
"Besides this, we have had EARTHLY FATHERS who disciplined us and we respected them. Shall we not much more be subject to the FATHER of SPIRITS and live?"

Exodus 14:4                                        (ESV)
"And I WILL harden Pharaoh's heart, and he WILL pursue them, and I WILL get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, and the Egyptians shall know that I AM THE LORD." "AND THEY DID SO!"

John 4:24                                            (ESV)
"GOD is SPIRIT, and those who worship HIM must worship in SPIRIT and TRUTH."



In recent days I have been almost stuck on Exodus 14, that GOD had a PLAN and that PLAN "would" be fulfilled, even if "Pharaoh and all his host" had to be used to glorify YAHWEH.  Then I get verses from Jeremiah 32:27 and Hebrews 12:9 from a revered friend of mine.  Immediately, John 4:24 came to my mind.  Then I knew GOD was trying to get me to SEE something, but HE was slower in revealing it to me than HE normally is.  But then I'm not the ONE WHO is to be glorified, am I?

New England preacher, The Reverend Phillip Brooks (1835-1893) was normally a calm individual.  One day he was pacing back and forth like a caged lion. A friend asked him, “What’s the trouble?” Brooks replied, “The trouble is, I’m in a hurry, but GOD isn’t.”  That is exactly how I feel sometimes, wanting to proceed at my pace, yet GOD keeps telling me "to just be silent" (Exodus 14:14)!

GOD is SPIRIT (John 4:24) and the Spirit world is where all REAL battles take place.  The ultimate victory was won over 2000 years on Calvary, but the enemy doesn't want to remember that day.  GOD HAS A PLAN and HIS PLAN is revealed in HIS WORD, not on our schedule, but on HIS!  HE is the FATHER of SPIRITS (Hebrews 22:9) and we are to be "subject" to HIM in everything!  Not just the "crucial" things in life, but everything.  Can you fathom an earthly father not giving guidance and direction to a child he loves?  Our HEAVENLY FATHER is so much more loving and perfect than our earthly fathers who are imperfect, no matter how much they love us.

So many times I WANT to act in the flesh and perform what has been revealed to me by GOD, but I want it to happen on my timeline and not WAIT ON THE LORD!  My desire is honestly to see GOD be glorified, but my timing isn't GOD's timing and HIS is set up around making sure HE GETS GLORY!!  Can you imagine what would have happened if the children of Israel had not waited on GOD to part the Red Sea?  They would have drowned trying to make what GOD had promised to make happen occur on their own timeline!  Pharaoh and all his hosts wouldn't have followed them into the Red Sea and then wouldn't have been removed from the face of the earth!

Instead, GOD got glory over Pharaoh and all his hosts according to GOD's PLAN.  But the same GOD allowed Nebuchadnezzar to capture HIS chosen people in Jeremiah 32!  GOD's PLAN will come to pass, on HIS time frame, whether I agree with it or not!  The Egyptians found that our in Exodus 14:24-25.

If GOD has revealed HIS PLAN to you and you are having a tough time trusting in HIS timing, don't forget WHO is supposed to be getting glory?!?!  Remember, "AND THEY DID SO" was not without murmuring and complaining!  Do you want that to be your legacy, or do you prefer "AND THEY DID SO!"