“GO FORWARD!”

 Exodus 14:15-18                               (ESV)

“15 The LORD said to Moses, "Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to “GO FORWARD”.

16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.

17 And I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they shall go in after them, and I will get glory over Pharaoh and all his host, his chariots, and his horsemen.

18 And the Egyptians shall know that I am the LORD, when I HAVE GOTTEN GLORY OVER PHARAOH, HIS CHARIOTS, AND HIS HORSEMEN."”

When your entire being has been engrossed with Psalms 46:10 for seemingly the past 10+ years, it can be totally missed when GOD tells you to “GO FORWARD”!  The Children of Israel had been waiting on the banks of the Red Sea for over a week, basically in neutral as Pharaoh and the Egyptian army closed ground on them and were about to overtake them.  In verse 10 of Exodus 14, the Israelites FEARED GREATLY as “the enemy” approached.  

This same people had just witnessed ALMIGHTY GOD issue 10 plagues on Egypt, including killing the first born of each household.  So would GOD allow HIS CHOSEN to perish at the Red Sea, especially when the Egyptians were still in mourning over the death angel visiting their houses?  Was GOD so impotent that HE had to give in to the same people HE had punished a few days earlier?  HE is GOD, and HE says in Exodus 3:17 “and I PROMISE THAT I WILL BRING YOU UP OUT OF THE AFFLICTION OF EGYPT TO THE LAND OF THE CANAANITES, the Hittites, the Amorites, the Perizzites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites, a land flowing with milk and honey."'

The FAITH of the Children of Israel in ALMIGHTY GOD doing what HE PROMISED HE would do wasn’t that great.  GOD consistently delivered them in their journey, but they had to be almost forced to “GO FORWARD” and cross the Red Sea.  Why do we get so “comfortable” in our current situation that we almost refuse to “GO FORWARD”?  GOD, WHO is Omniscient, knows what is best for us, but we are comfortable where we are, doing the things that we’ve always done, surrounded by the same supportive friends, and we don’t want to change!

In Genesis 35:1-15 Jacob was instructed by GOD to return to Bethel, a place where he had fled from Esau in his younger years and build an altar to the GOD WHO appeared to him there.  Jacob was soon told that Israel shall be your name by his CREATOR and thereafter was Blessed with a tremendous ancestry.  He had to “GO FORWARD” to receive his Blessings!  We may have to “GO FORWARD” from our “comfort zone” to receive our Blessings from GOD, but HE has Promised never to leave us NOR forsake us!  We must TRUST that GOD is all we have, AND is all we will ever need!  So “GO FORWARD” with what your CREATOR has PLANNED for your future AND GIVE HIM GLORY!!!