“BE SILENT!”

 Exodus 14:14                    (ESV)

“The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to BE SILENT”.”

“WAIT ON THE LORD!”

 Psalm 27:14                  (KJV)

“Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and HE shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.”

“DO NOT BE AFRAID!”

 Mark 6:45-52                         (ESV)

JESUS Walks on the Water

“[45] Immediately HE made HIS disciples get into the boat and GO BEFORE HIM TO THE OTHER SIDE, to Bethsaida, while HE dismissed the crowd. [46] And after HE had taken leave of them, HE went up on the mountain to pray. [47] And when evening came, the boat was out on the sea, and he was alone on the land. [48] And HE saw that THEY WERE MAKING HEADWAY PAINFULLY, for THE WIND WAS AGAINST THEM. And about the fourth watch of the night HE came to them, WALKING ON THE SEA. HE meant to pass by them, [49] but when they saw HIM walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, [50] for they all saw HIM and were terrified. But immediately HE spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. “DO NOT BE AFRAID”.”

These verses of Scripture spoke to me most of the day recently!  If you are being attacked by “the enemy”, “Take heart; DO NOT BE AFRAID” because it is I” is STILL IN CONTROL!!!”

“LET US FLEE!”

 Exodus 14:21-29                                   (ESV)

“[21] Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and THE LORD DROVE THE SEA BACK by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and THE WATERS WERE DIVIDED. [22] And the people of Israel went into the midst of the sea on dry ground, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. [23] The Egyptians pursued and went in after them into the midst of the sea, ALL PHARAOH’S HORSES, HIS CHARIOTS, AND HIS HORSEMEN. [24] And in the morning watch the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud LOOKED DOWN on the Egyptian forces and THREW the EGYPTIAN FORCES INTO A PANIC, [25] clogging their chariot wheels so that THEY DROVE HEAVILY. And the Egyptians said, “”LET US FLEE” from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.”

[26] Then the LORD said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand over the sea, THAT THE WATER MAY COME BACK upon the Egyptians, upon their chariots, and upon their horsemen.” [27] So Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the sea returned to its normal course when the morning appeared. And as THE EGYPTIANS FLED into it, the LORD THREW THE EGYPTIANS INTO THE MIDST OF THE SEA. [28] The waters returned and covered the chariots and the horsemen; of ALL THE HOSTS OF PHARAOH that had followed them into the sea, NOT ONE OF THEM REMAINED. [29] BUT THE PEOPLE OF ISRAEL WALKED ON DRY GROUND THROUGH THE SEA, the waters being a wall to them on their right hand and on their left.”

There is SO MUCH that is said in the nine verses of Scripture above that I could literally write about what transpired for days!  Moses was “leading” the Children of Israel, but ALMIGHTY GOD was doing what ONLY HE could to gain GLORY over ALL PHARAOH’S HORSES, HIS CHARIOTS, AND HIS HORSEMEN!  The Egyptian army was recognized as a fierce foe, but they proved to be “easy prey” for the CREATOR OF THE UNIVERSES and HIS PLAN! 

In verse 24b & 25 it is recorded “the LORD in the pillar of fire and of cloud LOOKED DOWN on the Egyptian forces and THREW the EGYPTIAN FORCES INTO A PANIC, clogging their chariot wheels so that THEY DROVE HEAVILY. And the Egyptians said, “”LET US FLEE”from before Israel, for the LORD fights for them against the Egyptians.”  All GOD had to do was LOOK DOWN on the Egyptians and it threw them INTO A PANIC!  “LET US FLEE” did not work out for the Egyptians as NOT ONE OF THEM REMAINED when the day was over!  

Why did GOD ALMIGHTY allow the Egyptians to enslave the Israelites in the first place?  Why did HE allow the Israelites to be enslaved and 430 years later miraculously deliver them from Pharaoh’s captivity?  Why did HE lead the Israelites to the Red Sea and cause them to WAIT?  GOD HAD A PLAN and HE ORCHESTRATED HIS PLAN in HIS TIMING!  

It “might” be wise for us to allow ALMIGHTY GOD to work on HIS TIMING and accomplish HIS PURPOSE for the future?  We are SO inept in our thoughts and incapable strength-wise compared to what GOD can cause.  Our enemies, like the Egyptians who pursued GOD’S CHOSEN, are NO MATCH for THE CREATOR! They will be squealing “LET US FLEE”, but ALMIGHTY GOD is capable of wiping them out, just like the Egyptians!!!

“THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE!”

 John 12:36b-43                             (ESV)

The Unbelief of the People

“36b When JESUS had said these things, HE DEPARTED AND HID HIMSELF from them. [37] Though HE had done so many signs before them, THEY STILL DID NOT BELIEVE IN HIM, [38] so that the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: 

    “LORD, who has believed what he heard from us,

        and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?”

    [39] Therefore “THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE”. For again Isaiah said,

    [40] “He (the enemy) has blinded their eyes

        and hardened their heart,

    lest they SEE with their eyes,

        and UNDERSTAND with their heart, and TURN,

        and I WOULD HEAL THEM.” (Isaiah 44:18-20)

    [41] Isaiah said these things because he saw HIS Glory and spoke of HIM. [42] Nevertheless, MANY EVEN OF THE AUTHORITIES BELIEVED IN HIM, but for FEAR (of the enemy) of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; [43] for THEY LOVED THE GLORY THAT COMES FROM MAN more than the GLORY that comes from GOD!”  

“THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE!” isn’t because they were unlearned or illiterate, it was because THEIR EYES HAD NOT BEEN OPENED, SUPERNATURALLY, by THE ONLY ONE WHO had the capability of revealing HIMSELF to those who were unable not see!  At the beginning of the focal passages above, JESUS “DEPARTED AND HID HIMSELF from them”.  Why did JESUS DEPART and HIDE HIMSELF from the ones who did not SEE who was in their very midst?  

JESUS KNEW precisely who GOD had CHOSEN from before the FOUNDATION OF THE WORLD (Ephesians 1:4) to be Believers, so no one can decide to come to HIM at a time that is more to their liking!  Did GOD ordain me then to be blameless before HIM?  Apparently not, for my righteousness is but filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6 KJV) before a HOLY GOD!  

Some of my friends have YET to demonstrate that they are CHOSEN!  It could be that “THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE”, it is outside of their capabilities!  Maybe that is why GOD CHOSE me, the poor, wretched sinner that I am, to demonstrate HIS ABILITIES and my inabilities to deliver me from this darkness and into HIS MARVELOUS LIGHT (1 Peter 2:9) to a lost and dying world?  

Ephesians 2:8 says “For by GRACE you have been SAVED through FAITH. And this IS NOT YOUR OWN DOING; IT IS THE GIFT OF GOD”.  Since “THEY COULD NOT BELIEVE”, it is obvious that the GIFT of GRACE is not accepted by some?  Why would ANYONE deny an eternity in HEAVEN with their CREATOR?  Because their EYES have YET to be OPENED to SEE HIM!!!

“A LEVITE!”

 Judges 17:6-13                      (ESV)

“[6] In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.

[7] Now there was a young man of Bethlehem in Judah, of the family of Judah, who was “A LEVITE”, and he sojourned there. [8] And the man departed from the town of Bethlehem in Judah to sojourn where HE COULD FIND A PLACE. And as he journeyed, he came to the hill country of Ephraim to the house of Micah. [9] And Micah said to him, “Where do you come from?” And he said to him, “I am “A LEVITE” of Bethlehem in Judah, and I am going to sojourn where I may find a place.” [10] And Micah said to him, “Stay with me, and be to me a father and a priest, and I will give you ten pieces of silver a year and a suit of clothes and your living.” And the LEVITE went in. [11] And the LEVITE was content to dwell with the man, and the young man became to him like one of his sons. [12] And Micah ordained the LEVITE, and the young man became his priest, and was in the house of Micah. [13] Then Micah said, “Now I know that the LORD will prosper me, because I have “A LEVITE” as priest.””

“A LEVITE” means to be “set apart” according to one Biblical dictionary!  Some believe that this “A LEVITE” was “no other than a grandson of Moses”?  Regardless, this “young man” (Judges 17:7) was USED by GOD as a PRIEST who gave direction to “the house of Micah” (Judges 17:12) when HE COULD FIND A PLACE to serve THE LORD!  

May I take notice when ALMIGHTY GOD places “A LEVITE” in my path and listen to what THE ALMIGHTY has to say to me through him!!!

“STAND STILL!”

 Exodus 14:13-14                   (KJV)

“13 And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, “STAND STILL”, and see the salvation of the LORD, which HE will shew to you to day: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen to day, ye shall see them again no more for ever. 14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.”

Sometimes we need to “STAND STILL” and not try to “do it all” for the LORD and HIS kingdom!  HE doesn’t require our assistance to split the Red Sea,  nor changing people’s minds!!!