Impossible Times

Impossible Times
Words of Faith 11-3-2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy © 2022
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
Faith Fellowship Church - Melbourne, FL
www.faithfellowshipweb.com
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Exodus 14
Then the Lord said to Moses, [2] "Tell the Israelites to turn back and encamp near Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea. They are to encamp by the sea, directly opposite Baal Zephon. [3] Pharaoh will think, 'The Israelites are wandering around the land in confusion, hemmed in by the desert.' [4] And I will harden Pharaoh's heart, and he will pursue them. But I will gain glory for myself through Pharaoh and all his army, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord." So the Israelites did this.
[5] When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about them and said, "What have we done? We have let the Israelites go and have lost their services!" [6] So he had his chariot made ready and took his army with him. [7] He took six hundred of the best chariots, along with all the other chariots of Egypt, with officers over all of them. [8] The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh king of Egypt, so that he pursued the Israelites, who were marching out boldly. [9] The Egyptians--all Pharaoh's horses and chariots, horsemen and troops--pursued the Israelites and overtook them as they camped by the sea near Pi Hahiroth, opposite Baal Zephon.
[10] As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the Lord. [11] They said to 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? [12] 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!"

Sometimes in life, it seems our back is against the wall, and there is no way out. We are tempted at such times to think that the Lord is somehow surprised by the events around us. We may even go to God thinking that He has somehow missed what is happening down here. In reality, the Lord God is aware of the tiniest details and has a strategy for victory.
In this case, the Lord sounded like a commanding General as He mapped out the plan to defeat the Egyptians. There was never any question in the mind of the Lord that Pharaoh would come running after the Israelites. Pharaoh and his officials were too selfish to allow so much slave labor to simply walk away. The Lord was prepared to deliver the Israelites from captivity and bring the Egyptians to a humiliating defeat that would never be forgotten.
Still, it was a frightening scene. The Israelites had camped in a place where there was no escape, and the Egyptian army was marching down after them. The Israelites cried out to the Lord but then quickly turned upon Moses. He had led them into this impossible situation. What was he thinking? Not enough graves in Egypt?
The truth is that the journey of faith is mostly made up of impossible situations in which we are called to trust and then see the glory of God. This is an excellent time to remember that the Lord is not surprised by life's events. He is not unaware of the latest developments. He does not watch CNN or FOX to find out what happened during the night. In fact, it would not be too strong to say that the Lord designs such situations as these for a purpose. This is where we grow.
Have you felt like your back was against the wall? Have you wondered how God ever let this situation creep up? God is still God. He is in charge in the impossible times. In fact, these are the most exciting moments to watch what He is doing and follow.

Father God, give me the faith to trust You in the impossible situations. Give me the courage to respond when You call. Give me greater trust in You than I have ever had before. Though I may be surprised by the events of life, I know that You are not. In Jesus' name.

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© Jeffrey D. Hoy 2022
Dr. Jeffrey D. Hoy - Faith Fellowship Church (EFCA)
2820 Business Center Blvd.
Melbourne, Florida 32940 (321)-259-7200
Jeff.Hoy@faithfellowshipweb.com
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The Words of Faith devotion is published five days a week by E-mail, excluding Federal holidays. Please feel free to forward this devotion to a friend who might be blessed by this devotion. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is quoted from the New International Version (R) of The Holy Bible. Copyright (c) 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved. Words of Faith (c) 1997, 2022 Jeffrey D. Hoy. All rights reserved. Permission is granted to forward this copyrighted material or use portions of it with appropriate notation of the source for non-profit purposes.