Day 15: Exodus 13 & 14

Exodus 13

Ever wonder how to apply real life Christianity to Old Testament stories?

This chapter has significant relevance to our own walk with the Lord in the present day.

When the Israelites are leaving Egypt, they are basically like someone in modern times believing in God for the first time.  They are vulnerable and it's the beginning of a long journey that definitely has pitfalls and perils along the way.  Thankfully, God know's the path way better than us.  Similar to the Israelites, He'll have us go the long way around because He knows we'll be better off for it in the long run.  Think back, have you ever come out of a long drawn out journey in life realizing that you could have taken some short cuts, but by following God, you were stronger afterward?  Was it worth it?

Exodus 14

God has a plan.  Make no mistake, He's a planner.  He has more details figured out than we can even imagine.  In our passage, this ends up being a huge win for the Israelites and a massive fail for the Egyptians.

While this should be comforting.  I have trouble with this.  That's because I'm a planner too.  I like to know the details.  I want to be informed of what is coming and how to react when it arrives.

In our passage, Moses gave instructions to the Israelites from God, who pretty much told them the plan for how they would get out of Egypt and escape Pharaoh and his approaching army.  Also, the Israelites had a pillar of cloud by day and fire by night, guiding their way.

Despite all this, the Israelites still whined to Moses about not wanting to die in the desert!  In v. 15 God even calls them on it by wondering why they are "crying"?  He then basically says to get up and go.

Back to my trouble...  Sometimes I catch myself whining about things that really God has complete control over (and I have little to none).  I sometimes stress out about how I'll fit all my "important" tasks in the day, or how to resolve a conflict.  These stressors can really bog me down, not allowing me to move forward in the plan that God has laid out for me.  In these moments, I'm more concerned about me.  This is where God says to stop "whining" and get going.  When I finally move on, I realize that becomes a much better place than stuck in a rut worrying and complaining about what I can't control.  

Are you worrying about something that is beyond your control?  Maybe it's time to stop whining, give it to God and get moving.

Tomorrow's Reading: Exodus 16 & 20