horizons

Coming to the Red Sea

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Moses answered the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.” Exodus 14:13-14

One of my professors at Bible college often said that the Christian life wasn’t hard to live, it was impossible! In our lives the Red Sea represents that place of impossibility.

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It is impossible for us to become Christians, impossible to grow in our faith and impossible to accomplish anything without the miraculous grace of God. The story of Moses and the children of Israel leave us an encouraging example of how God chose to work by His miracle grace. Maybe you are in an impossible situation or one is looming on your horizon like a dark cloud. It is like facing the Red Sea with the sound of your enemies at your back. While it is quite natural to feel a sense of panic, but in that in that moment remind yourself that God Himself has led you to that shore. One of the greatest fears we face is the fear of the unknown. We can’t imagine how our life will be if x, y or z happens. But God specializes in doing his best work when we don’t understand. Let your faith work in the same way that you welcome anesthesia before a surgery. Since you will be asleep your confidence doesn’t lie in your ability to direct the surgeon’s hands but in the confidence that he is operating for your good. You will never have a greater opportunity to grow in your trust towards God. Nothing is by chance in the battle you are in. You haven’t taken a wrong turn and this is not a dead-end. In fact you are in exactly the right place. God has brought you to your own Red Sea. Stand strong with expectancy and you will discover what only God can do next!

 

Alley Cats

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In our back alley we have the blessing of stray cats, one of whom seems to have adopted me. I have come home on various occasions to find him sleeping contentedly on the front porch or at my back door step. Though I have never fed this cat, he acts confidently like a member of the family! I used to gently chase him out of the yard but he always returned. We have a sort of truce. I don’t get worked up over his presence and he just moves on to the next house after his nap!

Problems come into every one of our lives like my alley cat. Getting angry, stressed out or shocked doesn’t faze him. No matter what, because he lives in our neighborhood he will keep coming back. He comes to see if I will feed him or invite him in. But instead of freaking out I remind myself that wherever there are alley cats the mice are few and far between! Problems pass through our lives for a purpose. So if tribulation shows up at your doorstep this morning don’t fall into despair. It is all a part of God’s plan for our good. Instead look up because His everlasting hope is on the horizon!

And not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Romans 5:3‭-‬4 NKJV

Seeing the Invisible

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When we  wish to know the worth of a diamond we take it to a jeweler who takes his magnifying glass and looks at the color, counts the facets and so forth. If we need to sell a property we first call an appraiser who comes and looks carefully at it inside and out to ascertain its market value.While our practice is to value a thing according to its appearance God sees entirely differently.

Consider the story of the widow who gave her two mites. The disciples were quite surprised when Jesus told them that she had given more than all the others. They had clearly seen with their own eyes the two tiny copper coins fall from her hand into the offering box. But what they had seen was nothing in comparison to what Jesus saw of the inner beauty of her love, sacrifice and faith.

In a different circumstance Jesus sat down for dinner with a well dressed wealthy Pharisee named Simon. During their meal the pleasantness of the scene was harshly interrupted by a weeping woman who burst into the room and began kissing the feet of Jesus and wiping them clean with her hair. Simon was shocked! It was well known in his community what flagrant sins this woman had committed. How dare she enter his house, and furthermore how could Jesus (If He really were a prophet) allow himself to be touched by someone like her?

Yet Jesus saw the circumstances quite differently than Simon or you or I. Jesus neither saw the fine tableware nor savored the delicate cuisine. Jesus hadn’t at all been impressed by the beautiful columns or the handcrafted door at the entry of Simon’s home. Instead Jesus saw the cold lack of Simon’s heart. Jesus had noticed that Simon had not given him the customary kiss on the cheek, or offered water for his feet to be washed. Jesus saw quite clearly instead the depth of repentance and gratitude of this woman and treasured that.

God does not see things as we see them and as we enter this new year my prayer is for God to give me His own 20/20 heavenly vision. I earnestly beg and plead to see the value that He sees in others and the worthlessness of so many things to which I cling so tightly. The challenges that we face this year can only be met when seeing and valuing the invisible things of God’skimg0367 eternal worth.

As we look not to the things that are seen but to the things that are unseen. For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18