Your Faith And Your Future
Exodus 13:14-22
THERE ARE TIMES IN OUR LIVES WHEN OUR FAITH CAN BE TRIED. TESTS, TRIALS, WORRIES, DISAPPOINTMENTS, AND FRUSTRATIONS ARE A PART OF EVERY HUMAN LIFE. WE ARE LIVING IN DIFFICULT DAYS AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH EVEN OUR VERY FUTURE IS THREATENED. WHAT IS THE SOLUTION TO THE MANY PROBLEMS TODAY THAT STEM FROM GREED, LACK OF NATURAL AFFECTION IN FAMILIES, LOOSE MORALS, IGNORANCE, AND OTHER CORROSIVE FACTORS EATING AWAY AT THE FABRIC OF SOCIETY? SOME PEOPLE FEEL THAT THERE IS NO SOLUTION, SO THEY JUST GET ON WITH THEIR LIVES AS BEST THEY CAN AND ACCEPT IT AS “THEIR FATEFUL FUTURE”. OTHERS HOPE THAT ONE DAY A CHARISMATIC AND BRILLIANT LEADER, PERHAPS EVEN A RELIGIOUS LEADER, WILL COME ALONG AND POINT THEM IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION. THE TRUTH IS, THAT WHEN YOUR FAITH IS BEING TRIED, YOU NEED MORE THAN A SPIRIT OF ACQUIESENCE. WHEN OUR FUTURE IS THREATENED WE NEED MORE THAN THE SMILE OF A CHARISMATIC LEADER TO ENCOURAGE US TO GO FORTH. WE NEED FAITH TO FACE THE FUTURE. THERE ARE EVEN TIMES WHEN SATAN WILL PUT OUR FAITH TO THE TEST. WHEN SATAN PUTS A PERSON TO THE TEST, HE DOES SO TO BRING OUT EVIL. HIS MOTIVE IS TO KILL, STEAL AND DESTROY. IT IS INTERESTING TO NOTE THAT OUR LORD WAS TEMPTED AND WAS VIC TORIOUS OVER TEMPTATIONS THAT WERE DESIGNED TO DESTROY HIM AND THE WRECK GOD’S REDEMPTIVE PLAN. SATAN USES THE SAME METHODS TODAY.
A. HE PROMISED CHRIST PLENTY IF CHRIST WOULD FOLLOW HIS SUGGESTIONS. MATT. 4:3. PEOPLE STILL DESIRE PLEASURE, MATERIAL, GOODS, POWER AND OTHER WORLDLY THINGS AND THE DEVIL HAS SUGGESTIONS BY WHICH HE PROMISES US PLENTY.
B. HE PROMISES POPULARITY AND ACCEPTANCE BY OUR CONTEMPORARIES IF WE FOLLOW HIS SUGGESTIONS. MATT 4:4-6. SATAN SUGGESTED THAT CHRIST COULD ACCOMPLISH HIS PURPOSE BY PUTTING ON AN EXTRAVAGANZA. SATAN COMES TO US WITH SUBTLE SUGGESTIONS THAT WILL LEAD US ASTRAY IF WE FOLLOW HIM.
C. HE COMES TO US WITH THE PROMISE OF PAINLESS SUCCESS IF WE WILL BUT FOLLOW HIS SUGGESTIONS...MATT. 4:8-9. SATAN WAS TRYING TO TELL CHRIST THAT IT WAS UNNECESSARY FOR HIM TO SUFFER THE ORDEAL OF THE CROSS IN ORDER TO CAUSE THE KINGDOMS OF THIS WORLD TO BECOME THE KINGDOM OF GOD. SATAN COMES TO US WITH AL KINDS OF SUGGESTIONS FOR SHORTCUTS AND SUBSTITUTES FOR THE RIGHT WAY. YOU SHOULD KNOW BY NOW THAT SATAN IS NOT YOUR FRIEND!!!
I WONDER, IF YOU WERE REMODELING YOUR HOME AND WERE GOING TO ADD AN EXTRA BEDROOM, BUT THE ONLY TOOL YOU HAD WAS A SCREWDRIVER, WOULD YOU WORK AND STRUGGLE TO BUILD THE ROOM WITH ONLY A SCREWDRIVER? OR WOULD YOU GO OUT TO THE STORE AND PAY THE PRICE FOR THE PROPER TOOLS TO GET THE JOB DONE EFFICIENTLY AND EFFECTIVELY? MANY OF US TRY TO BUILD OUR HOUSES OF FAITH WITH ONE FAVORITE TOOL THAT WE’VE GOTTEN USED TO. WE EITHER DON’T REALIZE THAT THERE ARE MORE TOOLS AVAILABLE OR WE’RE NOT WILLING TO PAY THE PRICE TO ACQUIRE THEM. A HOUSE OF FAITH IS BUILT FIRST AND FOREMOST UPON AN OPEN MIND. EVEN THOUGH HISTORY TENDS TO REPEAT ITSELF, (ECC 8:9), MUCH OF WHAT WE HAVE SEEN EVEN IN THE PAST CENTURY APPEARS BLEAK. THE WORLD CHANGED DRASTICALLY IN 1914, WITH THE OUTBREAK OF THE 1ST WORLD WAR. SOON THEREAFTER, CAME PESTILENCE, THE SPANISH INFLUENZA. THE ECONOMIC DEPRESSION OF THE 1930’S SHOOK THE ENTIRE WORLD. THE YEAR 1939 SAW THE OUTBREAK OF THE 2ND WORLD WAR, THAT WAS WORSE THAN THE FIRST. AND IT SEEMS AS THOUGH MEN ARE CRYING “PEACE” BUT THERE IS TROUBLE ON EVERY HAND, AND IN EVERY LAND. BUT EVEN IN THE MIDST OF TRYING CIRCUMSTANCES, YOUR FAITH IS INEXTRICABLY TIED TO YOUR FUTURE.
THERE ARE TIMES WITH OUR FAITH IS TRIED BY OTHERS. ONE OF THE HIGHEST FACULTIES WITH WHICH WE ARE ENDOWED IS THE CAPACITY TO MAKE JUDGMENTS BASED ON WHAT WE PERCEIVE AS FACTS.
A. A VARIETY OF TESTS ARE UTILIZED TO ELIMINATE THE INCOMPETENT AND THE COUNTERFEIT. SOME METHODS OF TESTING MUST BE USED, OR WE CAN BE DESTROYED BY PEOPLE WHO WOULD DECEIVE US.
B. A VARIETY OF TESTS ARE GIVEN TO DISCOVER THE CAPABLE AND THE REVEAL THE GENUINE.
C. A VARIETY OF TESTS ARE USED TO EVALUATE PROGRESS TOWARDS A DESIRED GOAL IN TRAINING OR IN THE STRUGGLE OF LIFE.
D. A VARIETY OF TESTS ARE APPLIED TO DEVELOP CHARACTER AND LEADERSHIP POTENTIAL. THESE TESTS ARE USED IN THE BUSINESS WORLD, AND THEY ARE USED IN THE SPIRITUAL REALM.
YES, THINGS HAVE CHANGED! BUT WE SERVE A GOD WHO NEVER CHANGES! WE SERVE A GOD WHO IS FAITHFUL! WHAT IS FAITH TO YOU? I WOULD LIKE TO SUGGEST THAT:
FAITH IS MORE THAN JUST SPOKEN COMMUNICATIONS……..FOR WE CAN SPEAK TO OUR MOUNTAINS, BUT WE NEED FAITH FOR THE MOUNTAIN TO BE MOVED.
FAITH IS MORE THAN EMOTIONAL SENSATION……OUR FEELINGS WILL FOOLS US, BUT OUR FAITH WILL REWARD US…
FAITH IS MORE THAN INTELLECTUAL INFORMATION…….INTELLECT IS KNOWING,……….FAITH IS BELIEVING, EVEN WHEN CIRCUMSTANCES LOOK OTHERWISE. .WHEN A MAN SAYS THAT I KNOW THAT MY REDEEMER LIVETH,…IT MUST BE ROOTED AND GROUNDED IN MORE THAN JUST A SUNDAY RENDEVOUS …IT TAKES THE EXPERIENCE OF AN INTIMATE RELATIONSHIP TO BE ABLE TO STAND ON WHAT YOU KNOW.
REAL FAITH ALWAYS INVOLVES PRACTICAL APPLICATION……..(JAMES 2:18) YOU NEVER KNOW HOW STRONG YOUR FAITH IS, UNTIL IT HAS BEEN TRIED. (PIE IN THE SKY THEOLOGY…”ONE OF THESE OLD DAYS”)
THIS BIBLICAL PASSAGE CONCERNING THE EXODUS STORY HAS ITS ROOTS IN THE HISTORICAL REVELATION OF THE CROSSING OF THE RED SEA.
THE BIBLE REMINDS US THAT FAITH IS THE SUBSTANCE OF THINGS HOPED FOR, AND THE EVIDENCE OF THINGS NOT SEEN. IN HEBREWS 11.1. THEY HAD NOT YET BEEN DELIVERED! BUT THEY WERE FAITHFUL IN MOVING FORWARD. (YOU MAY FEEL LIKE THAT TODAY,..NOT YET DELIVERED, NOT YET HEALED, NOT YET RECONCILED)……BUT FAITHFULLY ON THE WAY TO A BRAND NEW DAY. LOOK AT HOW GOD DEALT WITH THEIR PLIGHT! AND HE WILL DEAL WITH YOURS AS WELL.
I. GOD ORDERED THEIR STEPS!…..VERSE 17
AND HE WILL ORDER YOUR STEPS TOO.
A. GOD DOESN’T CHART HIS COURSE TO THE PAST..BUT THE FUTURE.HE IS NOT LIMITED TO OUR SPHERE OF TIME AND TRAVEL.
B. GOD DOESN’T CONCLUDE HIS COURSE IN THE PRESENT, BECAUSE HE IS ALPHA AND OMEGA, THE BEGINNING AND THE END! THAT MEANS HE KNEW THE END BEFORE THEY HAD A BEGINNING.
C. GOD DOESN’T SIMPLY DELIVER US FROM SOMETHING, HE DELIVERS US TO SOMETHING AS WELL.
II. GOD EMPOWERED THEM…….VERSE 21
A. THEY HAD HIS POWER TO LEAD THEM
B. THEY HAD HIS POWER TO ENLIGHTEN THEM.
III. GOD WAS WITH THEM!….VERSE 22
A. GOD’S PRESENCE WAS CONSTANT FOR THEM.
B. GOD’S PROTECTION WAS CRUCIAL TO THEM
C. GOD’S PROVISION WAS ESSENTIAL TO THEIR VICTORY
BUT THEY DEPENDED ON GOD TO DELIVER THEM. VERSE 16 CLEARLY STATES, THAT BY THE STRENGTH OF HAND, THE LORD BROUGHT US FORTH OUT OF EGYPT. ISN’T THAT HOW WE GOT OUT OF OUR OWN “EGYPT”. IT WAS GOD WHO BROUGHT US UP AND OUT.
IF THEY HAD NOT EXERCISED THEIR FAITH, THEY WOULD NOT HAVE HAD MUCH OF A FUTURE! THE OPTIONS WEREN’T THAT GOOD. WHENEVER WE ARE TEMPTED TO “GO BACK” TO EGYPT, IT IS A MOVE OF THE ENEMY, AND NOT OF GOD. GOD HAS A BRIGHT FUTURE PLANNED FOR US. HE HAS ALREADY PURPOSED AND PLANNED OUR LIVES, IF WE ARE JUST FAITHFUL ENOUGH TO ALLOW HIM TO “FINISH HIS WORK IN US”. AFTER ALL, WE MUST REMEMBER THAT YOUR FAITH DETERMINES YOUR FUTURE. GOD IS GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL AND EVERY TRIAL WE FACE IS DESIGNED TO BRING OUT THE GOOD IN US.
THE TESTS WE WILL FACE IN THIS LIFE REVEAL THAT GOD REQUIRES OUR VERY BEST. GOD IS WISE BECAUSE HE KNOWS JUST HOW MUCH WE CAN BEAR. GOD WAS MOVING IN THEIR MIDST TO COMPLETE HIS REDEMPTION OF ISRAEL FROM THEIR CAPTORS. IN EVERY TRIAL, GOD HAS A REDEMPTIVE PURPOSE FOR EACH ONE OF US. SO MUCH SO THAT OFTENTIMES BLESSINGS COME TO US DEGUISED AS BURDENS, OR PROBLEMS. WE MUST TRUST GOD IN EVERYTHING
WE MUST BELIEVE GOD EVEN WHEN WE DON’T UNDERSTAND HIS WAYS OR COMMANDS.WE MUST TRUST THE SACRIFICE OF HIS OWN SON FOR OUR SINS AND TRUST IN HIS RESURRECTION AS THE ASSURANCE OF OUR OWN RESURRECTION AND LIVING FOREVER WITH GOD.
KEEP THE FAITH!..GOD IS WORKING IT OUT~~~~
