Go back? Stand Still? Move Forward? Drown?

ChristianStressManagement.com
Go Back?
Stand Still?
Move Forward?
Drown?
is a free Christian Sermon
by Dr Miriam Kinai
based on the events in Exodus 14
when the children of Israel found themselves
trapped
between the Red Sea
and Pharaoh’s Army.

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Exodus 14:1-16
When Pharaoh was told that the Israelite slaves had
left, he took all the chariots of Egypt with captains
over each of them and pursued them.
When the Israelites saw the Egyptian army marching
after them, they became afraid and cried out to God.
Then they said to Moses, “Is it because there were
no graves in Egypt that you have brought us out here
to die in the wilderness? Why did you bring us out of
Egypt?

Did we not tell you when we were in Egypt to leave
us alone so that we may continue serving the
Egyptians because it would have been better to
serve them than to die here in the wilderness?”
Moses replied, “Do not be afraid. Stand still, and see
the salvation of God, what He will do for you today.”
Then the Lord said to Moses, “Why do you cry to
me? Tell the Israelites to go forward. But lift up your
rod and stretch your hand over the sea and divide it.

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GO BACK?
The Israelites were walking away from a horrible past
of cruel enslavement for The Egyptians made the
Israelites serve with harshness and they made their
lives bitter with hard bondage. (Exodus 1:13-14)
They then cried out to God and He delivered them
after He unleashed the 10 plagues on Egypt.
The Israelites were now marching towards their
Promised Land, a land flowing with milk and honey.

But, as they arrived at the shores of the Red Sea they
looked back and saw Pharaoh’s army hurrying
towards them.
This made them very afraid and they begun to think
of going back to their bondage rather than face what
seemed like certain Egyptian annihilation for they
asked Moses, “Why did you bring us out of Egypt? …
It would have been better to serve the Egyptians
than to die here in the wilderness?” (Exodus 14:11-
12)

STAND STILL?
Moses also saw the Egyptian army but when the
Israelites begun to ask him those question, he replied,
“Do not be afraid. Stand still” (Exodus 14:13)
Therefore, the 1st lesson that we learn is that we
should never look back at the life of bondage that we
are leaving behind regardless of whether it is a dead
end job or an abusive relationship or a drug addiction
even if we find ourselves facing a Red Sea of rising
debts or crushing loneliness or severe withdrawal
symptoms.

This is because looking back at our painful past when
facing challenges in our present, can color it and make
it seem better than it really was and make us think:
“At least when I was working at that 12 hour
minimum wage job I had some money coming in.” OR
“At least when I was in that abusive relationship I had
someone to spend my days and nights with.” OR
“At least when I was using drugs regularly I never felt
this bad.”

Such thoughts can make us consider surrendering and
make us move back into bondage.
So, when facing problems in your present, do not
reminisce over the good times you had in your past.
Do not look back if you have been following God’s
leading for the Israelites had camped right in front of
the Red Sea under God’s direction for God said to
Moses, “Tell the children of Israel to turn and camp
between Migdol and the Red Sea.” (Exodus 14:1-2)

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The 2nd thing that we learn is that we are not to be
afraid if we find that we have to deal with the Red Sea
of problems in front of us and problems from our past
which are hurrying to catch up with us like Pharaoh’s
army and ensure that we do not cross over from our
current wilderness and enter our Promised Land.
These problems from the past can include a former
employer who does not want to release you or a
stalking partner who will not let you go or a drug
dealer who does not want to lose his best customer.

Fight the fear of Pharaoh’s army by having faith that
God will help you. We see that Moses tried to build
up the Israelites faith by telling them, “The Lord will
fight for you and you shall hold your peace.” (Exodus
14:14)
So overcome the fear of fighting with the Pharaoh’s
army from your regardless of whether it is a politically
connected employer or a powerful spouse or a
ruthless drug dealer by believing “The Lord will fight
for you.” (Exodus 14:14)

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The 3rd lesson is to hold our peace and not defeat
ourselves with our mouths since The tongue has the
power of life and death. (Proverbs 18:21)
So, do not say “Is it because there were no graves in
Egypt that you have brought us to die here in the
wilderness? Why did you bring us out of Egypt? Did
we not tell you when we were in Egypt to leave us
alone so that we may serve the Egyptians because it
would have been better to serve the Egyptians that
to die here in the wilderness?” (Exodus 14:14)

Did I not tell you to leave me alone so that I could
continue earning a minimum wage for it would have
been better to work there than to die here of debt?
OR
enjoy the few good times for it would have been
better to live there than to die here of loneliness?
OR
enjoy drugs for it would have been better to have my
highs than to die here of withdrawal symptoms?

If you have already spoken similar negative words, ask
God to forgive you and then decide that you will
never utter another negative word again.

The 4th lesson is that you have to stand still in your
position and not give up any ground that you have
gained back to the enemy.
Do not abandon the business or ministry that God has
asked you to start and start looking for another job.
Do not begin returning your former partner’s emails
or calls.
Do not begin using drugs or drinking alcohol or
smoking cigarettes.

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To be able to stand still in your position when you are
besieged by problems from all sides, you have to Put
on the whole armor of God so that you may be able
to stand in the evil day and having done all, to stand.
Stand therefore, having put on … truth …
righteousness … the Gospel of peace … faith …
salvation … the word of God … always praying in the
Spirit. (Ephesians 6:13-18)

In addition to putting on the armor, you have to
prevent negative thoughts from taking root in your
heart and mind and growing into negative feelings
and destructive behaviors by replacing them with
positive Scriptures so that you are Not conformed to
this world, but instead you are transformed by the
renewing of your mind so that you can prove what is
the good and acceptable and perfect will of God
(Romans 12:2) for you in your situation.

MOVE FORWARD
After discerning God’s perfect will for you or hearing
from Him what you should do, you have to move
forward in that direction because we can see that the
Israelites begun to move forward after God said to
Moses, “Tells the Israelites to move forward.”
(Exodus 14:15)

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The 5th lesson is to do what God tells you to do as you
move forward because that is what will stop us from
drowning in the Red Sea of problems in front of us.
We can see this from the fact that God told Moses
“Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the
Red Sea and divide it.” (Exodus 14:16)
So do exactly what God tells you to do if it seems
improbable like stretching out a hand to part a sea
because With God all things are possible. (Matthew
19:26)

So, if God asks you to stretch your marketing efforts
over a certain niche, do it even if it seems useless in
the face of the severe competition in that market.
If God tells you to stretch your socializing to Christian
circles, do it even if it seems useless in the face of all
your other personal problems.
If God tells you stretch your efforts to be clean to a
Christian addiction treatment center, do it even if it
seems useless in the face of all the programs you have
been through for with God all things are possible.

The 6th lesson is that God did not tell Moses to lift up
his rod and stretch out his hand over the camp of
Pharaoh’s army because He does not want you to
focus on your past.
He wants you move forward by looking forward
towards the future that He has planned for you.
So concentrate on solving the Red Sea of problems
stretching out in front of you.

Believe that God will deal with the problems from
your past just as He dealt with Pharaoh’s army until
said, Let us flee from the face of Israel, for the Lord
fights for them. (Exodus 14:25) when He took off the
wheels of their chariots so that they drove them with
difficulty.
Focus on your future and do not be tempted to look
back at the army of Pharaoh following you because it
may frighten you and the fear may paralyze you like
Lot’s wife who looked back at her past and became A
pillar of salt. (Genesis 9:26)

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Go back? Stand Still? Move Forward? Drown?

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