Tales of Faith By the Sea

When There Is No Way Forward-Verse of the Day

NATHAN HAMPTON

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Friends, before the coffee cools and before the day gathers speed, let's spend a few moments together in the harbor of God's Word. Welcome to this Monday verse of the day bonus episode of Tales of Faith by the Sea. Today's verse takes us to the shore of the Red Sea. But Moses said to the people, Do not fear. Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord, which he will accomplish for you today. Exodus 14, verse 13. Israel had finally left Egypt. For generations they had lived beneath the burden of slavery, and now God had brought them out. But suddenly their journey appeared to end at the water's edge. Before them stood the sea. Behind them came Pharaoh's army. And from where Israel stood, there seemed to be no way forward. Have you ever stood in a place like that? Not beside the Red Sea, perhaps, but a moment when every direction seemed close. You cannot go back, you cannot see a way ahead, and you do not know what God is going to do next. It was there with the sea before them and an army behind them that Moses said. Do not fear. Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord. Notice what Moses did not say. He did not tell Israel to pretend the army wasn't coming. He did not tell them the sea wasn't real. Faith does not deny the difficulty. Faith simply refuses to believe that the difficulty is greater than God. Israel saw an impossible barrier. God saw a road that had not yet been opened. And sometimes that is exactly where faith must stand, at the edge of what we cannot cross, trusting the God who can make a way. The sea did not part because Israel discovered hidden strengths within themselves. It parted because God acted, and when he opened the waters, his people walked through on dry ground. The obstacle became the pathway. The place they feared would stop them became the very place where they witnessed the power of God. Perhaps this Monday morning finds you standing at your own red seed. You have prayed, you have tried, and still you cannot see the road ahead. Don't confuse I cannot see a way with God cannot make a way. These are two very different things. Stand faithfully, trust his word, take the step he commands, because sometimes the road God chooses for us does not appear until we reach the water's edge. Until next time, may your faith be stronger than what stands before you. Your confidence rests in the power of God, and your heart remembers that no sea is too deep for the Lord to lead his people through. This has been Nathan Hampton of the Enan Church of Christ, just outside of Dauphin, Alabama. If you were in the area, it would be an honor to have you attend. It would be great to have a chance to get to know you. Until next time, safe sailing, my friends.