Go Forward!

"And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward." (Exodus 14:15)

God does not want us to digress in our spiritual lives, career, business and relationships. He wants us to advance and ejoy the benefits of His blessings. What do you think may have happened if the Israelites did not move forward together? They would not have walked on dry ground in the midst of the parted sea, and may have fallen short in reaching the Promised Land.

Read Exodus 14:1-16. There are four important principles that we can apply in order for us to move forward:

1. We must be directed by God. It was God who gave the direction to the people of Israel to camp by the sea. (v.1-2) God was displeased by the complaints of the Israelites. They should have trusted and obeyed Him. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your path." To those who trust in the Lord, their paths will be directed by Him. Without God's approval and direction, our end is terrible.

2. We must get rid of life stagnancy. Stagnancy means not advancing or developing. Fear can make us motionless. Another cause of stagnancy is looking back at the past. (v.8-12) Don't you often realize that when we are idle, our only way out is when we complain?

3. We must be reminded of God's grace. It was the Lord who saved the Israelites from the hands of the Egyptians. In the same way, the Lord will fight for us. There is no need to unleash our own might. The Bible says, "It's not by might nor by power but by the Spirit of the Lord. Stand still and know that He is God. (v. 13-14)

4. We must go forward And the Lord said to Moses, "Why do you cry to Me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward." (v.15). Behind them is the wilderness and in front of them is the Red Sea. They can't go further. The Egyptians have surrounded them for slaughter. Where else can we go when we are surrounded with problems that we can't bear? How can we go forward when the burden in front of us is larger that life itself?

But when God said, "Go forward," regardless of the obstacle, even how difficult we think the problem is, God will lead us the way to succeed. He knows the answer better than we know it ourselves.

God bless.