24.001 | OUTLOOK 2024 | Exodus 14:13-16;30-31 | God’s Word for Today with Pastor Nazario Sinon

Text: Exodus 14:13-16;30-31 (ESV)

 

13 And Moses said to the people, “Fear not, stand firm, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will work for you today. For the Egyptians whom you see today, you shall never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you, and you have only to be silent.” 15 The LORD said to Moses, “Why do you cry to me? Tell the people of Israel to go forward. 16 Lift up your staff, and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it, that the people of Israel may go through the sea on dry ground.

30 Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the hand of the Egyptians, and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore. 31 Israel saw the great power that the LORD used against the Egyptians, so the people feared the LORD, and they believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

 

OUTLOOK 2024

 

Have a blessed New Year everyone!

 

Our transitioning from Y2023 to Y2024 is as the Israelites journeying towards crossing the Red Sea. There are parallel ‘outlooks’ we can learn from these pilgrims, namely;

 

Look back! By looking back, they saw the pursuing Egyptian armies. God designed it. But, they blamed God instead of being broken and desperate to cling to God’s mercies and grace. Let’s be always humble people. Unlike the Egyptians who drowned to bother them no more, our enemy is relentless though he is a defeated foe. He is a predator pursuing us. Let’s not panic like the Israelites and put our guards down. Our God is with us as the ‘pillar of cloud and fire’ that protected them.

 

Look around! All they saw were mountains and dry desert. The realities of physical, cultural, and social hardships are hard to ignore in 2024. Instead of cursing this darkened world, let’s glow and shine at our homes, work and play – building relationships to share the gospel light!

 

Look forward! God commanded them to follow Moses to thrust forward. But, before them is the vast and deep Red Sea. An impossible task but God split it. If God can open ‘seas’, can there be ‘closed doors He couldn’t open for us? We have to take the next step as long as it is forward. It must be a step of faith. For ‘God will make a way when there seems to be no way.” Let’s commit to do something that unless God is in it, is doomed to failure.

 

Lastly, look up! This is the most important outlook. We won’t stumble if we always gaze towards the heavens. As the psalmist says, “Let us look unto the hills from whence comes our help.”[Psa 121:1] Our resources is ‘up’ there. It’s so high that we can reach it only on our knees. ‘Let’s be still and see the salvation of the Lord.” This stillness of communion with God is not to get something from God – but to know God personally and intimately. He is most important more than what He would do, is it not? The Israelites did not only see what God did to their enemies. They saw an ’awesome’ God!

 

Indeed, we stand today at the ridge of Y2024, overlooking the canyon where Y2023 is vanishing at the opposite horizon. Look back. Look around. Look forward. Look up.

 

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