Choose Your Hard
In your health
In your relationships
With your kids
With your career
Same with Following God
Without God = HARD
With God = HARD
Choose your heard
Just because all things are difficult doesn’t mean all OUTCOMES are the same value
Some things, while difficult, are worth more than others
We’re talking about this because of the new series…
>>LOST: A WAY IN THE WILDERNESS
Being in a wilderness season is when things are abnorma...
Choose Your Hard
- In your health
- In your relationships
- With your kids
- With your career
Same with Following God
- Without God = HARD
- With God = HARD
- Choose your heard
Just because all things are difficult doesn’t mean all OUTCOMES are the same value
- Some things, while difficult, are worth more than others
- We’re talking about this because of the new series…
>>LOST: A WAY IN THE WILDERNESS
Being in a wilderness season is when things are abnormally…
- Difficult
- Confusing
- Disorienting
- Uphill
- Just plane HARD
But wilderness seasons have purpose…
A WILDERNESS SEASON IS WHERE WE LEARN WHO GOD IS, HOW HE LOVES US, AND HOW WE SHOULD INTERACT WITH HIM
We are looking at the story of the EXODUS
- The escape of the Israelite people from Egypt to the PROMISED LAND
Last week was about the 10 plagues in Egypt
God’s purpose for many wilderness seasons is to teach us about Himself
Today, we continue that story…
Egypt finally has enough of God and his people
- They let Israel Go
- They send them with riches
Pharaoh has a change of heart…
Exodus 14
5 When the king of Egypt was told that the people had fled, Pharaoh and his officials changed their minds about the people and said, “What have we done? We have released Israel from serving us.”
So he gathers part of his army and pursues the people of Israel
- Israel is gathered on the banks of the Red Sea
Exodus 14
10 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up and there were the Egyptians coming after them! The Israelites were terrified and cried out to the Lord for help. 11 They said to Moses, “Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Isn’t this what we told you in Egypt: Leave us alone so that we may serve the Egyptians? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”
Moses responds…
13 But Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid. Stand firm and see the Lord’s salvation that he will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians you see today, you will never see again. 14 The Lord will fight for you, and you must be quiet.”
Moses prays…
- Stretches out his arms
- God parts the waters
- Israel walks through unharmed
- Pharaoh follows them in
- God releases the waters and drowns the Egyptian army
Through this, Israel and the world learn that…
God always makes a way for His People
- God parted the waters
- God gave water from a rock
- God fed them in the desert
- God ALWAYS makes a way
What does this mean for us?
God is the one who makes a way in your circumstances
- In your pain
- In your struggle
First, God introduced Himself to the people
Next, God was teaching the people to TRUST HIM
- That is what wilderness seasons do
- They point you back to God and teach you to trust
There are two important things to know about GOD MAKING A WAY
1: Following God doesn’t always mean it will be easy or make sense.
That is what following God can be like
- You won’t always understand why
Israel didn’t know why God had brought them to the sea
“Have you brought us here to die!”
But God had a bigger purpose in bringing them there
- We’re still talking about it today
When you don’t know the WHY, Focus on the WHAT
What should I be doing now?
- Praying
- Serving
- Grow where you are planted
In most wilderness seasons of your life, you will not know the WHY until you are out of it
- But you can know the WHAT
- Back to the story…
- Israel has crossed the Red Sea
- Phorah’s army is gone
- For the first time, they experience real freedom
In celebration, they sing one of the first recorded songs in the Bible.
Exodus 15
2 The Lord is my strength and my song; he has become my salvation. This is my God, and I will praise him, my father’s God, and I will exalt him.
3 The Lord is a warrior; the Lord is his name.
11 Lord, who is like you among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?
12 You stretched out your right hand, and the earth swallowed them.
13 With your faithful love, you will lead the people you have redeemed; you will guide them to your holy dwelling with your strength.
2: Worship While You Wait
If you haven’t ever been desperate for God, then worship doesn’t make sense
People in the desert
God had not told them what was next
- they were only just beginning their wilderness season
- But they worshiped
Worship does a few things…
Worship reminds us of God’s Goodness
- His faithfulness
- His love and purpose for us
- Our salvation
When we sing songs of God’s goodness, it helps our spirit rest assured that
If He was faithful then, He will be faithful now
Next
Worship Tell us is not all about us
- This is God’s story
- This is His plan
Worship realigns our hearts to Worship GOD and not OURSELVES.
God ALWAYS makes a way
- When the way seems blocked, WORSHIP
- When you don’t know why, focus on WHAT
Isaiah 43
1 Now this is what the Lord says— the one who created you, Jacob, and the one who formed you, Israel— “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; you are mine.
2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you, and the rivers will not overwhelm you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be scorched, and the flame will not burn you.
3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, and your Savior.
You are not Forgotten in your wilderness
- God will make a way!
- TRUST HIM!
