The Red Sea Saw Them Coming and Ran!

So these past several weeks I have been struggling with a desire of returning to the states in July to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of Liberty Church. There are many reason for this - from wanting to build relationships with the members of the various campuses in our Liberty Church Family, to getting to further prepare for all the in and outs of planting a church in Japan. I want to see and spend quality time with my parents, and present about our work in Japan to the members of the Church Foundational Network. I want my children to play with their cousins, and learn to read English. I want to buy some much-needed clothes, and see some of my oldest friends that I have not seen in years. I want to eat American food, and take my kids to Chucky Cheese. I want to do all of this and so much more, and yet, we have been going through a time of financial testing, where we have seen God perform amazing miracles of provision, but still no definitive provision for the month of July. Everyday this past month has been like this, and God has always graciously provided our food and bills, and yet I find I have this uncontrollable urge and desire to be in the States for the month of July. I feel that so much could be accomplished, and yet I am struggling with knowing whether or not it is God’s Will or my own desires. So all of this has been building up in me and then the Lord brought me to Psalm 114 where it says this:

“1 When the Israelites escaped from Egypt— when the family of Jacob left that foreign land—
2 the land of Judah became God’s sanctuary,
and Israel became his kingdom.
3 The Red Sea[a] saw them coming and hurried out of their way! The water of the Jordan River turned away.
4 The mountains skipped like rams, the hills like lambs!
5 What’s wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their way?
What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away?
6 Why, mountains, did you skip like rams?
Why, hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
at the presence of the God of Jacob.
8 He turned the rock into a pool of water;
yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock.”

I had been worried that if I didn’t go back to the States this July that that was it! My thinking is that I wouldn’t get the training or support needed, people would lose interest in our work here, I would never see my parents again, my kids would never learn to read English, and I would cease to have clothes to wear.

But after the Lord brought me to this passage I saw several things – First the world trembled when God named His people, and in Psalm 114:3 It literally says that the Red Sea saw them (the people of God, the people whom God had chosen, the people who were being led by God) coming and hurried (aka RAN) to get out of their way! Why? Because they were worthy? Because they were special? No! Because God had chosen them to declare His glory to the world, as He has all who bear His name. So who are us? Us is all who have bowed our knees to Christ and have declared Him King. Now we are seen as Children of God and fellow heirs with Christ, and as such God has promised us that His presence will always be with us! And this is Good News because the Earth literally trembles at the presence of God.

I realized that there are different seasons in all of our lives, and as Paul said there are seasons of want and plenty, and seasons of ease and hardship, but God’s presence never leaves us, and as it says in Psalm 114:8 God can do the miraculous in any situation, from making a rock produce fresh water enough for a nation of a million people to drink from, or from turning water into wine for a small wedding party. Christ is sufficient in all circumstances, and His help and provision and ministry is not limited by our perceptions of reality, because the ministry is not about us but rather about Him. Take Heart!

So will I go back to the states in July? Who knows? Stay tuned – If not I am looking forward to the miracles that God will perform regardless! Our God is Amazing!


~Mike