Move On

Then the Lord said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on." Exodus 14:15

How many of us ever wrestled with something so long that we are just plain tired of ourselves? Maybe low self esteem, fear, negative thinking, self-protectiveness, self-pity, guilt or unforgiveness has robbed us of living in freedom. We know God has more for us, we know we're held back by sin and yet we continue to wallow there. Don't get us wrong. We want what He has, we desire deliverance and yet we hesitate. Because when it all comes down to it, it is a whole lot more comfortable and just plain "easier" to stay in bondage. We continue to succumb to fear or laziness, and captivity continues.

As the Israelites came to the Red Sea, Egyptians barreling toward them on one side and the water lying on the other, they cried out in fear and unbelief. They longed to go back to their life of slavery, for at least there they would survive. Moses redirected them to focus on the Lord and remain still; He would do something to deliver them. God, however, had different instructions. He told Moses to instruct the Israelites to move forward. Moses obeyed, raised his staff over the water and watched the supernatural occur. God's people walked through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left (Exodus 14:22). They were headed towards freedom.

We are all on a journey, just like the Israelites were thousands of years ago as they ventured from Egypt to the Promised Land-from captivity to freedom. Every day we pray for God to work in us, to change us, to make us into His image, to deliver us from this ugly vice that plagues us-and then we wait and remain still. And God looks at us and says, "It's time to move. It's time to choose. It's time to walk in my transforming power that is there for you to take freely. This circumstance, this "enemy" in front of you looks pretty daunting, but I have fought for you and won through my Son's death and resurrection. I have gifted you the path to walk forward, now you just need to do it. Take action, move on and walk with Me in freedom."

All of us have been held in bondage by sin and because of our Savior, Jesus Christ we have been set free from eternal hell and sin's power over us. We are not only headed toward Heaven, our Promised Land, but we can live in that area of promise now. Accepting Jesus as our Savior and Lord, and walking in His grace, power, and forgiveness, we can live the abundant life He has died to give us. What do you need to leave behind? Where do you need to take action and choose thriving over merely surviving?

Lord, I choose this moment to take Your hand, to choose joy, to bring my thoughts captive to truth, to celebrate the new life and the freedom which you died to give me. I thank You for Your transforming power. I'm tired of captivity and looking back. I'm walking through the Red Sea on dry ground and am excited about the journey ahead. Amen.

Jocelyn Hamsher