Have you ever found yourself in a terrible predicament, one where it looked like there was no way out, where you were caught by whatever the problem was, and you were likely to go down? Many of us have faced such a situation. What does one do? Where do you turn? There doesn’t seem to be an answer, or anyone who can help. In our Scripture today, the Lord God gives an answer through one of his prophets, the mighty prophet Isaiah, where He reminds us of His sovereign power, and His ability to make a way even in impossible circumstances. Let’s take a quick look at what He has to say to us today.
As Isaiah begins this passage of Scripture, he looks back to one time in the nation of Israel’s history, a time when their backs were up against a wall. Isaiah spoke of the day when Moses had led the people of Israel, enslaved by Egypt, out of that country. However as they left, they came up to the shore of a branch of the Red Sea, and the army of Pharaoh on their chariots were right behind them. What were they going to do? The water before them, and Pharaoh and his chariots behind them.
God didn’t leave them in that hopeless and helpless situation (vs. 16-17). As the prophet reminded the people, and reminds us today, God made a way in the sea, and a path through the water. Moses couldn’t do that on his own. None of the people could, either. God stopped the army of Pharaoh. Pharaoh ruled the most powerful kingdom in the world at the time. His armies were the best equipped, and his chariots with soldiers riding them were rightly feared, yet they were as nothing to Yahweh. He brought them down so that His people could escape. God has unmatched authority over nature and nations, and is faithful and capable of delivering His people.
The people that Isaiah was ministering to were facing more challenging situations, just as many of us are today, situations that look exceptionally grim. As Isaiah continued his message from the Lord, he told them not to focus solely on what was done in the past (vs. 18). It is good to remember what happened in the past, to learn the lessons it can teach and the encouragement it can bring, however we need to focus on what God can and is doing today. We cannot live in the past, with both its triumphs and mistakes. If we’ve repented, God has forgiven those sins. We need to trust His promises for today.
God promises us that He has something new for us today, that He will do a new thing, and that it will spring forth (vs. 19). We may feel that we are in a wilderness or a desert with our problems, and there’s no way out. However Yahweh has promised that He will make a way in that wilderness for us, and bring a river of water into that desert. He has control of all creation, and it will honor Him (vs. 20-21).
Though we might not see it right away, or understand it, God can bring good out of a bad situation. Just like the heat of forest fires releases the seeds of some pines from their pine cones, bringing new life, we often feel God’s love and healing most powerfully in difficult situations.
One “new thing” that the Lord God did for us, something that had never been done before, was through His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ, the Savior. He became a human, spent His life here, and died for our sins, even for the sins of His enemies. Who would have ever thought that the Creator and God of the whole universe would stoop to do that for mankind? And now He is with us through the Holy Spirit, and promises to share everlasting life with us. No other “god” or deity has ever done such a thing, and none have ever made such promises to their people.
When faced with our own personal Red Sea and Pharaoh’s army, instead of worrying that what God did in the past could not possibly happen again today or in the future, we need to keep our eyes open for the new things that He will do for us today. When our eyes are focused in the wrong direction, we could miss what blessings God has for us now, and what He has in store for our future. We should remember the past deliverances God has done for us and others, and now trust Him with the current challenges we have today and in the future. His nature and ability is unchanging, and He can transform our life and bring us hope.