What’s Next in This Chapter? Trusting God in Chronic Pain and Illness
29 Nov 2011 Leave a Comment
in Devotionals2
“The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still” (Exodus 14:14).
After years of slavery, the people of Israel have escaped from captivity in Egypt and run into a big problem — the Red Sea. The Red Sea lies between them and their freedom. Their hearts sink. There’s no way for them to get through it or around it. They feel defeated.
But then they call out to God, questioning His plan.
“Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness?”
And Moses tells them:
“Don’t be afraid. Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today. The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again. The Lord Himself will fight for you. Just stay calm.”
You probably know what happens next. God performs a miracle. He uses the Israelites faith. He instructs them to get moving. To pick up their staffs and raise their hands over the sea and walk in.
So they do.
Let’s just stop there a minute. This whole story could’ve ended another way. The Israelites might not have listened. They might not have used their faith, listened to God, and walked forward. The Egyptians would’ve caught up with them and re-captured them.
But they listened. They did what God was instructing them to do. They held onto their faith and their staffs and they moved forward.
And God performed a miracle. He divided the Red Sea into two parts, with an aisle of dry land between two mighty walls of water. The Israelites walked through, unharmed, and then God returned the water to normal and it swept over the Egyptians who were chasing the people of Israel and the Bible says that not a single one survived.
In the same chapter as the Israelites thought they would escape, the feared they would not. And then they were delivered.
Their Deliverer showed up!
And in the very first verse of the next chapter, the people of Israel are praising God for rescuing them and for granting them true freedom.
How does this apply to your life today?
In your current chapter of life, where are you? Are you trying to be free? Are you facing a huge barrier that seems insurmountable? Have you called out to God with doubt? Has He answered you yet? Is He rescuing you? Has He delivered you? Are you free?
A lot can change in just one chapter.
Just hang on — the Lord will fight for you.
Prayer: God, I know that You are the author of my life. I trust that you are writing a beautiful story with my circumstances. Amen.
About the Author:
Jennifer LeBlanc lives in the Pacific Northwest with her husband of 9 years and their two young daughters. She has been living with chronic pain since 2005, and was diagnosed in 2010 with Ankylosing Spondylitis, a chronic inflammatory disease that attacks the spine & joints. In the midst of this “chronic” life, she also chooses to live with chronic gratitude. You can read more of her story at her blog, Live Art.fully: http://livelifeartfully.blogspot.com
Looking back on your life, can you remember times that God has rescued you in the midst of doubt and fear? How did He show up for you?
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