Courtney Gilmore Have you ever felt like you are on a roller coaster & all you want to do is get off? The ups and downs are making you sick; The climb to the top takes too long & seems too short lived to make the ride worth it; You can’t enjoy being on top of the world because you know there is a dramatic drop coming; The fear that you feel far outweighs the excitement; Everything is moving so fast that you can’t catch your breath; it is a ride that you are certain you will never go on again if you could ever get off
I have been on this ride. It is miserable! Your emotions are all over the place. It seems like every minute they are tossed from one extreme to the next. There is no neutrality. There is nothing steady or stable about this ride. Everything feels unsafe & shaky. One feeling that you will not have is peace. It is hard to focus & think clearly. Everything feels completely out of your control.
The Israelites had been enslaved by the Egyptians for 400 years. Then a man came along, performing miracles & promising deliverance. He said God had heard everything that was happening to them & He was going to free them. They believed Moses & wanted his help. But the moment they hit opposition, they wanted to give up. They were too afraid. But Moses encouraged them & God exalted His Power over the Egyptians until they relented & set the Israelites free. They marched behind their leader confident & strong.
But when Pharaoh changed his mind and went after them, Israel was terrified again. Initially they did the right thing with their fear by crying out to God. But immediately after they said amen, they took their focus off of God & the power they had previously witnessed & turned it back to their earthly leader, Moses & their circumstances. They were trapped between the Red Sea & an army that sought to either force them back into hard labor or kill them & Moses was to blame.
Moses, wisely took the focus off of himself & put it back on the Lord. He told the people that God would fight for them & He did. He blew & the water walled up, making a path for the Israelites. He had completely removed their obstacle towards freedom. But they still had to walk the path prepared for them. It was terrifying! They feared that the walls would close in on them at any moment. When they finally made it across, they turned to find the Egyptians trailing after them. But with another strong breath the Lord covered their enemy with water, overwhelming them in defeat.
As they saw the Egyptians dead on the shore, they believed in the Lord & their leader. They were elated! They sang & danced & praised God. But 3 short days later they found themselves wandering in the wilderness & they were back on the roller coaster feeling despair & blame. This is the story of Israel all throughout the Old Testament. Up – down; faithful – idolatrous; hopeful – discouraged; obedient – rebellious; fearful – trusting; and so on…
But that’s what it’s like when we take our eyes off of God, isn’t it? When we focus on people or circumstances we find ourselves on a roller coaster ride of emotions. Our situation begins to control us & we have no peace, no stability, & no security. People will let us down. Circumstances are always changing. God is the only constant. He is the only One that can be trusted fully with our lives. He never plays with our emotions. He is the only One that can provide the kind of peace that passes all understanding – the kind that makes no sense considering the circumstances. With Him, we can feel joy in the midst of sorrow, courage in the face of fear, compassion for those that cause us pain, & hope when our eyes say there is none.
Focus on Him today & do not allow your emotions be tossed about by the changes of this life!
“In this world you will have trouble, but take heart. I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 “All things work together for good to those who love God & are called according to His purpose.” “If God is for us, who can be against us?” “In all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us”. Romans 8:28, 31, 37
Excerpt from Episode 59 “The Way to Freedom” Exodus 14-15 on Podcast & YouTube
