Vessels of ComfortLifeline for Today Tuesday, February 13, 2024

Now the Lord spoke to Moses, saying: “Speak to the children of Israel, that they turn and camp before Pi Hahiroth, between Migdol and the sea, opposite Baal Zephon; you shall camp before it by the sea. For Pharaoh will say of the children of Israel, ‘They are bewildered by the land; the wilderness has closed them in.’ Then I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, so that he will pursue them; and I will gain honor over Pharaoh and over all his army, that the Egyptians may know that I am the Lord.” And they did so. (Exodus 14:1-4)

The first common misconception, as we continue to talk about miracles, is that the miracle may be for you, but it is NOT about you. It is important to note that in this story, everything that was about to take place had already been prayed for. Exodus 2 says that the people of Isarel groaned because of their slavery and cried out for help. Their cry for rescue from slavery came up to God. 

By the time we get to 14th chapter, they have been given permission to leave Egypt by Pharoah. You would think that the miracle was all about them. Weren’t they the ones forced to work for free? Weren’t they the ones who endured extreme oppression? Weren’t they the ones miserable and suffering and experiencing pain and sorrow. Can you imagine the joy that filled these souls as they left Egypt – a place of difficulty, pain, and sorrow – knowing they were going to a wonderful land, but God strategically set them up to encamp in a place where they would be closed in – a place where there was no way out? God set them up in this impossible situation so that he would be glorified. The miracle was for them but not about them. 

You may feel like you are in situations that have you stitched in. There is no natural way out. You can’t push it out, walk it out, run it out, or even fly it out. You are in a place where only God can deliver you--set up by God for his glory. God wants someone else to know about Him, so he chose you to be the main character in his miracle. Don’t be bewildered by where you are. Don’t we sing, “for your glory, I will do anything”? If he does not use your life to demonstrate his glory, how in the world will others get to know about him.

What we learn in this text is that the miracle was for them, but it was not about them. 

PRAYER: When I go through life’s difficulties, I can become self-consumed. I become worried about my potential loss and pain. Even in my prayers, I am challenged by anxiety—what might happen if my prayers are not answered. Remind me, Holy Spirit, that the miracle is for me but is not about me and that the goal is that you are glorified and others are drawn to you.