FROZEN CHOSEN

Exodus 13:17-15:18; Matthew 21:23-46; Psalm 26:1-12; Proverbs 6:16-19

“Then they turned against Moses and complained…. But Moses told the people, ‘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.’  Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!’”

The Bible never comes right out and says God helps those who help themselves.  The Bible is emphatic that God helps.  Period.  So why does the Lord’s response to Moses still resonate: “Why are you crying out to me? Tell the people to get moving!”  Maybe God also appreciates good old human positioning….

As long as the Hebrews stood still, all God did was hide them from the Egyptians. Only after they responded to that protection and, in faith, followed His command to “move!” – Moses by raising his staff and the people by walking through the next unexpected pathway of the Lord - did they find God actually fighting for them.  In other words, only after faithful obedience in response to initial grace did they see the full extent of God’s blessing, which He had planned for them from the start. 

Get all that?  Here’s a simple breakdown of how to deal practically with adversity, based on the reading:

Step One: panic, and blame the leadership (as if we had no choice but to accept and follow their lead).  That’s only about half facetious.  Seriously.  Isn’t it great how the Bible recognizes and accepts that we have to get the “human thing” out of our systems first?  Probably because we can’t concentrate until we do….  On a deeper level, though, we have to accept that neither we nor our human leaders can get us there from here before we recognize our need for the Holy Spirit.

Step Two: fear not, stay still and watch for the Lord.  Sometimes, the worst thing we can do is move, or talk, before we are ready… before we have God’s instruction.  Speaking of…

Step Three: receive God’s direction. Duh. Why don’t I think of that more often?

Step Four: obey - move; get in position for the greater blessing, the unexpected gift.  Jesus didn’t give His followers just what they needed.  He healed sinners… AND forgave them.  He fed five thousand with a few loaves and fishes… AND seven baskets of leftovers!  He promises to fill us to overflowing with blessings and encourages us to test Him in this.  The Hebrews did.  And won. 

There is a time to just “be still and know” that God is God.  Otherwise, though, Christ is not particularly interested in “frozen chosen.”  Creation itself and the law of inertia imply that much: change is the natural order of things; and it is easier to redirect a moving object than to move an object at rest. 

God loves a challenge, and He expects His followers to think likewise.  He is happy to change us, to completely convert us to His way of thinking, if we will allow it.  But we have to be in the receiving position.  And the funny thing about that is it always seems to be the most reliant position.  So, let’s not be afraid of moving into danger.  Far greater blessings than these await those willing to move!