God Can Do Anything but Fail
Today’s Verse:
What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back? ~Psalm 114:5
All of us will experience difficult times in life. Many of these difficult situations cause us stress, and we feel intimidated by our circumstances. We sometimes describe these tough situations as times “when our backs are against the wall.” These are moments when going forward looks impossible, and going back is not an option. For every child of God, it is during these situations that we discover God’s presence and power in our lives. It is during these times that our faith is pushed to the limit, and we must trust in God completely. Ps. 114 exalts the presence of God in our lives. In this psalm, we go back to miraculous moments in the history of Israel where God’s presence became very real.
We see a shriveled deficiency.
“When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of strange language.” For over 400 years, the Israelites lived in Egypt. There, they saw the lying wonders of Satan working through the pagan practices of the Egyptians. Israel had seen the devil at work. The devil is an angel of light who is a master imitator. As they made their way out of Egypt, they came to a location which literally means they were “shut in.” In front of them was the Red Sea, and behind them was an angry Egyptian army. Egypt wanted to take them back, but God wanted them to go forward. As they stood in this tight squeeze, Israel felt weak and helpless. They felt a shriveled deficiency. They knew they were at a place where they needed help. Are you at a place this morning where all your strength is shriveled up and deficient?
We see a shaky dependency.
It was during these difficult moments that Israel had to depend upon God. They learned the essence of faith. Faith believes the incredible. Faith sees the invisible. Faith does the impossible. Their faith was shaky, but they leaned totally upon God. They clung to God as a shipwreck survivor clings to a piece of floating wood. They reached out and took the rope that was thrown to them. In our most stressful moments, our faith feels shaky. We have fear. We feel intimidated. We second guess ourselves and God. Yet, we must cling to God! As they faced the massive Red Sea, the overflowing Jordan River, the lack of water in a desert area, and foes that outnumbered them, Israel said, “Lord, in thee alone do we trust!” Whatever your situation might be, have faith in God! Trust in Him at all times ye people: pour out your hearts before Him.
We see a stupendous dynamic.
At the very last second, God’s presence became real to them. We might feel like God showed up late, but God is always on time. “The sea saw it, and fled: Jordan was driven back. The mountains skipped like rams, and the little hills like lamb.” What was it that made the sea to flee, the river to be driven back, the mountains and hills to skip like rams, and the waters to flow out of the rock? God’s presence was among them! God’s presence took over. God’s presence made the difficult elements flee away. God’s presence took control and gave testimony that God was real and in control. The psalmist looked at the situations which made Israel feel like its back was against the wall and asked, “What ailed thee, O thou sea, that thou fleddest? thou Jordan, that thou wast driven back?” What a powerful reminder to us! There is no sea, no overflowing river, no barren location, no powerless situation, no unsaved sinner, and no earthly situation that God cannot overcome. God can do anything but fail!
You are either in a difficult situation, or about to enter one. Remember this: let your failure be an opportunity for God’s greatness to arise in your life, and give Him glory. Let His presence be real and powerful for you!
Have a faith-enriched God Morning!
Bible Reading Schedule: Job 24-28