Fear To Acknowledge And Live

When, a few days after, with the experience of my friend still bright, fresh and ever so conscious on my mind, I am sent to read Exodus 14: 10. It says this. As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. All I saw were the words, looked up. Instantly I thought, with dismay and really puzzled, was the fact that these children of Father God, looked up to fear.

Were you like me, not expecting this kind of path? I mean, I was not at all expecting any looking up, to fear. That really got me. However, I was gently led to look up to the wisdom of God in choosing this, look up, for us. We are being taken through four different responses to the call to, Look Up, in our times which are not dissimilar to this experience in the new and freed lives of the Israelites. 

This is the present picture of the Israelites, God’s children. Almighty God has taken them from slavery under Pharaoh and the Egyptians. It is a perfectly true picture of all of us who belong to God and who believe in His Son Jesus.

Fact # 1. Yesterday, God’s children were being led by Pharaoh, in bondage under his rule, but today they are not. They are being led by Moses, following him. Yesterday, every single one of us, children of the Father, was being led by Satan, in total bondage to sin, as we were bound under sin’s rule. Not today! Today we are being led by Jesus, following Him. 

Fact # 2. Yesterday they had no liberator present, who was actively working for their freedom, but today they have Moses, the one who is facing Pharaoh on their behalf. The one who is fighting for their freedom.

Yesterday, we had no Saviour present, who was actively working for our freedom. Not today! Today we have Jesus, our Redeemer, Saviour and Liberator, who faced the Evil One on our behalf. Jesus did not only face sin but He paid sin’s price full with His life, to set us free. Jesus has fought for our freedom and has won fairly and squarely.    

Fact # 3 Yesterday, hope of freedom was all they could carry, but not today, for their hope has been realized and they are no more hoping for liberation, they have it. Who hopes for what they have? Who hopes for what he already has? But if we hope for what we do not have, we wait for it patiently. Romans 8: 24b – 25.  The Israelites are no longer hoping and waiting patiently for freedom from living as slaves under the rule and dictates of their wicked and evil slave master.

Yesterday, we were hoping and praying to know that our sins have been forgiven and hoping to be able to live the abundant life promised us. Yesterday we were hoping for new life in Christ, sure liberation. Not today! We are no longer hoping and waiting patiently for freedom from living as slaves under the rule and dictates of our evil and wicked slave master. We have already received freedom in crucifixion and resurrection of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Fact # 4 Yesterday, their position was unarguably, perfect testimony that they were still in Egypt, but today it is not so. Today, regardless of who the Israelites are, good or bad, they all give perfect testimony, and undeniably so, to the fact of God’s grace and goodness. They are not in the place of Egypt.

Yesterday, our position admittedly, perfect testimony that we were still in sin’s slavery, in the place of sin. Not today!  Today, regardless of who we as children of God are, strong faith or weak faith, we all give perfect testimony, and undeniably so, to the fact of God’s grace and goodness. Not one of us has been left in the place of sin and degradation. We are not of the world any more than our Saviour was of the world. Can you still hear our Lord as He prays to His Heavenly Father? My prayer is not that you take them out of the world, but that you protect them from the evil one. John 17: 15. Just as the children of God were protected from Pharaoh, so too are we, protected from Satan, every single one of us who has denied self, taken up his and her cross and is being led by Jesus.

We follow Him and Him only.