Witnessing Miracles

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Scripture

Ex. 14:30   Thus the LORD saved Israel that day from the Egyptians; and Israel saw the Egyptians dead on the seashore.  31 Israel saw the great work that the LORD did against the Egyptians. So the people feared the LORD and believed in the LORD and in his servant Moses.

Observation

The Israelites witnessed one miracle after another. The plagues had consumed Egypt and the Israelites watched as one thing after another brought destruction upon the Egyptians. Now, this final and decisive act is brought upon the Egyptian army before their very eyes. This time it’s the total destruction of the symbols of Egyptian power which are brought down. God is the decisive winner and he is leading his people to freedom. Finally we read that the “people feared the LORD and believed.” They had witnessed incredible miracles.

Application

The sad truth about the Israelites was that they seemed to soon forget this miracle. Before long they were grumbling and wondering whether God could take care of them. They had witnessed things that may be beyond our imagination and yet, they wondered if God had abandoned them in the wilderness, or whether he had thought about how to feed them, or whether there would be good water. Hadn’t God thrown the horse and rider into the sea? This was their hymn of thanks after all of this happened. But then what happened to their faith?

I think of the ways in which I’ve been blessed to see the hand of God at work. Especially while we were living in the former Soviet Union there seemed to be miracle after miracle. And yet, here is my confession, there are days when I begin to doubt. It’s in those moments that God reminds me what he has already done in the past and that he will continue to care for and make provision into the future.

We are somewhat like the Israelites. While God may have provided in the past, there are days that we struggle to hold onto that faith going into the future. We must go back to the shore of our personal Red Sea experience and hold onto the faith.

The LORD who parted the Red Sea and saved the Israelites is the same God that we serve today. He is able to do more than we can ask or imagine but we must trust in him. We have witnessed miracles in the past and we will see them again, as long as we continue the spiritual journey with him. Don’t forget what he has already done!

Prayer

Lord, thank you for presence and leading in life.  Amen.

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