If there is a group of people that fascinate me & I enjoy studying in the Bible, its the Israelites. These guys not only pushed God to extreme limits by their constant grumbling & whining but they were such an ungrateful lot. These chaps pushed God's buttons real good and awakened his wrath - Jeremiah 7:20 "Therefore thus says the Lord God, 'Behold, My anger and My wrath will be poured out on this place, on man and beast, on the trees of the field and the fruit of the ground; and it will burn and [the fire will] not be quenched." God however had a very soft spot for the Israelites, extending mercy and grace and continually expressed His love towards them - Isaiah 43:4-5 "You are of great worth in my eyes. You are honored and I love you. I will give other men in your place. I will trade other people for your life. Do not fear, for I am with you. I will bring your children from the east and I will gather you from the West." Completely brings out God's character of compassion & faithfulness. There are times I read about Israelites and its just like a mirror is being held up and I can see my reflection - grumbler, ungrateful, impatient, disobedient and so many other traits the Israelites displayed.
Despite the Israelites being a piece of work, God loved them immensely and when He saw the suffering & harsh conditions they were experiencing under the Egyptians, He was moved and sent Moses to get them out asap. We all know how that story went; Pharaoh was adamant he wasn't gonna let 'em go. I guess he thought to himself "nikiacha hawa waIsraeli waende.....hawa mabarbie wangu Egyptians watawesa chapa hio works yote hawa wadhii wamekuwa wakichapa kweli??" and he was as stubborn as mule. God was however determined to get the Israelites out of Egypt and He sure did. The Children of Israel were finally a free lot and God directed Moses as to what route they would take - Exodus 13:17 "So it happened, when Pharaoh let the people go, God did not lead them by way of the land of the Philistines, even though it was nearer; for God said, "The people might change their minds when they see war[that is, there will be war], and return to Egypt."
I can only but imagine the anxiety the Israelites were experiencing. Leaving the familiar for the unfamiliar is always a daunting task. In Egypt, much as they were being over worked and had a tough life they at least had a place to lay their heads and they were guaranteed food on their table; but here they are, on a journey to a promised land which they could only hope for as they had no idea what was awaiting them. When Pharaoh came to his senses, he figured there is no way Egyptians are gonna survive now that he had let the Israelites go and he had a light bulb moment "Go after these guys, after all hawajafika mbali sana". Exodus 14:8 "The Lord hardened the heart of Pharaoh, King of Egypt, and he pursued the Israelites, as they were leaving confidently and defiantly." On realizing that Pharaoh was coming after them with his army, the Israelites panicked and the grumbling-fest started. Exodus 14: 11 "Then they said to Moses, "Is it because there are no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? What is this that you have done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? Did we not say to you in Egypt, leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians [as slaves] that to die in the wilderness."
I really admire the patience Moses displayed with the Israelites as he led them out of Egypt. He had to listen to all manner of grumbling and whinning and at times even endure insults. I'm sure at some point he must have thought to himself "ni kiherehere gani hio ilinituma nikaangalie ile msitu ilikuwa inawaka moto....ka ningejipea shughuli hii ngori ya hawa wadhii si ningekuwa nimeavoid". Moses angekuwa mse wa kuchoma fuse, angeachanisha hawa wana wa Israeli but instead what does he do? He encourages them. Exodus 14:13-14 "Then Moses said to the people, "Do not be afraid! Take your stand [be firm and confident and undismayed] and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you while you [only need to] keep silent and remain calm."
Pray: Prayer is very vital in your life and more so while in the 'Be Still Corner'. It would be a great injustice if you fail to engage in prayer cause a call to stillness does not mean you relax and forget about praying.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:17 "Be unceasing and persistent in prayer"
- Colossians 4:2 "Be persistent and devoted to prayer, being alert and focused in your prayer life with an attitude of thanksgiving"
I can see a couple of you rolling your eyes wondering how in the name of heaven I expect you to pray right in the eye of a storm when you are saving the last bit of strength you have to hold on. Well, worry not that is why Jesus left us a gift - the Holy Spirit who stands in the gap for us.
- Romans 8:26 "In the same way the Spirit [comes to us and] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what prayer to offer or how to offer it as we should, but the Spirit Himself [knows our need and at the right time] intercedes on our behalf with sighs and groaning too deep for words."
Trust: Wikipedia defines trust as a firm belief in the reliability, truth or ability of someone or something. You need to have your complete trust in God, have a firm belief in His ability to fight for you and get you through the storm. Place your confidence in God and Him alone.
- Jeremiah 17:7 "Blessed [with spiritual security] is the man who believes and trusts in and relies on the Lord. And whose hope and confident expectation is the Lord."
Listen: While at the "Be Still Corner", God usually gives instructions on what you are to do next, or where to go next so it is important that you pay close attention. Given, being in the midst of a storm may mean that the waves and troubles you are experiencing are too loud to allow you any concentration. All the same, pray that the Lord will still your heart and you won't miss his voice.
- Isaiah 30:21 "Whether you turn to right or to the left, your ears will hear a voice behind you, saying, "This is the way; walk in it."
- Exodus 14:15-16 "Then the Lord said to Moses,'Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on. Raise your staff and stretch out your hand over the sea to divide the water so that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground."
- Exodus 14:21 "Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left."
Thanksgiving: I must admit that it is difficult to be thankful when you are going through tough times but do it anyway. 1 Thessalonians 5:18 "Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus." When it's too tough to say a thanksgiving prayer, get your praise on. Praise is a powerful tool to get you through tough seasons it may just be the trigger to break you out of that season.
- Acts 16:25-26 "About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was such a violent earthquake that the foundations of the prison were shaken. At once all the prison doors flew open, and everyone's chains came loose."
Stand still and know that He is God, there is no need to fight,
The battle is not yours, the battle is the Lord's.