I've had a fair few experiences of that since becoming a Christian.
Lately I've been at peace much more than I have ever been in my life.
My heart has been heavily compassionate.
My mind has been still and calm.
I've been able to think clearly and act wisely.
Which has been a real blessing especially when dealing daily with front line mission, face to face with poverty, destruction of lives and other peoples darkness every day.
I've felt the closest that I have ever been to God.
Honestly the closest ever.
Then.
Whack!
I catch sight of the enemy approaching fast. Obviously not happy with the strength of my spiritual life.
Things that I have done with a compassionate heart to help people and help situations come back to you in a negative way.
You know what I mean?
I guess you do.
And one of the reactions that happens is you start to doubt why you even bothered to follow what you believe God had said for you to do. And then you think if only I had kept my nose out! Or if only I hadn't got involved or pursued that venture etc.
But I am staying fixed on God.
No matter what.
It is no coincidence that my wife gave me a scripture this morning. it was from the parting of the Red Sea account in Exodus. The Israelites are being pursued by the Egyptians who aren't happy at the freedom that God's people have gained.
Exodus 14: 13
Moses answered the people. "Do not be afraid Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you, you need only to be still."
Then God says to Moses.
"Why are you crying out to me? Tell the Israelites to move on."
The only trouble was in this situation was there was a blockage of huge proportions in the way of moving on.
The Red Sea itself.
But you guys know the rest of the story. You don't need a drawn out sermonic script on it this morning!
Reading this whole riveting account of this amazing slice of biblical accounting, God really reminded me today of a couple of things that I feel compelled to share with my now ever growing readership! (By the way thank you guys for all the blessings you give me in the form of encouragement and feedback especially through email, Facebook and twitter) and I think maybe it would be good for you to read Exodus 14 for yourself today to see what God is speaking to you through it.
Firstly he reminded me of this simple message from the scripture.
God will not put us through anything that we cannot handle, or put us through something we cannot get through.
Secondly, you know when we do things for God and start to wish we hadn't done that? We start to think like the Israelites (verses 11-12) when they said things like, "Didn't we say to you (Moses) leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians, it would be better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"
We start to think like that don't we?
I know I'm guilty of that sometimes.
We say "why did we follow God on that? It would have been better if we had stayed where we were."
Well today I want to say out loud. God says, "trust me and keep moving!"
Moses was right, the Lord is fighting for us and will deal with the enemy.
Whatever is happening on our lives right now, if we are thinking, "I wish I hadn't done that for God? If we are thinking, "it would have been better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert?"
This scripture clearly shows that there will be no death in desert for us if we follow God.
No death at all.
Just life.
And life in all it's fullness.
And freedom in Jesus.
Forever.
Blessings, grace and mercy today.
