Go forward

In the book of Exodus, chapter 14, verse 15, the Bible says:

Exodus 14:15  And the LORD said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward:

One of the special privileges that God has given us is the ability to move. And human beings move a lot. In fact, movement is so central to human existence that generation after generation, we keep inventing new methods and instruments for moving around. Unless we move, life will be very dull indeed. Human life is about movement. Progress only happens as we move. In fact, it has been said that human institutions are either a movement or a monument. And as individuals, if you do not move, you will become a monument. Life will pass you by.

Movement is not only physical. Movement can also be mental. It can be psychological. It can be emotional. It can be spiritual. Somebody can be with you physically, but his mind is completely in another place – that person has moved mentally. A woman can be sleeping in the same bed with her husband, but her feelings are with her boyfriend who is very far away – she has moved emotionally. A man may not have money to pay his rent today, but he already has the working drawings of how his mansion will look like, and he has already written a budget for the construction – he has moved psychologically. Physically, he is a struggling tenant, but psychologically, he is a landlord. Movement is therefore of various kinds. Our thesis, however, is that to make progress, man has to keep moving physically, mentally, socially, psychologically, spiritually and so on.

A time came in the life of the children of Israel that they had to move. They had to move to escape the discomfort and danger of slavery. They had to move towards the freedom, safety and abundance of the Promised Land. God stretched forth His mighty hand to compel Pharaoh to release them. And overnight, a people who had been slaves for over four hundred years became free. However, at this moment of liberty, what did we see? As they approached their point of total freedom, they met a barrier – the Red Sea. And they did not know what to do again – so they stayed there. They not only stayed there; they cried. They murmured. They lamented. Does that describe you?

Many people today are really behind in life. It is not that they want to be behind. It is the barriers of life that held them down. Even though they had been freed from their taskmaster of four centuries, a barrier held the children of Israel down – and they could no longer move towards their promised land.

How did God deal with the barrier that stood in front of the children of Israel? According to Exodus 14:15, God simply told them to move forward. Can that be what God is saying to you also?

TO BE CONTINUED

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