When Your Back Is Against The Wall

WHEN YOUR BACK IS AGAINST THE WALL

“And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward: But lift thou up thy rod, and stretch out thine hand over the sea, and divide it: and the children of Israel shall go on dry ground through the midst of the sea.” - Exodus 14:15-16

Have you ever been desperate? Has your situation gotten so dire that you began to question if even God could rescue you? If so, you can relate with the children of Israel. They had been freed from Egyptian bondage and were headed for the promised land. Yet as they got near the Red Sea, the Egyptians came in hot pursuit. Pharoah had given in to political pressure and had a change of mind. Although he had freed the Israelites, he now realized that much of Egypt's economy required the hard work of the Israelite slaves.

The children of Israel were in a difficult situation. Their backs were to the wall. They had no route of escape. The Red Sea was before them and the Egyptians were behind them. There was no place to go, but to the Lord.

The Israelites were in a dire situation. In their desperation, they cried out to the Lord and complained to Moses. Moses tried to calm the people by appealing to their faith. Yet this was the Lord's response to it all: “And the Lord said unto Moses, Wherefore criest thou unto me? speak unto the children of Israel, that they go forward.”

There is a time to pray and there's a time to act. Prayer is never a substitute for obedience. The reason that many people are stuck in the same place all the time is that are waiting for God to accomplish what He is expecting them to do. They pray and pray but never obey.

God told Moses to go forward. Forward? Go forward into the Red Sea? Yes, that was the unmistakable word from the Lord.

At times, it seems impossible to go forward. When a spouse dies, you lose your job or you face personal bankruptcy, it is tempting to give up. When times get tough and your back is against the wall, it is easy to quit. However, in such circumstances, we simply need to go forward.

Someone reading this today may need this word. Go forward. This is not the time to hold your position. It is never a good time to retreat. Go forward. Go forward in your faith. Go forward in obedience. Go forward with your life. Go forward with God.

I think it is important for us to recognize something from the Red Sea experience. God is sovereign. In Egypt, He had performed miracles. Nothing is impossible for God. Although He could have led the Israelites around the Red Sea, He chose not to do so. He could have miraculously led them over the Red Sea, but that was not the plan either. He could have dried up the Red Sea, evaporating every drop of water. But He didn't.

Instead, God chose to lead His people through the Red Sea. While your back is against the wall, the Lord could remove your problems. He may chose to take you around your problems. More often than not, He takes us through our problems.

It may be that someone reading this is going through trials right now. Your back is against the wall. You are desperate for help. When the Lord is leading, you can trust Him with the results. Let me remind you that God will lead us through the valley of the shadow of death, not around it.

When God guides, He provides. Our Lord parted the waters for Israel to pass through. He made a way for them. He'll make a way for you, too. The same waters that He parted for the Israelites were the same waters He used to defeat their enemies.

God led the Israelites to the Red Sea, through the Red Sea and out the other side. When your back is against the wall, God will make a way through the wall, if necessary.

So if your back is against the wall, simply trust and obey God. He will make a way.