Are you, or have you ever been up against a wall? Facing a mountain that's way too tall? You feel like a David standing next a Goliath. What you're being asked to do seems impossible. The problem has no solution. You can't move forward, you can't turn back. You're standing in no man's land. The Bible is full of impossible situations. Let's consider a few of them. - JOSEPH Joseph found himself between a rock and a hard place many times throughout his life. Hated by his brothers, they desired to kill him. But instead of killing him, they sold him into slavery. Talk about a bad family situation. Things started to look up for him though. Joseph, because he was following the Lord, He blessed his work, and it was noticed. Pharaoh put him in charge over everything he had. But, Pharaohs wife tempted Joseph daily to do wrong. Joseph did right; he refused, and even ran from her. But it didn't stop there. Pharaohs wife lied, Joseph was stripped of his authority and thrown into prison for something he didn't do. This situation looks pretty hopeless! MOSES The fact that God chose Moses to lead the children of Israel was enough to send Moses into shock. After making excuses, ultimate acceptance of his calling, and miraculous intervention of God, the children of Israel were on there way from Egypt to the Promised Land. This is good. Things are going well. "...it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that GOD led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea..." (Exodus 13.17-18) However, Pharaoh changed his mind. He wanted his slaves back. He and his army were now in full pursuit after the Israelites. The Israelites are now stuck on one side of the Red sea...which is uncrossable. "And when Pharaoh drew nigh, the children of Israel lifted up their eyes, and, behold, the Egyptians matched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD." (Exodus 14.10) This is bad. This is extremely very not good. GIDEON The children of Israel, like us, had the habit of doing "evil in the sight of the Lord." Therefore, the Lord "delivered them into the hand of Midian seven years." Seven years they were oppressed and enslaved by the Midianites. Then they cried unto the Lord for help. So, God sent an angel to Gideon, who was hiding from the Midianites in the wine press to tell him God's message. "And the LORD looked upon him, and said, Go in this thy might, and thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?" God said he, that night, would destroy the Midianites. Gideon would probably have been the last someone would have chosen to give such a task. How will Gideon kill all those soldiers? In one night? This is impossible! I had many more, but those are a few of the impossible situations written about in the Bible. Put yourself in one these situations. Imagine how they felt. These were real people. We tend to think of them as simply stories. Or at the very least, all-spiritual beings who had more ability of being close to God than we do now. That it just not true. They were just as real as we are today. They had feelings, thoughts, and emotions. These were not "Super Christians", they were real people. Real people facing real problems with real faith in a real God. So here you are, standing at the foot of the mountain under the shadow it casts. Peering above to the height of such a climb. Its a grueling struggle to the top. You could fall. You could fail. You could easily get hurt. Many have. One wrong step and you'll never see the view of the top, or feel the peak beneath you. What do we do when we feel the crushing weight of facing such an impossibility? Retreat and ignore the problem? Try to work things out on our own? Those are two extremes, but they're both wrong. Well, what happened with these three examples? Joseph, even in prison, continued to do what's right, and trust in the Lord. Genesis 41.38, "And Pharaoh said unto his servants, Can we find such a one as this is, a man in whom the spirit of God is?" It was obvious to others who He followed. After being wrongfully accused, thrown into prison, and forgotten, God intervened and in the end, He was second in the kingdom. He was ruler over all Egypt, and led a campaign that would provide food throughout a seven year famine, and ultimately save his family. Now, Joseph did right, yet still faced friction. Joseph followed God right into a rock and a hard place. "But the LORD was with Joseph..." (Genesis 39.21) He never left him; He knew right where he was, and the Lord was preparing the way for what He had in store for him in the future. "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all." (Psalms 34.19) Even more so, when you are following God, you will find yourself standing at the foot of a mountain that's way too steep and high for you to climb. But, He is still with you, and He will help you over it. Just continue doing what you know what's right, and He will make a way for everything to work out to His glory. Moses, in such a situation, continued to have faith in God. Exodus 14.13 & 14, "And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will show to you today: for the Egyptians whom ye have seen today, ye shall see them again no more for ever. The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace." The Lord told Moses to stretch his rod over the sea, and He held the sea back making the land dry for the children of Israel to cross over to the other side. All the while, Pharaoh and his army were still in swift pursuit of the Israelites. As soon as the Israelites were safe on the other side, God let the water go, and it drowned all the Egyptians after them. God did not lead the obvious way. God did not lead the fastest way. Nor did God lead the easiest way. He didn't then, and most often, neither does He today. Exodus 13.17& 18, "And it came to pass, when Pharaoh had let the people go, that God led them not through the way of the land of the Philistines, although that was near; for God said, Lest peradventure the people repent when they see war, and they return to Egypt: But God led the people about, through the way of the wilderness of the Red sea..." He had a reason for leading them the way He did. He knew they were not ready to face what the land of the Philistines would have for them. Their faith needed to grow. They were not ready yet. He led them to a point where they couldn't move forward, or turn around. The Red sea ahead of them, and the Egyptian army behind them. They were under a serious time limit. He led them to a place where they could do nothing; a position of weakness. They were forced to turn to Him. He was the only help or hope. And, He is always the only hope we have! We shouldn't wait until we need Him to turn to Him. Through it all, He was preparing them for the future. He knew best. Isaiah 55.8 & 9, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." Psalms 18.30, "As for God, his way is perfect..." Nevertheless, God did lead them. He led them through a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire in the night hours. And as He led them, He promises, He will lead you. Psalms 32.8, "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye." Gideon, under the instruction of the Lord, defeated the Midianites with lamps, pitchers, and trumpets. Gideon and his men stood about the camp watching as the Midianites ran around killing off each other. Judges 7.21 & 22, "And they stood every man in his place round about the camp: and all the host ran, and cried, and fled. And the three hundred blew the trumpets, and the LORD set every man's sword against his fellow, even throughout the host: and the host fled..." Gideon was incapable. Gideon knew it was too much for him to do. He knew he could not accomplish the task alone. Judges 6.15 ,"And he said unto him, Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house." He recognized his weaknesses. But God didn't ask Gideon to do it alone. Verse 16, And the LORD said unto him, Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man." Matthew 19.26, "...With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible." The Lord gave them the ability and the means to win the victory. They were where they were supposed to be. "And they stood every man in his place..." (verse 21) They also did it God's way. The Lord gave instructions as to how to fight them, and Gideon followed them. Gideon started with an army of thirty two thousand men however, "...the LORD said unto Gideon, The people that are with thee are too many for me to give the Midianites into their hands, lest Israel vaunt themselves against me, saying, mine own hand hath saved me." (Judges 7.2) Ultimately, he went to war with only 300 men. They didn't follow their own judgement, they followed God, did it His way, and won and impossible battle. Standing in no-mans land, facing a mountain you cannot climb, remember those who have gone before you. Remember what He did for them. He will do the same for you. Remember, He is with you. He will never leave you. He's standing right beside you. You cannot do it on your own, but you can do it through His strength. Trust Him and follow His way, even if it doesn't seem logical to you. He will help you and work things out better than you could have ever imagined. Ephesians 3.20, "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, Unto him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end. Amen." So, don't panic. He is in control. It may be out of our control, but that's a good thing. Give it to Him. Have faith, and tell that mountain to move. ;) In closing, I have this one thought. One of my favorite passages of scripture is Psalms 18. Reading it recently, verse 29 struck me. "For by thee I have run through a troop; and by my God have I leaped over a wall." It says, "I leaped over a wall"; so effortless sounding. And it really is. Because of Him, we can go face impossibly high struggles. Through Him we are given the strength and endurance to carry on when it seems there is no way. Standing between two options, neither of which are good, that's when God works wonders. Just wait. It may seem impossible to us, but it's nothing for Him!
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January 2023
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