Following the Trail of God's Promises: The 40-Day ChallengeSample

23. God Leads the People Out of Egypt

Although it may sometimes seem otherwise to us, the day when God delivered His people from slavery was not at all romantic or for the faint of heart. On the contrary, it was full of fear, suspense and apprehension, and the Israelites had a decision to make: Would they trust God and continue their journey, even though they themselves did not see a way out of the situation? Or would they give up and return to an unpleasant, yet known situation? I don't know about you, but I know that situation well. I often used to pray for changes in my life, but when God has brought me out of difficult situations, it has not always been an excessively pleasant experience, at least for me. It has often required giving up myself, my plans and desires, and the illusion that I had my life under control. Countless times I have cried out to the Lord and asked Him, “Why do I have to go through this?” But God continued to ask for my complete commitment to Him, as if asking me, “Do you believe Me, Paula? Do you believe Me when I say I love you?” Oh, and how He loves us. He loves us too much to allow us to stay in situations that do us harm, even if we ourselves are afraid and too weak to move. So let’s give glory to God and decide to believe. Let’s allow Him to lead us, no matter how painful the process or how palpable the uncertainty, because we have a God who loves us and always keeps His promises.