This Devotion Elaborated During Prayer Meeting
Pastor Gary Caudill | 1-31-24 | WHBC
Triumph to Trial: Strengthening Faith in the Wilderness
Ex. 15:22 So Moses brought Israel from the Red sea, and they went out into the wilderness of Shur; and they went three days in the wilderness, and found no water.
Immediately after the great triumph of the Red Sea deliverance came the first trial for the children of Israel. Could you imagine the spiritual high they must have been on directly after they walked through the midst of the sea on dry land, and after their enemies were destroyed right before their very eyes? I can see it so clearly in the eye of my imagination. They must have been ecstatic! They had been in bondage as a people for 400 years, and God supernaturally delivered them from that bondage, out of the grips of the super power of the world at that time. This is their chance; their “declaration of independence”, if you will! The air is full of hope & laughter, and then, something unexpected occurs…more hardship! Isn’t it interesting how that the best of our days are often soon followed by what we might call the “reality checks” of life? Just imagine how easy they must have thought it would be for them from here on out, and then, NO WATER! What? But, didn’t God lead them there, you may ask? Exactly…that’s the same thing they were questioning. They (like we so often do) assumed that because God was now their leader, that they were immune to trouble from then on. But the truth is, our journey with God does not eliminate trouble; it just makes the journey possible! So, why does God do this? What is He up to when He leads us right into the midst of adversity? Well, verse 25 gives us some insight in stating that God sent them there to “prove” or test them. It was a matter of teaching His children how to walk by faith, fully trusting their new Master to supply their needs, instead of a government or a leader. This will be the first of many tests for Israel, but the point I wish to make today is this; learn to thank God for the times He puts your faith to the test, because He is only purifying your faith to be able to later bless you all the more. You will have other tests as well, but with each one, you will be made a little wiser, and a little stronger. Think of it as prep time; God is preparing you to be able to handle the blessings He has in store for you in Canaan land; only get through this wilderness with your faith intact, and you will see the milk and honey flow!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill
Immediately after the great triumph of the Red Sea deliverance came the first trial for the children of Israel. Could you imagine the spiritual high they must have been on directly after they walked through the midst of the sea on dry land, and after their enemies were destroyed right before their very eyes? I can see it so clearly in the eye of my imagination. They must have been ecstatic! They had been in bondage as a people for 400 years, and God supernaturally delivered them from that bondage, out of the grips of the super power of the world at that time. This is their chance; their “declaration of independence”, if you will! The air is full of hope & laughter, and then, something unexpected occurs…more hardship! Isn’t it interesting how that the best of our days are often soon followed by what we might call the “reality checks” of life? Just imagine how easy they must have thought it would be for them from here on out, and then, NO WATER! What? But, didn’t God lead them there, you may ask? Exactly…that’s the same thing they were questioning. They (like we so often do) assumed that because God was now their leader, that they were immune to trouble from then on. But the truth is, our journey with God does not eliminate trouble; it just makes the journey possible! So, why does God do this? What is He up to when He leads us right into the midst of adversity? Well, verse 25 gives us some insight in stating that God sent them there to “prove” or test them. It was a matter of teaching His children how to walk by faith, fully trusting their new Master to supply their needs, instead of a government or a leader. This will be the first of many tests for Israel, but the point I wish to make today is this; learn to thank God for the times He puts your faith to the test, because He is only purifying your faith to be able to later bless you all the more. You will have other tests as well, but with each one, you will be made a little wiser, and a little stronger. Think of it as prep time; God is preparing you to be able to handle the blessings He has in store for you in Canaan land; only get through this wilderness with your faith intact, and you will see the milk and honey flow!
~ Pastor Gary Caudill