Question: What do you do when you find yourself stuck between a rock and a hard place?
Answer: Go straight through the middle
There are times in our lives when we find ourselves in these situations. We seem to hit a rock or something hard every time we try to make progress. However, the path to success, freedom and destiny is often the path that is least traveled and that means you may have to squeeze right through that rock and hard place.
In the book of Exodus, chapter 14, we find Israel at this point. They have finally fled Egypt (the land of slavery) and are on their way to freedom when they hit a rock and a hard place. The Egyptian army are pursuing them faster than they can run and then they make what seems like a wrong turn and find themselves confronted by a huge sea. Most of the people started to complain and see only the rock of the Egyptian army and the hard place of the Red Sea. They got so negative that they started to say, ‘why did we come out here to die, we could have died in Egypt where they at least had graves to bury us in”.
At this point most of us think we know the story and Moses split the Red Sea in two. However, that isn’t what happened. God didn’t bring permanent relief until they started to trust him in that Rock/Hard Place moment. As the Egyptians came upon Israel, God caused a cloud of dust to block the path between them, then a huge fire separated them. It was at this point when they started to see God at work. The following events of this story result in the Red Sea splitting in two and Israel walked right through the middle, and the ground was dry.
You may be in the a place today where there is a rock on one side and a hard place another and you are crying out for God to split the Red Sea in your life. However, God may not be ready to split the Red Sea because maybe your not ready. Maybe God is desiring you to just chill for a moment and trust him fully. Maybe a cloud of dust or a pillar of fire is happening in your life which is confusing you, but look to God, this just might be his hand a work to buy you some time so that you can trust in him fully before your Red Sea miracle takes place.
God is at work, you have to trust him. You may not see it, you may only see the rock and the hard place, but God is there and he will protect you, so trust hm!
March 12th, 2010 at 8:03 am
Absolutely a beautiful and meaningful post. Amazingly, I just did one myself saying basically the same thing…reminding that we Christians are between a rock and a hard place in this generation of ‘degeneration.’ And that instead of being fearful….we should remember ‘Faith.’ And when we are familiar with all the many time of deliverance which God has provided for His people….how could we not have ‘Faith’??? Nevermind the persuing army, nevermind the lions, nevermind the fiery furnace, nevermind the crumblind economy, nevermind the mega disasters, nevermind the prevalence of evil, and nevermind those who say God does not exist. All is well!! Our Redeemer liveth. Love never fails. And the Father is faithful to give peace in the midst of trouble.
Again, really good post. I am encouraged.
Carolyn/ internetelias.wordpress.com
March 12th, 2010 at 9:39 am
Thank you so much for your kind comments. I love how you say nevermind all these things for our redeemer lives, and because he lives we can live also! Awesome!
March 12th, 2010 at 8:18 pm
Greatly said babe!
It is hard to be in the ‘in-between’ but the great thing is that God is not human. He is not swayed by appearances, nor by ‘manipulated truth’, or anything from the flesh. This is what is great about being able to be in the ‘in-between’ when you FULLY trust in God. It’s hard, but God is faithful and I’m thankful He sees the pure motives of our hearts!
March 13th, 2010 at 10:17 pm
Hey Alex,
Love this Post. I feel I have been in this position for a while now, and I am pushing and praying and just waiting… and trusting as well.. I am sure my Red Sea Part will come soon.
March 13th, 2010 at 10:58 pm
Heather,
I’m feeling you. Know exactly what that feels like. I heard someone the other day say, ‘its not where your going that God is bothered about, but what you allow him to do in you while you get there’.
April 7th, 2010 at 8:21 am
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