A Road Through the Sea

"Your road led through the sea, your pathway through the mighty waters-a pathway no one knew was there!"

Psalms 77:19

This verse takes me back to the Israelites being confronted by the Red Sea before them and the Egyptian army behind them.  I have no doubt that they were terrified, feeling hopeless, despair ripping through their chest.  So many questions must have raced through their frightened minds.  So much confusion...wasn't it God who had delivered them?  Why would He take them out of a bad situation only to make things worse?  Why would He give them a taste of freedom only to allow it to be ripped away? 

"Why did you bring us out here to die in the wilderness?"
Exodus 14:10

Before the Lord parted the Red Sea, He gives His people some instructions:

"Don't be afraid.  Just stand still and watch the Lord rescue you today.  The Egyptians you see today will never be seen again.  The Lord Himself will fight for you.  Just stay calm."
Exodus 14:13-14

God told them:
1.  Don't be afraid.
2.  Stand Still.
3.  Stay calm.

These are the absolute hardest things to do when you are in the midst of a desperate situation.

Don't be afraid?  They were TERRIFIED, and had every right to be.  They were facing their own demise and staring death in the face!

Stand still?  The Egyptian army was chasing them and they were about to die with absolutely no way out.  There was a literal OCEAN in front of them.  Every instinct was probably telling them to RUN.

Stay calm?  Are you kidding me?  Who is able to stay calm as you stand there with your family, knowing death is upon all of you? 

This was clearly no easy task.  Having no fear, standing still, and being calm goes against every instinct, defies logic, and almost seems foolish when you contemplate the circumstances.

But God.

God provided a way.  A very unexpected way that no one knew was there.  He parted waters and allowed the Israelites to walk through dry land.  God's road led through the sea, through treacherous waters, and they were victorious.

A pathway no one knew was there.
Through mighty waters.
A road through the sea.

God still does this for us.  He makes pathways in unexpected places.  He provides a way where there is no way.  He provides the path through mighty, treacherous waters, leading the way the whole time.  And he commands to not be afraid, stand still, and stay calm.

Will you trust Him with me?

Lord, give me eyes to see the pathways when things look impossible, when despair overtakes my soul.  you are not the bridge over troubled waters, but the path straight through it.

Calm in the Storm

Last year, Hurricane Maria battered Puerto Rico with an unforgiving vengeance.  This storm caused so much destruction, and many people lost their belongings, homes, and livelihood.  I saw image after image of places dear to my heart that were almost unrecognizable.  My family was without power for many months, and resources were scarce.  The island is starting to bounce back from this terrible storm, but they still have a long way to go.  I remember being so scared for my family living there, knowing the coming storm would likely cause damage and destruction.

The storms of life have battered my soul, and life has never been the same.  Life came in like a hurricane, tearing apart things near and dear.  It's hard to bounce back from storms like that, and even harder to remain calm through it all.

Lately, many of the devotionals, verses, and songs I've meditated on have 1 common thread among them:  staying calm in the middle of the storm.  It sounds good in theory, but it is so hard in practice.  I get caught up in what I see and have a hard time looking beyond my circumstances.

In Matthew 8:23-27, Jesus and the disciples are traveling via boat when they encountered a terrible storm.  The disciples were absolutely terrified.  Where was Jesus in the midst of it all?  Sleeping.  The disciples frantically woke him up, begging him to save them...they thought they were going to drown and die.

Jesus responded:

"Why are you afraid?  You have so little faith!"

He then calmed the storm.

Something sticks out to me about this whole scenario.  The disciples didn't believe Jesus wouldn't do anything.  In fact, they ran to the One who could, begging Jesus to please save them.  They KNEW Jesus could take them out of this terrible situation in the midst of imminent danger.

I believe the rebuke came because they were afraid.  They were frantic.  Even with the knowledge that Jesus would save them, they were still consumed with fear, quite possibly because they knew what a storm like this was capable of.  Fear was costing them their peace.  While they believed God would save them, maybe they had little faith that He would truly work it all for good, no matter the means that He chose to save them.  The fear was fear of suffering...they were counting the cost.

I can certainly relate to this.  The past few years, I have chosen to run to Jesus, knowing He could (and would) calm the storm battering my life.  Even so, I was afraid.  God has come through, but it has been in ways I never anticipated, ways I probably wouldn't have chosen.  Fear and lack of faith has cost me my peace, my joy, even my health at times.

Jesus was a glowing example of what we should look like in the storm.  Calm, peaceful, choosing not to focus on the circumstances. I yearn to have this type of quiet faith.  Does this mean that if I have faith, everything will be exactly as I hoped and want?  Nope.  It does mean that no matter what happens, no matter how much damage a storm may cause, I can have peace.  I can choose to see the storm as an opportunity for growth, a chance for God to show me just how faithful He is.
  Jesus has continued to calm the storms in my life, often with the reminder that I don't need to be afraid.

He is there.  Sometimes sleeping, but never unaware and always in control, offering me a peace that surpasses all understanding.

The Prescribed Burn

Fire can be so destructive.  One of the very first lessons I taught my sons when they were learning to walk was to not touch the stove or oven.  I would repeat the word "hot" as I guided them away from this appliance that, if touched while in use, would cause pain, a possible burn, and a frazzled mom.  I taught them very early on that we should stay a safe distance from fire and be extremely cautious around one.  Undoubtedly, we all learned this growing up.  Fire is dangerous, fire is hot, fire can cause damage and pain.  For the most part, this is the absolute truth.
This summer I traveled to California.  I checked off several things I wanted to do, among them visiting the majestic redwoods.  I cannot adequately describe the beauty of these trees, many of them hundreds of years old.  I was in awe as I walked through the quiet, still forest, taking in the beauty of these towering trunks.  My eyes kept looking up, searching for the tops of what seemed like never ending bark, branches, and leaves.  I felt so small as I hiked through this peaceful landscape.
Many of the trees had lots of scarring from what appeared to be burn marks.  Burn scarring indicates fire activity, and I was curious.  I was standing in acres of trees; why were there burn marks on these redwoods, and how was it possible that the forest was still intact after a fire?
After speaking to a park ranger, I learned that "prescribed burns" were conducted periodically to benefit the long-term health of the trees.  These forest fires were conducted in a controlled setting, with supervision from professionals there to make sure it doesn't get out of control.  Fire clears the duff-decaying leaves and branches covering the forest floor- which prevents redwood seeds from reaching the mineral soil.  The fires serve to destroy the bacteria and fungi that can kill the seeds before they have a chance to germinate.  The debris turns to ash, the fire recycles nutrients and enhances the wildlife forage.  Fire, something so seemingly destructive and dangerous, is actually a very important part of the redwood ecosystem. Without these fires, there would be very little new growth, and the overall health of the forest would be in jeopardy.
Somewhere along the way, I learned that all trials, suffering, and "fiery moments" in my life were bad and destructive.  I avoided pain and suffering at all cost and did not take any risks that could potentially lead to less than ideal circumstances.  The pain of these moments blinded me from seeing the good that could come from clearing the duff of my soul. 
Perhaps some fires in our lives are not by happenstance, but are meant to clear the debris that is preventing new growth in our lives.  Sometimes new, healthy growth means something within us must die.

"He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn't produce fruit, and He prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more."

John 15:2

Hey there, soul?  This trial you are facing, this fire burning within you that looks out of control, seems like it is causing so much destruction, causing burn scarring on your heart?  God's got this.  This prescribed burn in your life is not meant to destroy you, but to generate something new within you.  Pain and suffering is a necessary part of your journey.  It is how you grow.  It's how you produce faith.  It is a pathway to the life of freedom God intended you to live.  It is meant to grow your dependence on Him.  When the smoke settles after the fire, you will see.  What you thought was meant to harm you, God intended it all for good (Gen. 50:20)
Surrender to the fire burning within.  Feel the burn.  Great things are ahead.

"So be truly glad.  There is wonderful joy ahead, even though you have to endure many trials for a little while.  These trials will show that your faith is genuine.  It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold-though your faith is far more precious than mere gold.  So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world."

I Peter 1:6-7