There is Always Hope
We may feel trapped or enslaved due to circumstances beyond our control.But like our ancient spiritual ancestors we need to consider that God is able to deliver us. Even if we are stuck in a box canyon or dead end, we are not without hope. Paul admonishes us to consider the examples of Israel during their wilderness journey. They had been slaves, but the Lord God had freed them from Egypt and led them into the wilderness. And yet, when they faced challenges, they felt ‘boxed-in’ and fear overwhelmed them, they quickly reverted to their old ways of thinking and acting that had disastrous results.
God counsel’s his people to realize that there are no ‘dead ends’ for God. No matter the circumstance God can provide a way through a difficult time. When Egypt’s elite charioteers were poised to attack the fleeing Israelites God intervened. He separated the opposing forces with a pillar of cloud to confuse the Egyptians, and a pillar of fire to give light and encouragement to the Israelites. As God’s children the spiritual ancestors of those that he led out of Egypt, we must have faith to overcome our fears. For God will fight for us and provide a way of escape. He will save us from the modern incarnations of Pharaoh’s army and provide a way through our personal ‘Red Seas.’
Paul counselled the brethren who were living during difficult times, subject to the capricious oversight of Roman rulers. He encouraged them to hate and resist the evil, and do what is good. He warned them about being conformed to the world around them, boxed into dead-end ways of thinking and acting. The anti-dote was to reject the world and its pleasures and live faithfully with God’s vision to give them clarity of thought and motivate them to exercise self-control. Today, Christ will lead his people, those who are loyal to him, just as he led his people through the Red Sea, millennia ago.
Learn more about lessons from Israel’s History: