COUNT YOUR TRIALS AS JOY BEFORE THE LORD

 

MorningStar Stories Hundreds of people at MorningStar have extraordinary experiences or receive a word from the Lord, but not all of these are shared from the stage. This is one of those words. Can You Hear the Walls of Water Roaring? Could you hear the walls of water roaring around you? Did you feel the salty mist gusting against your skin? Have you seen the Angel of the Lord lighting the way behind you, yet darkening the path of your pursuing enemies? Unless you are a multi-thousand-year-old Israelite, your answer is probably no, but this was their reality as they walked amid the parted Red Sea. As you read the following passage from Exodus, try to imagine the physical, emotional, and spiritual sensations the Israelites must have experienced during their escape from bondage. And the Angel of God, who went before the camp of Israel, moved and went behind them; and the pillar of cloud went from before them and stood behind them. So it came between the camp of the Egyptians and the camp of Israel. Thus it was a cloud and darkness to the one, and it gave light by night to the other, so that the one did not come near the other all that night. Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea into dry land, and the waters were divided. So the children of Israel went into the midst of the sea on the dry ground, and the waters were a wall to them on their right hand and on their left. —Exodus 14:19-22, NKJV Water may not be a barrier to our freedom now, but our own version of the Red Sea still exists, and we’ll likely need to cross it multiple times in our lives. These moments come in the form of tribulations that have us on our knees crying out to God for weeks or months—and sometimes, years. My past kept me in this posture of surrender before the Lord often. I begged Him for years to help me, save me, and deliver me from depression, self-harm, suicidal tendencies, lust, and toxic relationships. Last month while driving to the barber, the Lord impressed this upon my heart: “I allow these trials in your life because I do not part many Red Seas nowadays. These trials are your Red Seas, plagues in Egypt, and miracles in the wilderness. I allow these as a testimony that I am your only strength, Deliverer, and Savior. Only I can free you just as only I could free My people, Israel. I must allow these tribulations in your life just as I allowed Israel to go through the wilderness to learn how to fully rely on Me and recognize Me as their only Deliverer and strength.” Although these trials were different in nature, they all had common characteristics. First, I had zero ability to free myself from them. Second, I hit rock bottom many times amid the trial and did not believe I would ever reach the end. Third, once I (metaphorically) watched my enemies drown in the sea and walked through, I discovered God as my ONLY strength and Deliverer. Do you think the Israelites believed they could free themselves from their bondage in Egypt? When they saw the Red Sea in front of them, how many assumed they would not live to see the next day? Most of them, I imagine. Nevertheless, after they crossed the Red Sea on dry ground, a joyous revelation became clear: God was their ONLY strength and deliverer. In fact, they could do nothing but rejoice. Then Moses and the children of Israel sang this song to the Lord, and spoke, saying: “I will sing to the Lord, for He has triumphed gloriously! The horse and its rider He has thrown into the sea!   —Exodus 15:1, NKJV Under the Old Covenant, the Israelites rejoiced after God delivered them. However, in the New and Living Way, James challenges us to go a step further when he states, “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials” (James 1:2 NKJV). A vast number of the miraculous works God does for His people are through trials and tribulations, through which He proves Himself as our sole Deliverer. There might not be an actual wilderness around you, but does your life feel like one sometimes? Perhaps instead of walls of water, there are walls in your heart from years of abuse or mistreatment. Maybe in place of sea mist sprinkling against your skin, a heavy blanket of depression is weighing you down. The Angel of the Lord protecting your blindsides and illuminating your paths is unseen; nevertheless, He is constantly interceding for you and delivering timely words and signs. As you continue walking through your Red Sea, the Lord WILL bring you through the waters and once again reveal Himself as your sea-parting Deliverer. —James L.

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