Part One

BLINDSIDED

by Wendy Kleker

           Jacob shivers from the desert night air.  Or is it the cold that brings goose bumps on his skin and makes him rub his arms?  Fear snakes up his back and makes his hair stand on end as he gazes across the moonlit wilderness.  He looks at the stars and thinks of the promise given by God to his ancestors and the blessing passed on to him by his father Isaac.  A blessing he had connived, schemed and tricked to receive.  A blessing his brother should have had since Esau was the oldest, if only by a second. Because of the miss-placed blessing and his fraud, he was forced to leave his homeland and family many years before.  Maybe that blessing wasn’t worth all the strife, stress, fear and doubt he’d dealt with all these years and especially now that he was going home.

             Perhaps God was going to give Esau his just rewards and take His revenge on Jacob.  After all, he had received a report of the many hundreds of men his brother had with him as he came out into the wilderness to meet his long-lost brother. Maybe it would be better if he just left now, let Esau have his two wives and children and all his worldly wealth that Jacob had sent ahead across the brook.  Perhaps he should just disappear, run away into the desert.  Maybe he could sneak back later and steal away his favorite wife, Rebecca and her two sons.

            Wham!  Out of the night, something blindsided him, knocking him to the ground. His face hit the dirt and sand filled his mouth.  The wind was knocked out of him, he couldn’t breath, couldn’t see, couldn’t move as a heavy weight was on top of him.   Too late now to run, Jacob found himself fighting for his life. 

            In a night suddenly turned dark as clouds covered the moon, he struggled, strained, sweated and strived.  With whom, he wasn’t sure.  Someone big, someone strong, someone with whom, it became apparent, he wasn’t going to win. If he could just get loose he would run, flee, hide like he had been doing all of his life when he didn’t have the upper hand.  Nevertheless, there was no getting away this time. The hands that held him were like iron and the strong arms threw him this way and that. He became weary; he wanted to give up, but stubbornly he fought on. 

            Suddenly, in the middle of the night, Jacob realized God was the one he fought and God wasn’t going to let him go. Jacob wasn’t going to win this one.  Suddenly he didn’t want to get away from God.  After all God was his protector, his helper, his provider.  Why should he run from God?

            But wasn’t that what he had been doing most of his life?  Oh, at one time, after a wonderful dream where he saw God, he had vowed to give God his unending loyalty and service, which he did to a point.  But, did he linger in his father-in-law’s country all those years to keep from doing what he knew God wanted him to do?  The one thing he feared most; the one thing he just couldn’t trust God to handle; go back to Canaan and face his angry brother who was out to kill him.  Face the lion.

            Oh, granted when God told him to go, he headed back, but he drug his feet and made a few stops along the way.  However, when it came down to facing his brother’s mighty army, he reverted right back to his evasive, deceptive tactics.  Send gifts to buy Esau’s forgiveness, split his family and stock in half so if one company was attacked he could get the other group away.  Why earlier that evening Jacob was shaking in his boots, but God wanted Jacob to face his greatest fear. So God blindsided him.

            Jacob clung to God so tightly God could not shake him off.  He clung and he cried while clasping God around the neck and maybe shaking a little, “God give me a blessing!”  Jacob desperately sought reassurance that all would be well, that his brother wouldn’t kill him and his family.  “Give me power, God, make me mighty to fight Esau and win!”  (Blessing means Power in Hebrew)

            I feel as if I’ve been blindsided with some health issues.  Oh they don’t seem too serious or severe, just a nagging uncomfortable pain that is not resolved and questions that go unanswered.

            I thought I had given everything to God, but I find myself in a wrestling match with my Maker over this one issue, this one thing in my life that I’m not willing to relinquish into His mighty hands.

            I would run if I could.  I try to bargain, “I need to be strong and healthy for my husband, my son and my grandkids, God, just give me a few more good years.  Please.” However, there is no bartering with God.

              Maybe try a little trickery, “God, I’d love to go live with You, I really would, but what about John and my dogs? After all, you gave them to me, so I need to be here to take care of them. Right?”  But there’s no scamming the Almighty.

            Suddenly I don’t want to run.   I don’t wish to get away from The God of the universe.  He is, after all, my protector, my mighty fortress, my shelter.  I cling to Him, I hang on with all my might, I shake Him a bit, and I cry for assurance, “Give me peace of mind. Let me know, God, it will be okay!”  I beg for His power to heal and deliver,  “Lord, Take this away, make me better.  I want to be whole, healthy and strong!”

            “Trust in Me, Child, at all times, pour out your heart to Me.  For I am your Refuge.” From Ps. 62:8

            An ever present help in trouble, though the earth shakes and the mountains shall fall into the sea, God is with me.  Always.  

            “Cling to Me,” He says, “Grab hold and hang on, NEVER let go, for I will be your strength.” From Ps. 62:5 & 8

                With my arms around His neck, I hold tight.

 “Because You are my help I sing in the shadow of your wings.  My soul clings to You. Your right hand upholds me.”  Ps:63:7-8

 Read Ps. 62 and Gen. 32

Part 2

LIMPING

 “Lift your eyes and look to the heavens.  Who created all these?  He who brings out the starry host one by one, and calls them each by name.  Because of His great power and mighty strength, not one of them is missing.  Why do you say, O Jacob, and complain, O Israel, ‘My way is hidden from the Lord.  My cause is disregarded by my God’?” Is. 40:26-27

           Jacob clung to God like a small child, who does not want to be left, clings to his mother.  Griping with all his might he cried, “No! No! Don’t leave me!” 

            Jacob clutched so tightly, God could not shake him. Like that child, Jacob hung on to his security.  He so desperately wanted God’s protection and assurance that he couldn’t let go long enough to face his fears, to walk the path down which God had directed.  To face the lion.

            God said, “The dawn is breaking it’s time for you to go.  Do this for Me.”

            And Jacob cried, “No!”

            Just as the mother must painfully pry her child’s hands apart from around her neck, God lovingly touches Jacob’s hip with pain.  Lovingly because He knows He must do it for Jacob’s sake, and painfully since that is the only way to get a panicked Jacob’s attention.

            Jacob’s hip is out of joint.  Searing pain.  I imagine he is on the ground moaning, but in the pain, he sees himself and he sees his heart.  When God asks him who he is, Jacob says, “I am deceiver.” (Jacob)  So Jacob repents and lays on his face before God truly submitting to His way.

            Then and only then does God bless him and He gives Jacob a new name.  No longer is he Deceiver, but now he is Israel, Prince of God and he is ready and willing to walk God’s path.  Even if it is littered with difficulty, even though there’s pain, even with a limp. 

            “I have seen God face to face!” Jacob cries, “and I live.  I have been blessed.”

            Just as the sun rises in a burst of red over the desert, Israel takes a deep breath, squares his shoulders and limping painfully sets out to face the lion.

           I was clinging to security and crying for assurance.  “No! No!  I don’t want to be sick!”  A healthy strong body able to walk miles, climb hills and ski over drifts is my security.  One thing I was not willing to put in God’s hands, the one thing I tightly held on to with all my might, the one area in my life where I could not give God complete control was my health.  This one thing is my lion.  And I did not want to face it.

            I cling to God as tight as I can and I cry, “Please God not this too!”

            And God says, “Even in this, Child, let go and let Me.”

            Surrender is what God wanted from Jacob. Complete surrender is what he requires of me.  He had to touch me lovingly, although with pain to get my attention.  You know hit me over the head with a 2X4 sort of thing.  He had to blindside me, touch me with pain and give me a limp before I was willing to fall on my face before my God and give Him the thing I most dread.

            “Lord, even this thing I greatly fear, I give to you.  I will walk down the path You lead me on.  I will cross the brook, limping; yes, but definitely blessed.  I will go and I will face my fears.  I know you will hold me tightly in Your mighty hand.”

            “Oh my child,” God says, “I will provide for you like a shepherd does His sheep.  I will gather you in my arms and carry you close to My heart, and I will gently lead you.    When you are weary, I will give you strength and when you become weak, I will increase your power.  If you hope in Me, if you rest on Me, if you wait for Me, You shall mount up with wings as eagles.  You shall run and not be weary.  You shall walk and not faint.”   From Is. 40:11, 29-31

            Therefore, I walk down the path He leads. Limping maybe, trusting always, waiting definitely and leaning on His everlasting arms.     With wings, I will soar.

 “Do you not know?  Have you not heard?  The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth.  He will not grow tired and weary and His understanding no one can fathom.”  Is. 4:28

Read Gen. 32  Is. 40:26-31

Part 3

STAND STILL

“Strengthen the weak hands, and make firm the feeble knees.  Say to those who are fearful-hearted, “Be strong, do not fear!  Behold your God will come with vengeance, with the recompense of God, He will come and save you.” Is:35:3

           Moses stands on a bit of high ground and gazes East over the desert towards Egypt.  His eyes are on a huge, billowing cloud of dust in the far distance.  A dust cloud so big that only a very large army could be on their trail. 

            “Pharaoh.” He gasps, then he looks to the west to where the Red Sea stretches.  Trapped!  Fear clutches at his heart.  After a mighty battle of the wills with Pharaoh that lasted for weeks and resulted in many plagues and deaths, had God led them to this place to be rounded up like cattle and driven back to slavery?  “No God!”  Moses yells, “I do not believe it!”

            He hears voices behind him and whirls.  A crowd of men are approaching from the camp, they are grumbling among themselves and gesturing wildly with their hands.  Even before they get near, Moses can see the anger in their faces and feel the tension in the air. The fear that strangles his throat surrounds the men like a living thing.

            “Why did you not leave us alone?” One cries, “We told you from the first this would happen.  Now Pharaoh and his mighty army are coming and he is greatly angered and he will slaughter every one of us!  It would have been much better to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.”  When he finished, there was grumbling and yelling that it would be better to give themselves up and go crawling back even if it meant punishment and harder labor. 

            No!”  Moses bellowed over the din, “Do not be afraid! Stand still and see the deliverance of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today.”  He moved in closer and spoke with great authority that he had never had before.  “These Egyptians whom you see today, you will see no more forever!  The Lord will fight for you and you shall be still and trust your God.”

            Doesn’t this sound a lot like what God was telling Jacob?  “Stand your ground!  Do not run!  Do not go back!  Face the lion!”

            “ Trust in Me”, is what God  says to me just like Jacob and Moses.  “Do not run, do not worry and fret, do not rely on anything but Me.  In quietness and trust is your strength.”

            Doctors and an ultra sound didn’t answer the questions, only eliminated some things.  A CAT scan was the next medical step and it sounded like a good idea for reassurance that my nagging digestive problems were not something serious.  Then we found out the CT scan would cost nearly five thousand dollars, with blood work and the doctors visit.  That’s awful expensive assurance even with insurance.  Okay so we regroup.  I’m not having severe pain, not sick or feverish, it does seem to be improving slowly, maybe we should wait awhile see if I get better or worse.  See if it’s a condition that will improve with diet and medicines.

            Have I really given this to Him?  Am I still clinging to assurance that would come from a CT scan?  Yes I still want to know it’s going to be okay and hear that assurance from a medical test that nothing is seriously wrong.  I’m not saying tests and medical procedures are wrong in any way and many times, I believe God uses these to heal, but I feel right now that God is telling me, “Stand still, Child.  Be calm.  Wait for My deliverance. I will fight for you.  Strengthen your weak hands and make firm your feeble knees.  Be strong and do not fear, for I will come and I will save you.” (from Ex.14:13, Is.36:3-4)

            Only stand still and trust Him.

“In returning and rest you shall be saved.  In quietness and trust is your strength.”Is.30:15

Read Ex. 14:1-14   Is. 35:3-10

Part 4

GO FORWARD

 The Lord your God in your midst, the Mighty One, will save.

He will rejoice over you with gladness. 

He will quiet you with His love. 

He will rejoice over you with singing.” Zephaniah 3:17

            All of Pharaoh’s chariots, horses, horsemen and troops, thousands of them, were on the horizon.  A great army marching upon the children of Israel.  And they were coming fast.  In fact they were gaining ground and overtaking the Israelites where they camped by the Red Sea; where God had told Moses to stop; where they were trapped.  Terror ran rampant around the camp.  People cried and ran to gather their things, but there was no where to go.  They cried out to Moses and to God. 

            God said to Moses, “Why are they crying out to me? Tell the children of Israel to go forward.”

            Go forward!  Moses thought, But where?  God’s next words took his breath away.

            “Lift up your rod and stretch out your hand over the sea and divide it.”

            Do what you say!?  God that’s a big body of water, you know.  The rest of God’s words are even more impossible.

            “So that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.”

            Holy screaming cow!  That must have boggled Moses’ mind.  But what God did next boggles mine.

            The Angel of God, which had been traveling in front of Israel’s army, went to the rear guard and the pillar of cloud, which had also been in front moved to the rear, coming between the armies of Egypt and the Israelites.  The cloud became a dark fog to the Egyptians. 

            Can you imagine it?  Dense fog hanging low on the ground so thick they couldn’t see six feet ahead, and so confusing they had no idea which direction to go.  In the dark of night, there was no seeing anything, so the Egyptians were unable to go near the Israelites.

            In the mean time, the cloud shone a bright light ahead for the people of God.  Moses stretched out his rod and a strong east wind blew driving the waters back and drying the bottom of the Red Sea.  Now I know all about wind and I’ve seen some mighty ones but I don’t think I’ve ever seen a wind that could blow the waters of a deep sea into a wall.  Amazingly, the waters on the other side stood in a heap too.  With an east wind, how did that happen?  So the Israelites went over on dry land.  No mud, no puddles, no wet feet, but dry ground!  Not only did God cover their backs but He also showed them the way of escape.

            I love this!  What a picture of God putting Himself between the enemy and me; any disaster, all evil, every sickness, or absolutely every bad thing.  He’s a thick dense fog covering my back side that won’t let anything get through that He does not allow. If He does allow something, well all I can say is He’s God and He knows what He’s doing.

            He’s my rear guard to keep away the enemy, but He’s also my light to show the way of escape.  Sometimes God takes me through the thick of things.  He could take me around, as He did the Israelites when He guided them into the wilderness instead of going the direct route to Canaan through the land of the Philistines.  He said they were not ready for war and would be afraid. (Ex. 13:17)  Sometimes we’re ready to fight and sometimes we’re not.  If He takes us right down the middle where the enemy is the thickest then He knows we can handle it.  And He always has our escape route planned.  Even if that escape is to go to Glory to be with Him.  We have the victory. 

            God will show me the way through. There’s always the other side of the sea and there’s always a song to sing when we get there.  He will be my light so I can walk into the midst of the deep broad sea on dry ground.  Sound impossible?  It is, but when God says, “Go Forward”, the waters stand in a heap on my right and on my left, and the ground under my feet will be dry.  There will be a way of escape.

            “I’ve got your back,” God says now as I face the lion and the great army descends upon me, “I’ll illuminate your way Go Forward and follow My light”.

            He is Mighty to save!

 “And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction—your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, ‘This is the way walk in it.’ Whenever you turn to the right hand or when you turn to the left.”  Isaiah 30:20-21

Read Ex. 24: 15-23  Is. 30:18-21        

Part 5

IN THE LION’S DEN

By Wendy Kleker

“Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks to his God, just as he had done before.” Daniel 6:10

          He didn’t rant or rave, or protest or carry signs around or get people to sign a petition.  He didn’t scream and holler or fret and stew or ring his hands in worry.  Instead, Daniel prayed.

            A new law was passed by King Darius that no one could pray to any god or man except the king for 30 days.  This law had been pushed through by the king’s cabinet, his advisors who wanted Daniel out of the way.  Trampled.  Gone forever so he couldn’t stand in their way to gain power.  They knew Daniel was faithful.  They knew no fault could be found with him.  They knew he prayed every day.  They knew he would not stop because of the King’s decree.  They set the trap.

            Daniel heard of the decree after it was passed and published.  A done deal.  There was nothing he could do.  The hungry lions awaited and drooled for their feeding.  The hairs on Daniels neck stood up and he could feel the lion’s foul breath on his throat.  Did he plead with his king?  Did he cry out, “No!” to his God?  Did he angrily confront the men who were responsible?  I don’t think so.

            Calm.  Daniel was absolutely calm.  He went home, knelt before an open window, and prayed.  But on the inside, his heart must have been racing.  Sweat must have beaded on his brow.  His hands had to have been sweaty.  The lions, who were kept half starved, were waiting with great anticipation for someone to be pushed into their midst.  The trap was baited.

            Surely, Daniel’s friends must have told him, “Just keep quiet when you pray.  You don’t have to pray out loud for God to hear.”  Or, “It’s only thirty days, surely God will understand if you don’t pray for thirty days.”  “Avoid the lions at all cost.  Do what ever you can to save yourself.  You aren’t any good to God dead, after all.  Fight.  Don’t give in.  Stand up for yourself.”

            He had to have heard the whispers from Satan in his mind that he would die a terrible, painful death.  The fear crept up his back, clenching his stomach and paralyzing his limbs. His mouth was so dry he could hardly get the words out, his voice croaked, but still he was on his knees before his God.  Not only did he pray, but he gave thanks three times a day as he had always done.  Facing Jerusalem.  Before an open window.  Out loud.

            The trap was sprung. 

            You would think God would’ve made Daniel’s enemies blind, put a cloud over Daniel to protect him, or kept the men away, but he was caught red-handed as they heard him asking his God for help.   

            The king was greatly distressed to hear that Daniel would be the one to feed his hungry lions. He tried all day to find some way to save Daniel’s reputation and his hide.  But no one would help him, there were no loop holes anywhere, no strings could be pulled and his senate reminded him that the written word of the king could not be changed.

            Daniel was absolutely quiet as he stood convicted before the king, he didn’t even try to plead his case.  He was found guilty as charged.  The king, however, declared, “May your God whom you serve continually rescue you!” 

                        Talk about fear!  Daniels heart must have been racing like a herd of horses pounding down the race track.  His knees were like wet noodles as he stood before the king.  His insides rolling like a bowling ball.  His teeth clenched and his spin stiff.

            Then they pushed Daniel into the den.

            Cat-like he landed on his feet in the dark cave.  He could hear their panting.  The  dripping of their drool on the rocks.  He could feel the breath on the back of his neck.  With a thud, the stone door fell into place.  In the darkness, the stink of lion filled his nostrils.  Slowly Daniel turned to face the lion.

            My heart is pounding just writing this story, and my stomach is clenched tight. Can you imagine being dumped into the midst of hungry lions?  Yeah, you say, because that’s exactly how I feel right now.  Maybe it is.  I know with my health issues continuing on for months, I felt backed against a wall with the lion’s stinking breath panting in my face and his drool running down my neck.

            I know God said to be still, not run, not fear but to hold my ground and to go forward, trusting Him to provide the way of escape.  But how long do I have to wait?  When the mouth of the lion’s den is yawning large and black before me, when I am pushed inside and the door is slammed shut with a thud, when I hear the hungry lions panting and their drool drip, dipping on the rocks, when I feel their breath on my throat and see the whites of their eyes, when I am backed up against the rock wall and have no place to go,  I’m not like Daniel.  I’m not silent and steady.  I shake and tremble and panic. 

            “Be calm.”

            Oh easy for you to say, God, You keep the stars in place and control the wind and rain and snow. A little lion is nothing to You.

            “Be calm.”

            I have a tendency to get a bit excited.  Calm is not my normal mode of operation.  Not when trials come or difficult situations happen.  My first reaction is to run wild eyed away, fight swinging my fists at whomever or whatever is threatening or rant and rave against the situation.  Even when things are going smooth, I get angry easily.  Oh not at people, but at situations or things that don’t work right.  The anger flares up, bursts into flames, then dies out quickly.  When no one is around, I can do a lot of yelling and stomping. A friend of mine used to call it a brush fit. That’s exactly what I do, throw fits and I throw them well.

            “Be calm”

             I keep hearing this message over and over.  “Be still and know I am God.”  “In quietness and trust is your strength.”  “He will quiet you with His love.” “Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything present your requests to God.  And the peace of God which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Is. 30:15, Zeph. 3:17       Phil. 4:6-7

            Suddenly I realize this anger causes tremendous stress on my body.  Repeated, daily stress whether from anger or anxiety can cause physical problems one being digestive imbalance.  Ahh!  Light bulb goes on!   Okay so when anger flares I take deep breaths and repeat, “be calm” over and over and refuse to give in to anger.

            I can do that, but God, what about when anxiety climbs high and pressures move in and the lion stalks near?  Like Jacob, I want to run and I fight your will.  Like the children of Israel, I grumble and complain because you took me out of my comfort zone where it seemed safe. 

             “As the lion growls, a great lion over his prey, and though a whole band of shepherds is called together against him, the lion will not be frightened by their shouts, or disturbed by their clamor. You can do whatever you want, you can run, you can fight, you can hide, you can try all kinds of things, but the lion will still be there. I, God will do what I will do.”

                Daniel was calm.  How can anyone be that calm in the face of such adversity and danger?  To walk into the lion’s den without so much as a word or a tremble? Was there something he knew that I don’t?

             “ So, I, the Lord Almighty will come down and do battle.  Like birds hovering overhead, I, the Lord Almighty will shield you.  I will shield you and deliver you.”(from Is. 31:4-5)

                The Lord my God is with me and He is Mighty to save!  He will do battle.  He will hover and he will shield me.  Does this mean he will always heal and preserve life?  No. God will do what God will do.  But what God does is good and loving.  He has the way of escape already planned out.  If God wants me to live, He will keep me here on this earth.  If not the way of escape is Glory.  Either way all will be well.  This is what Daniel knew.  This why he could face the lion’s hungry teeth with such aplomb.  

            Daniel prayed.  He poured his heart out to God, giving Him all his troubles, so with peace, that passes all understanding, he could calmly face the lion.

            And Daniel thanked God in the face of great adversity.  In the midst of turmoil and great stress, he blessed the mighty name of his God.

             Help me to praise Your name, oh Lord, in spite of the pain.  Help me to always roll my troubles into Your hands.  Help me to hide under the shadow of Your wings.  Help me to be more like Daniel.

            “Be calm, Child. And trust Me.”       

            God will come and He will do battle.  He will deliver.

“Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls, Yet I will rejoice in the Lord.  I will be joyful in God my Savior.  The Sovereign Lord is my strength. He makes my feet like the feet of a deer; he enables me to go on the heights.”  Habakkuk 3:17-19

Read Daniel 6:1-18  Is. 31

Part 6

MIGHTY

Jacob

“I saw God face to face and yet my life was spared.”  Gen. 32:30

            As the red ball of the sun rises above the desert, the man picks his way across the brook using the staff in his hand to steady himself.  He is limping, but his head is up, his back is straight and his shoulders are held back.  There is a smile on his face and fire in his eyes.  He has just seen God! He talked to God, wrestled with God, was blessed by God.  God has called him Israel, Prince of God.

            Jacob heads east and shades his eyes against the glare of the rising sun.  In the distance, not far away he sees a great cloud of dust and many men walking. 

            Esau approaching with 400 men.  Did Esau march to get his revenge on his wayward, conniving brother?  Was he still angry and bitter for the terrible trick that Jacob played on him many years earlier?  Would Esau wipe them all out?  Kill every one of his family and servants just to be spiteful?

            Jacob quickly went to his family, his two wives, two maid servants and 11 children, and positioned them so his favorites, Rachael and Joseph, were in the rear.   

              Then straightening his back and lifting his head, he set out with long strides to meet the unknown.  No longer is he hunched over by fear.  No more running.  No conniving and swindling.  No sneaking around. No hiding and sulking in the rear.  Now Jacob goes with God.  He is God’s child.  Now Israel stands tall and walks strong in the very front of the procession, as he sets out to face the lion.         

            God, however, has a surprise in store for Jacob. As Jacob is bowing to the ground to show his submission, Esau comes running with robes flapping and throws his arms around Jacob’s neck.  Esau kisses his long-lost brother and both of them weep. 

            Jacob must have been stunned speechless.  All those years of hiding, running, and dreading and here, the reunion with his brother was nothing as he thought it would be.  Instead of angry words and the sword, Esau showers him with hugs and kisses.  The angry man who had threatened to kill Jacob years earlier had definitely changed.  But then God is in the business of changing hearts. And circumstances.

            “Then Jacob set up an altar and called it El Elohe; mighty is the God of Israel.”  Gen. 33:20

            Mighty to deliver!

Moses

“The Lord will fight for you and you need only to be still.” Ex. 14:14       

      The wind blasts against Moses nearly knocking him over.  There is a loud roar as the gale thunders across the Red Sea.  Waves stand tall and the sea boils.  The robes of Moses are nearly ripped from his body, as he holds his staff over the Sea.            

     That’s when it happens.  With a mighty shriek, the wind bombards the waters. The sea howls, as the waves rise into the air.   All the way across the great Red sea, the waters heap up on the right and on the left, until they stand in two towering walls.  Between the two muddy walls of water is a narrow alley of ground reaching all the way across the sea.

     Moses can barely breathe as his eyes take in the amazing sight.  His heart is pounding against his ribs.  God’s words echo in his mind, “So that the Israelites can go through the sea on dry ground.  I will harden the hearts of the Egyptians so that they will go after them and I will gain the glory through Pharoah and his army.”  What does this mean? Will the Egyptians win?

     Moses glances behind him and sees the pillar of fire that illuminates the path across the sea bed.  Loud shouts and curses could be heard behind the pillar where a dark cloud has descended on the Egyptian army making it impossible for them to pursue the Israelites.  God’s presence standing between the Israelites and their enemies. The Mighty One was lighting their way of escape.  He would not abandon them now.

            “Let’s go!”  Moses shouts to God’s people and with his face set in determination, he strides to the sea-shore. 

            Aaron falls in behind him and then Miriam their sister and their families.  Moses climbs over rocks and drops into the very bottom of the sea, where, amazingly, the ground is dry.  The thousands of Israelites march behind and form a long line that will soon extend all the way across the bed of the Red Sea. 

            As Moses marches on dry dirt around boulders and across dips, he is awestruck.  All is silent. Only the footsteps and the thud of the animal’s hooves can be heard.  The very air is eerie.  Charged with excitement. Something great is happening.  Something beyond all human understanding.  Something super natural.

            Moses looks up at the waters towering like high cliffs above him. They are muddy and green.  He sees a dim outline of a long body, then, in a flash, it’s gone. A fish?   What if the waters fall?  His people would be wiped out forever.  Is that God’s plan?  Lure them into the sea and then let the water come upon them? A whole people group annihilated?  Was this how God would be glorified through Pharoah?

             “No! No!”  Moses stumbles, and then steadies himself with his staff. God would never do that to His people whom he had gone to such lengths to deliver from the hands of the Egyptians.  He looks over his shoulder and the pillar of fire is still there, still lighting the way in the dark night. No, God is still with them, He will not forsake His people. 

            However, what about the Egyptians?  How long will they be confused by the dark cloud that surrounds them?  Will they break free and come after them with their horses and their chariots?  After all Moses and his people are mostly on foot.

            Then Moses sees the far shore ahead and soon he’s clambering up the rocky bank.  He stands and watches the amazing sight.  Across the sea stands the pillar of light, so bright he has to shield his eyes with his hands.  The walls of water are towering, dark and muddy as they hold back the roiling sea on both sides.  In the deep canyon between file his people. God’s people, in a long line reaching nearly to the other shore.  There are children leading dogs, cows and donkeys.  Old people stumbling and falling with the younger ones lending their hands and even carrying some on their backs.  Some older or very young ones ride donkeys or mules.  All wagons and carts have been left behind because of the rocky, rough ground. 

            Moses watches through the night and the end of the line passes the half way mark.  Suddenly there are great shouts on the other shore and he can see the army of the Egyptians as it pours into the sea bed.  Many chariots lead the way followed by hundreds of horses and horsemen and behind them are the foot soldiers.  All of Pharaoh’s army charges over the rocks towards the defenseless Israelites. 

            “They are coming!”  Moses yells in a great voice and it is passed down the line, “Hurry!  Hurry!  Pharaoh comes!”

            The people move faster, carrying old people and young, tugging on ropes of animals, dropping belongings, as they frantically glance over their shoulders and concentrate on not falling in the rocks.  

            Moses suddenly sees the chariots falter, as wheels fall off chariots tumble and men sprawl on the ground. There is great confusion as the horses and soldiers are blocked by fallen chariots.  Some horses begin to panic, heads up, eyes wild, they try to turn and run.  Then men, sensing impending doom, flee for the following shore. 

            Moses watches with held breath as the sky in the east becomes lighter.  Then Aaron says, just as the sun breaks over the horizon, “They are all across.”

            “Stretch your hand over the sea, Moses”, booms the voice of God and Moses reaches his hand towards the Red Sea.

            Suddenly there is a great roar as the walls begin to fall.  The waters rush by and the alley way is gone.  The sea roils and boils and all of Pharaoh’s army is covered with water.

            The people of God stand on the shore and gape with eyes wide, and mouths open.  Within minutes all of the sea fills in and smooths out to a glassy sheen.  Not one of Pharaoh’s army is left to be seen.  Their entire enemy is gone.  Destroyed in an instant by the God of their forefathers.  The God of the universe!  The God above all gods!

            Suddenly a great shout from thousands of throats burst upon the morning.  Moses and the people all along the shore raise their voices in song.          

            “Sing to the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously!  The horse and rider He has thrown into the sea!

            The Lord shall reign for ever and ever!”  Ex. 15:1, 18

            Mighty to fight the battle!

Daniel

“May our God, whom you serve continually, rescue you!”  Dan. 6:16

            Darkness surrounds him.  The pungent reek of cat fills his nostrils. He hears the dripping of drool on the rocks and feels the hot breath on his face. His heart pounds in his chest.   Frozen in place where he crouches, he waits for sharp teeth to rip into his neck.  In the dim light that filters through the vents he catches a glimpse of light reflecting in eyes.  Hungry lion’s eyes.  He is left alone to face the lions, forsaken it seems even by his God to whom he has been always faithful.

            The man who prays can see the dim outline of big cats sitting near him.  Slowly he turns his head.  They surround him and more wait in the background.  Tongues slurp out to lick drooling lips.  Eyes pierce him with the intentness of the hunter closing in on its prey. 

            Daniel sucks in a ragged breath, closes his eyes and clenches his jaw.  This is it then, the end. Shuddering, he waits for the teeth and claws to rip him apart. 

            Nothing happens.  There is only the puffing breath of the lions and the occasional drip of drool.  He opens his eyes and peers into the dimness.  There is a glow in the cave, a presence.  A faint outline of a huge man-form with flowing wings moves among the lions.  One by one the big cats lie down and fall asleep.

            Daniel is amazed, but he too is over come by sleepiness.  So he lays down right where he is and falls into a deep sleep.

            When Daniel opens his eyes to the light of dawn filtering into the den, the angel is gone, but the lions are still asleep. 

            “Daniel,” booms a loud voice outside, “servant of the living God has your God whom you serve continually been able to rescue you from the lions?”  It’s King Darius who had not been able to sleep all night, but paced the floor of his chambers worried about Daniel’s fate. 

            The lions yawn lazily, but Daniel is not worried.  “O King,” he yells through the stone door, “My God sent His angel and he shut the mouth of the lions.”

             Then the king ordered men to lift Daniel out of the den and not a single wound was found on him because he trusted his God. 

            The king proclaimed to all the people in the land, “For God is the living God and He endures forever!  His kingdom will not be destroyed, His dominion will never end.  (from Dan. 6:19-26)

            He is Mighty to save!  

            Three impossible accounts.  Jacob’s pleas go unanswered for years.  Moses’ cries for help seem only to lead him farther into deep waters.  Daniel’s daily petitions seem to bounce off a stone ceiling even though he prays before an open window.

            In each situation there is no hope of escape.  An angry brother, a huge army, and hungry lions drooling for blood, how much worse can it get?  Right?  No hope, no escape, no solution.

            Just when it’s down to the wire, just when the blade is about to fall, just when it seems God has forsaken us, when it seems He never answers prayer, when all is dark and the lion drools down our neck, all mighty God steps in and with one look makes the great cat go to sleep.

            When will I figure out God will do this for me.  Every time!  It may not be the answer I want or in the timing I think it should be, but He always hears and He always answers.  In His time.  In His way. 

            Why do I doubt He hears my prayers?  Why do I think for even one minute that my God would abandon me?  Why do I think the All Mighty would let me be devoured by the lion?  When will I believe? 

            The God of the universe, the Might One is victorious!  All the time!

God changes hearts!  His love endures forever!

            God comes between my enemies and me!  He is mighty to save!

            God defeats our enemies!  He has triumphed victoriously!

            Our Great and Glorious God shuts the mouth of the lion. 

“He rescues and He saves!  He performs signs and wonders, in the Heavens and on the earth.” Dan. 6:27