Exodus 14: 19-31
19The angel of God that had been leading the camp of Israel now shifted and got behind them. And the Pillar of Cloud that had been in front also shifted to the rear. 20The Cloud was now between the camp of Egypt and the camp of Israel. The Cloud enshrouded one camp in darkness and flooded the other with light. The two camps didn't come near each other all night.
21Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea and GOD, with a terrific east wind all night long, made the sea go back. He made the sea dry ground. The seawaters split.
22The Israelites walked through the sea on dry ground with the waters a wall to the right and to the left. 23The Egyptians came after them in full pursuit, every horse and chariot and driver of Pharaoh racing into the middle of the sea. 24It was now the morning watch. GOD looked down from the Pillar of Fire and Cloud on the Egyptian army and threw them into a panic. 25He clogged the wheels of their chariots; they were stuck in the mud.
The Egyptians said, "Run from Israel! GOD is fighting on their side and against Egypt!"
26GOD said to Moses, "Stretch out your hand over the sea and the waters will come back over the Egyptians, over their chariots, over their horsemen."
27Moses stretched his hand out over the sea: As the day broke and the Egyptians were running, the sea returned to its place as before. GOD dumped the Egyptians in the middle of the sea. 28The waters returned, drowning the chariots and riders of Pharaoh's army that had chased after Israel into the sea. Not one of them survived.
29But the Israelites walked right through the middle of the sea on dry ground, the waters forming a wall to the right and to the left. 30GOD delivered Israel that day from the oppression of the Egyptians. And Israel looked at the Egyptian dead, washed up on the shore of the sea, 31and realized the tremendous power that GOD brought against the Egyptians. The people were in reverent awe before GOD and TRUSTED IN GOD and his servant Moses.
I don't think I trust God enough. I want to look out at the world and get angry when things don't seem to be going the way I want them to. I write a blog post, I complain and even argue sometimes, but in the end God is right there saying, "You should have just trusted in me, I promised that I would take care of it."
It's odd how I am never content to simply be in prayer when I'm bothered by something (even when a friend and mentor tells me to simply be in prayer) and instead I act as though I can change a situation withough acknowledging that it is God who changes situations.
I really need to trust God more. I really need to pray more. Wow, I'm not feeling nearly as contemplative and prayerful as I want to. Maybe I should just trust that God is working through this to lead me to something.
Wow, that God sure is crafty.
shalom,
jn
2 comments:
Is the sheer desire for prayer ever a prayer in and of itself? I think there might be something in hunger for prayer that suggests the pervasive nature of God's sanctifying presence in ones life.
I guess to answer this I'd need to examine the witness of those who are "well-practiced" in the discipline of prayer, and see what they think.
Any ideas?
i'd start with thomas merton and henri nouwen. those are the two that really come to mind.
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