We have probably all heard the story of the Israelites being held captive in Egypt by the Pharaoh and God sending Moses to lead them out of there. You may have even seen a movie about it. This event took place in the Old Testament times long before Jesus was born. .
The Israelites had went to Egypt because there was famine in there country. Once they became very numerous the Pharaoh felt they where becoming a threat to him and turned them into slaves. So God sent Moses to lead them out of there. For the Pharaoh to let them go is an event all in itself.
The scriptures I am using is right after they left Egypt and are in the dessert. The Pharaoh had changed his mind and is now chasing them.
The first example I want to use is with the Israelites being up against the Red Sea with the Pharaoh and his soldiers chasing them and there appeared to be no way out.
EX 14:10-13 As Pharaoh approached, the Israelites looked up, and there were the Egyptians, marching after them. They were terrified and cried out to the LORD. 11 They said to Moses, "Was it because there were no graves in Egypt that you brought us to the desert to die? What have you done to us by bringing us out of Egypt? 12 Didn't we say to you in Egypt, `Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptians'? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!" 13 Moses answered the people, "Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the LORD will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. 14 The LORD will fight for you; you need only to be still."
After God lead them out of Egypt, the first real obstacle that showed up they lost there faith. Moses reminds them that they only need to trust God and he will help them, which in this case he did by parting the sea, allowing them to go across and once the soldiers went in to where the water should be he flooded the area and eliminated the pursuers.
Lets go to the next example. Some time later they needed food and started complaining, again not trusting in God.
EX 16:2-5 In the desert the whole community grumbled against Moses and Aaron. 3 The Israelites said to them, "If only we had died by the LORD's hand in Egypt! There we sat around pots of meat and ate all the food we wanted, but you have brought us out into this desert to starve this entire assembly to death." 4 Then the LORD said to Moses, "I will rain down bread from heaven for you."
Even so the Israelites lost their faith again God still took care of them by giving them bread in the morning and quail in the evening. Wouldn't it be awesome if that happened today?
I want to use one more example before I make my point. This time the Israelites are out of water.
EX 17:1-7 The whole Israelite community set out from the Desert of Sin, traveling from place to place as the LORD commanded. They camped at Rephidim, but there was no water for the people to drink. 2 So they quarreled with Moses and said, "Give us water to drink." Moses replied, "Why do you quarrel with me? Why do you put the LORD to the test?" 3 But the people were thirsty for water there, and they grumbled against Moses. They said, "Why did you bring us up out of Egypt to make us and our children and livestock die of thirst?" 4 Then Moses cried out to the LORD, "What am I to do with these people? They are almost ready to stone me." 5 The LORD answered Moses, "Walk on ahead of the people. Take with you some of the elders of Israel and take in your hand the staff with which you struck the Nile, and go. 6 I will stand there before you by the rock at Horeb. Strike the rock, and water will come out of it for the people to drink." So Moses did this in the sight of the elders of Israel. 7 And he called the place Massah and Meribah because the Israelites quarreled and because they tested the LORD saying, "Is the LORD among us or not?"
Again God took care of them. We could go on and on with these examples.
What is the point I am trying to make with all this? Even after God did all these miracles the Israelites still had trouble trusting God.
Are we any different today? I don't think so. We so easily forget the things God has done for us or promised us.
Part of the reason I believe is because we are used to being let down by people around us. Some of us have been let down by friends, co-workers or even parents, so it is becoming harder and harder to trust. Especially in someone you can not see.
So what do we do? We have to learn to trust God. We do this by hanging on to his promises he made in the Bible.
PR 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.
ISA 26:4 Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the Rock eternal.
We also do this by remembering the times when God proved himself to us and we do it by talking to one another and sharing these times.
If we follow these three steps, we will get better at trusting God. The more you do it the easier it will become. After a while you will find your faith becoming stronger and stronger.
That is what God intended.
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