Have you ever been in a situation where you simply don’t know what to do? You’re unsure of what decision to make? You feel lost, confused, alone, abandoned? What do you do in those moments?
If you’re a Christian like me, you usually pray, call out to God, ask Him to make a way, and to show you. We seek guidance, we share our burdens and communicate our desires. We cry out to God.
We’ve all been there. Faced with a tough decision, not knowing what to do, feeling helpless and without direction, we call on God to do something for us. To make the path clear (or easy) for us. These pleas often come from a pure heart.
I came across a verse in a story I’ve read hundreds of times that hit me and revealed something I had been overlooking.
Then the Lord said to Moses, “why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.”
Exodus 14:15
The context of the story is Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt, where they were enslaved over 400 years. God heard the cries of the Hebrews (Exodus 2:23-24, Exodus 3:9) and remembered His covenant, sent someone to lead and inspire them and promised to make a way.
God released plagues until Pharaoh finally relented and released Israel. At this point in the story, Moses had led Israel to the Red Sea and was about to perform one of the most amazing miracles ever: parting the sea.
However, Israel became scared because Pharaoh changed his mind and began pursuing Israel again. The following verses are of Israel calling out to God and asking Moses to speak to God, and then Moses relating the cries of God’s nation.
But God’s response to Moses stuck with me this time I read it. He said:
“Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the sons of Israel to go forward.”
Why would God respond like this? Everything leading up to this point was God hearing the cries of His people, showing His power and might and making a way through provision and miracles for the people of Israel.
And then, “Why are you crying out? Go forward.”
There are a few thoughts I’d like to communicate through this short phrase God spoke.
- We often wait on God to move, speak, reveal, etc. but what if God is waiting on us?
- God may not give you a step by step plan, He may only give you the end result, or the next step. So when you don’t know what steps to take, what we can do is the next right/best thing and trust God to guide our steps.
- There is a time to wait and a time to move. God desires for us to move with Him. If I’m going to make a mistake or wrong decision, I’d rather do it proactively than passively.
- Strength will rise as we wait on the Lord (Isaiah 40:31), but what is that strength for? To simply have it, or to use it?
What are you waiting on right now? What do your prayers and thoughts look like as you navigate a difficult time? Do you know what to do? Are you where you desire to be? Do you know what you need to do next?
We have questions, frustrations, concerns and reasoning, but what if God is waiting on you to move? What if He has left all the crumbs for you and now He’s asking you to step out in boldness?
Maybe you’re in the season of waiting, wondering, seeking and questioning right now and you’re frustrated with the lack of direction, or “God hearing you”. If that’s you, let’s take a lesson from what God spoke to Moses and the Israelites: Go forward!
The crazy thing about this particular story is that Israel was in the exact moment of a ridiculous miracle. They were, quite literally, on a dry sea floor as the waters were pushed up beside them. They were living in the miracle of provision, but they took their eyes off what God was doing and chose to focus on a fearful thing gripping them.
Maybe the thing that will give us boldness is ignoring the struggle before us and acknowledging the miraculous provision around us.
There is a time to cry out, indeed. But there is also a time for action. This takes boldness and courage, but on the other side will be freedom and having overcome.
I’ll leave you with one of my all time favorite quotes, and line from a song:
If you’re going through hell, keep going.
Winston Churchill
