
Eyes widened with wonder as the enormous pillar of cloud spun, lifted, and moved to place itself between the enemy and God’s children. Never before on this long, arduous wilderness journey had they witnessed such an intentional move of protection from their God. Faith-steps had been taken as they trusted Moses, for sure, but this … this was different.
Can We Trust Faith-Steps?
The sound of galloping hooves pounded through the desert, dust billowing in defiance to the One True God as Pharaoh’s army gained ground in their hungry pursuit of God’s children.
The children of Israel were hemmed in. Water shimmered in the moonlight in front of them — deep, impossible water. Pharaoh and his army were approaching from behind. God’s people were trapped and faced with three options: surrender, fight … or trust God.
I’ve been in this place many times, as I’m sure you have too. It’s part of the human condition in a fallen world — especially for those who choose to walk by faith and not by sight.
How many times have I faced deep, impossible waters threatening to drown me if I moved forward, all the while hearing the sound of the enemy’s taunts rattling in my ears, frightening me with his approach?

Impossible situations.
Unbearable heartache that stopped me in my tracks.
Fear of an unknown future.
But isn’t that when our merciful God of impossibilities shows up?
Even in the midst of our complaining and frustrated outbursts, our God remains faithful.
And that’s exactly what He did in this familiar story of the parting of the Red Sea found in Exodus 14.
God pushed the sea back with a mighty east wind and made the sea into dry land. The children of Israel passed through the walls of water to the other side. The Egyptians followed and the Lord caused the sea to crash over them — the chariots, the horsemen, and all the army of Pharaoh.
Not so much as one of them remained.
This beloved bible story resonates with us in so many ways. And in its familiarity, it’s easy to lose some of its power and maybe even part of its message.
For the first time in over forty years of loving this story, I saw something new.
I realized that when the Israelites were crossing the Red Sea, it was dark. Night.
The pillar of fire lit their way through the darkness as they stepped out in faith and watched the miracle of God unfold.

It. Was. Still. Dark.
And then, when the new day dawned, that’s when the enemy was destroyed.
The parallel of our own journeys leaped from the page! When our lives are crumbling, or when we are faced with the impossible with no way out and the enemy mocks us with his jeers and torments, it seems as if we are shrouded in darkness.
But then out of the darkness the Lord speaks and instructs us to move forward — yes, to move forward — as we watch Him fight for us.
As we take one timid step after another, we behold our miracle.
God Honors Our Faith-Steps
Like a mighty wind, He pushes the impossibilities aside to give us sure footing. Even though fear and uncertainty hover in the shadows of night, once we cross over, the new dawn breaks.
We look back at our path and we watch as the enemy is swallowed up before us.
Faith-steps occur in darkness, lit only by the grace of God. But when we, through obedience and trust, agree to take those steps, the new dawn breaks and we witness the surmise of our enemy.
Selah
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Thank you so much for stopping by. I would love for you to share what’s on your heart in the comments below. Scroll a little farther down and you’ll see where you can leave your comments. Together, we can find the nearness of God in our darkest moments.
Sweet blessings to you,