“RED SEA RULES”

Week Thirty-Four, 2020

And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the Lord caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided. Exodus 14:21

It’s a small and short book, but packed with wisdom. Someone gave it to me a long time ago and I just pulled it off the shelf again recently. It is titled The Red Sea Rules. So many are now hurting with and suffering from so much and it speaks to us today just as it spoke about Moses in the book of Exodus.

Just as Moses and the Israelites found themselves caught between “the devil and the deep Red Sea,” so are we sometimes overwhelmed by life’s problems. But God delivered the Israelites, and He will deliver us, too.

On the wall in our faimly room is a large painting showing how God parted the Red Sea for Moses and the Israelites. I see it every day and it gives me comfort.

The Red Sea Rules reveal that even in the midst of seemingly impossible situations, God’s promises to make a way for us. His loving guidance will protect us through danger, illness, marital strife, financial problems–whatever challenges Satan places in our path. Whatever we are walking through, He is walking with us.

Using the Israelites’ story as an example, the author offers ten sound strategies for moving from fear to faith. The ten rules are:

▪ Realize that God means for you to be where you are.

▪ Be more concerned for God’s glory than for your relief.

▪ Acknowledge your enemy but keep your eyes on the Lord.

▪ Pray.

▪ Stay calm and confident and give God time to work.

▪ When insecure, just take the next logical step by faith.

▪ Envision God’s enveloping presence.

▪ Trust God to deliver in His own unique way.

▪ View your current crisis as a faith builder for the future.

▪ Don’t forget to praise Him.

Life is hard, even and perhaps especially for Christians. It is certain that we will face difficulties, and that God will allow them, as He allowed the Israelites to become trapped between Pharaoh’s rushing armies and the uncrossable Red Sea. But just as certain is the fact that the same God who led us in will lead us out. As these Sea rules make comfortingly clear, He is in control.

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SOMETIMES TRUE STORIES

The 5 most important phrases to use (and mean) with your children and grandchildren:

▪ “I love you”

▪ “I was wrong”

▪ “You are meant to be great for God ~ Dream Big”

▪ “Shine ~ Shine where you are… in who you are… in what you’re doing”

▪ “Remember who you are…and whose you are.”

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In the book “The Trellis and the Vine“, the authors summarized believer’s spiritual growth in terms of three Cs:

▪ Conviction: Your knowledge of God and understanding of the Bible.

▪ Character: Godly character and a life that accords with sound doctrine.

▪ Competency: The ability to prayerfully speak God’s word to others in a variety of ways.

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We humans make plans, but the Lord has the final word. We may think we know what is right, but the Lord is the judge of our motives. Share your plans with the Lord and you will succeed. Proverbs 16:1-3.

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If you are dispirited and discouraged with current events, maybe you’re spending too much time looking inward and outward. Look upward. Get a good look at God. See who He is. Feel His presence. Survey His creation. Meditate on His Word. And cultivate a relationship with His Son, Jesus Christ. Our God is an Awesome God. Ken Weliever, The Preacherman.

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QUOTES YOU CAN USE

Giving makes Christians’ life satisfying! Stephen Bernard

When you take your eyes off yourself, your vision improves. Sharon Boehm

Charles Spurgeon said it best… “Go to Calvary to learn how you may be forgiven, and then linger there to learn how to forgive.”

The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas, if you do not fear God, you fear everything else. Oswald Chambers

The person’s financial ethic we should care most about is our own. The Minimalist

To educate a person in the mind, but not in morals, is to educate a menace to society. Teddy Roosevelt

A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new. Albert Einstein

There is a human tendency to blame others for our errors. To deflect personal responsibility. And even to justify our sins. Ken Weliever, The Preacherman

Every man must decide whether he will walk in the light of creative altruism or in the darkness of destructive selfishness. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr

The first part of boot camp for a soldier is to understand and exercise discipline in all aspects of their military life…no wonder we need the same lesson as a Christian “soldier”. Dwight Short