When God’s people
experienced His great redemption from Egyptian
bondage, the Lord opened the way by dividing the Red
Sea. Israel walked through on dry land without taking
any initiative. In fact, Moses’ cry was,
“Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord”
(Exodus 14:13).
However, after 40 years of
seeing God’s provision, God told the priests to
step into the water, the flowing water, with
the ark of the covenant on their shoulders. Not until
they were willing to take that “step” of
faith would the waters of the Jordan stop
flowing.
What a great picture of the
contrast between entering life with God and living a
life of obedience as a child of God!
Today, whenever a person
exercises his faith muscle and trusts the finished
work of Christ on the cross, he is saved, not on the
basis of anything he has done, but solely on the basis
of his trusting reliance on Christ’s death and
resurrection.
Trusting reliance continues to
be the road Christians travel, but that trust is
demonstrated by obedience to God’s commands
— even when they appear difficult or
illogical.
The Israelites would have waited
until the cows came home for the Jordan River to stop
flowing. They had to take faith-full action and step
out into the water to experience the power of God on
their behalf.
If you are struggling with a
chronic temptation to view porn — and losing in
the struggle! — take heart, and learn a lesson
from the Israelites. You have received salvation by
trusting in Christ alone. (By the way, if you
haven’t yet trusted Christ and want to find out
how to do so, click
here.)
Now, God expects you to continue
to trust Him, which translates into a life of
faithfulness. Waiting for a miraculous deliverance
from porn? Waiting for God to stop the flow of the
river of desire? Step into the stream of obedience,
and you’ll experience God’s deliverance
— and not a moment before.