“Is not this what we said to you in Egypt: ‘Leave us alone that we may serve the Egyptians’? For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” – Exodus 14:12

The Israelites were in the midst of the most dramatic move of God since Creation and they were utterly terrified! They’d seen God work powerful miracles to set them free from slavery in Egypt. Nonetheless, as Egypt’s terrifying army was closing in on them, they doubted everything. Despite everything they’d experienced, they desperately wanted to go back to their old situation. They wanted the safety of slavery, an evil they knew, rather than the intense and unknown danger of living in God’s will.

This can happen to any of us! When God calls us to follow Him into a new spiritual adventure, we are likely to reach a point of tremendous fear and doubt. Jesus invites His followers to take up their cross each day and follow Him wherever He leads. That will lead us into radical personal transformation. It will lead us into places we never imagined going. It may lead to new homes, new jobs, new passions, and new pursuits. It can lead to the mission field far away or the mission field in your office. And it can absolutely be frightening because we have no sense of control.

Whenever God is doing a mighty work in your life, expect a time of fear and doubt. Will this career change work out? Are you strong enough to minister to the desperate need of those to whom God has called you? Will greater boldness for Jesus get you in trouble? Has it already gotten you in trouble? Will your family reject your deeper enthusiasm for the Lord? Will the Lord provide the funds you need to keep a roof over your family’s head? The questions and doubts can be endless. Going back to the way you were (less obedient, less committed, less mature, less dependent on God) can become quite attractive.

This is very likely to happen when you commit to follow Jesus wherever He leads. The question is, when the fear rises within you, what will you do? Will you be like the Israelites and desperately want to go back to the old way? That’s both impossible and a terrible idea. Don’t long to go backward. Don’t long for a place of less dependence on Jesus. Cry out to God and move forward! Trust that He is with you and let Him strengthen and sustain you. When you’re in the spiritual desert, don’t waste time looking backward. Take up your cross and continue to #FollowJesus forward into the great adventure He has prepared for you!

“He saved others; he cannot save himself. He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him.” – Matthew 27:42

What a perfect illustration of how little the chief priests and scribes understood about Jesus and His purpose. In their mockery, they imagined that the ultimate demonstration that Jesus was the Christ would be for Him to simply hop off the cross and save His own life. That was never going to happen, because Jesus still had work to do and the cross was where that work had to be done!

On that cross, Jesus was bearing all the sins of the world, including yours. He was canceling our record of sin debt by paying for it Himself. Jesus was receiving all of God’s righteous wrath for our sins. He was writing a new covenant of grace and sealing it with His innocent blood. He was satisfying the demands of justice on that cross. Jesus couldn’t complete His ultimate purpose if He merely acted to save His own earthly life. Those religious leaders could think of no higher purpose in life than self-preservation. They couldn’t understand the sacrifice and love that held God’s Son on that cross more tightly than nails ever could!

Thankfully, Jesus understood perfectly. There was no real temptation here for Him that day. He’d already battled this particular temptation in the Garden of Gethsemane the night before. In this moment, He knew His mission and nothing could distract Him from it. He was there for love. He was there for grace. He was there for reconciliation. Thank you, Jesus for staying on that cross for us! #FollowJesus

“And the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the people of Israel and that he had seen their affliction, they bowed their heads and worshiped.” – Exodus 4:31

The Israelite people had been living in bondage to Egypt for quite some time. They’d been suffering and crying out in their misery but assumed that nobody was listening. They were wrong and their tears turned to joy and worship when they learned just how wrong they were. The Lord had heard and seen because He hears and sees everything. What a relief it was for them to simply know that God cared.

What they didn’t understand was that God always cares. They didn’t know God, they merely knew of Him. So they didn’t think He knew of their suffering or could do anything about it. That couldn’t be farther from the truth. God always knew. He was simply waiting until the timing was perfect to reveal Himself and lead His people into freedom. They had to be ready. The world had to be ready. The Promised Land had to be ready.

Remember this truth. Whenever you go through long seasons of difficulty, pain, and suffering it becomes easy to believe that God isn’t present and doesn’t care about you and your pain. That simply isn’t true. He is present with you in your suffering and sorrow. He cares deeply about your pain. He made you with care and loves you enough to send His Son to the cross for you. You aren’t alone and your prayers aren’t bouncing off the ceiling. God will never leave or forsake those who belong to Him through Jesus Christ.

When you’re at your lowest point spiritually, remember this story. Remember that God is always with you. Don’t fall into the lonely resignation of the Israelites who didn’t know the Lord. Instead, rejoice in the truth that God is with you. Let that truth guide your heart into worship rather than despair. #FollowJesus

“I had heard of you by the hearing of the ear,
but now my eye sees you;”
– Job 42:5

At the end of it all, this is what Job came to understand. He’d suffered terribly and unjustly because the devil is real and permitted to test the faithful. It’s unclear whether Job ever understood that part. However, he came to understand and find peace in the person and presence of God and God alone. Not in money, property, or family. In God alone.

For so long, Job had thought that satisfaction and peace would come from questioning God, debating God, and confronting God. That never happened. He demanded answers and precisely 0 of his questions were ever answered by God. Why? Because God knows that answers to our questions don’t bring comfort, peace, or satisfaction amidst suffering (even if we could understand them).

To get Job’s attention, God asked him dozens and dozens of questions that he couldn’t answer. This snapped Job out of his self-centered mindset and opened his eyes to see the infinite majesty and awesome power of His Creator. That’s when Job discovered the secret to peace amidst suffering and injustice… Stop seeking answers humans are unable to comprehend. Seek God instead. God usually won’t give us answers but He’ll gladly give us Himself!

At last, Job not only knew about and respected God, he knew God. He had a relationship with the Almighty. Therein lies the secret to peace in our most unhappy situations. Seek God. Cry out to Him in the name of Jesus. Be reconciled to Him through faith in Jesus. Be embraced and adopted as His beloved child by grace through faith in Jesus. Then embrace the privileges that come with that adoption! Embrace your freedom to speak with God any time, day and know. To talk to Him and listen to Him. Trust that He loves you and wants what’s best for you. Rest in His sovereignty, His power, His goodness, His wisdom, His mercy, His grace, and His love. Stop approaching God like a prosecuting attorney and approach Him as the son or daughter you truly are in Jesus Christ. #FollowJesus