The Lord Will Fight for You...Promises for the Wilderness #16

The first wilderness test:  Opposition from the "world"

While peace, comfort, and security are promises the Christ assures us are part of our new lives in Him, it isn't always evident at first.  The journey out of slavery, through the wilderness struggle of becoming "new" - or the wilderness journey of being refashioned "anew" again and again - and emerging in the place of being able to "take possession" of our promised land, is awash with lessons to be learned; and these lessons help us to take off the cloaks of false identities we have wrapped around ourselves so that we can receive the mantle of our true identity through Christ.

In the Biblical language of "types and shadows", Egypt is a "type" which represents our old lives before salvation.   The first test occurs when they are barely out of "Egypt"...the ruler of Egypt (a type of Satan) begins to pursue the Israelites with vengeance - even to the point that the children of God cried out in despair that it would have been better to remain as they had been - slaves in Egypt!

Awareness can be frightening at first.  The territory of the unknown is frightening.  Old ways haunt us; old friends or habits seem appealing because at least that is familiar.  We cry out and it doesn't seem that God hears because we are so frightened...hear what the Lord says through Moses:

Perhaps it is the roar of Satan through old friends and family that are furious at you for your new choices, and the harsh words pouring over you seem like an army in pursuit...hear what the Lord says through Moses:

“Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians (the cravings, the familiar old ways, the pull of the old life, the anger of others about your new choices)* you see today you will not see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still.”

The children of Israel needed to hear comfort from someone else.  They weren't chastised for being new in their journey with God, but comforted by one who knew Him intimately.  Who can you call on to give you sound and Godly wisdom?  Call them when the opposition of the world seems to be too much!

*the underlined words are my additions