Tuesday, November 10, 2015

~ No Longer Slaves ~





I heard this song back in January or February of this year.  
It's stuck with me like no other song has stuck with me before. 

I was so intrigued by the lyrics that I decided to read the history 
of Moses & the Israelite's who were enslaved to the Egyptian's
under Pharaoh's rule (Exodus 1-14)

The Lord revealed so much to me through this story and this song.

The Israelite's were enslaved to the Egyptian's for 430 years...FOUR HUNDRED THIRTY YEARS!

How many years have you (I'm speaking to myself here as well) been living in fear?
Fear of the unknown.
Fear of failure.
Fear of no longer "being in control"
(I use quotes there because "being in control" is a LIE.
We aren't in control of ANYTHING!)
Fear of not measuring up.
Fear of rejection.
Fear of not being perfect.

These are ALL lies holding us back from God's best.

Whatever it is you've been afraid of...FEAR NOT!!
God made a promise to Moses & Aaron and that promise is true for us today. 
In Exodus 3:16-17 God promises to bring the Israelite's out of their 
misery & slavery in Egypt into FREEDOM 
and into the land flowing with milk & honey.  

And God is a God who lives up to His promises.
On the last day of 430 years of being enslaved
the Lord provides a way out!

God sent Moses & Aaron to bring the Israelite's out of enslavement    
into His Freedom...

But first...let's look at something that really struck me.
In Exodus 14 they're marching out...they are on their way to freedom.
They see Pharaoh's army on their trail.
They say to Moses in verse 12 "Didn't we say to you in Egypt, 
'Leave us alone; let us serve the Egyptian's'? It would have been better
for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the desert!"

They were comfortable in their slavery.  Let me say that again...
THEY WERE COMFORTABLE IN THEIR SLAVERY!!!

How often have we missed out on God's best because it was 
so much easier to live in fear, to be SLAVES to fear because 
it's what we know best.

Moses then says in verse 13
"Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see 
the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. 
The Egyptian's (your fear or whatever it is holding you back)
you see today you will never see again. 
(and my favorite part, verse 14)
"The Lord will fight for you; 
you need only to be still"

Step out...don't live in fear any longer...
God, the King of Kings & Lord of Lords
is fighting on your behalf.

What happened next is my FAVORITE part of the song

God told Moses to raise his staff and a miracle happened
God SPLIT THE SEA so the Israelite's
could walk into their FREEDOM!

  
The Israelite's made it across and the Lord 
released the waters to drown the Egyptian Army (our fears).

I'm feeling this challenge like never before.
I'm in a season where it's so easy to let fear 
take over and hold me back.

God has great things ahead for me. 
I'm trusting HIS perfect plan
and HIS perfect timing.