Tuesday, January 26
Help! by Elizabeth Munson
Often God is unable to help us unless we let Him. The children of
Israel learned this lesson while escaping from their Egyptian
captors. We can learn from the Israelites’ story and apply this lesson
to our own lives:
“God may permit a train of circumstances to come that will lead
them to flee to the stronghold, by faith pressing to the throne of God
amid thick clouds of darkness; for even here His presence is con-
cealed. But He is ever ready to deliver all that trust in Him.”!
“Of the abundant provision made for every tempted soul, the
apostle Paul bears eloquent testimony. To him was given the divine
assurance, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for My strength is made
perfect in weakness.” In gratitude and confidence the tried servant
of God responded: ‘Mest gladly therefore will I rather glory in my
infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I
take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in perse-
cutions, in distresses for Christ’s sake: for when I am weak, then am
I strong.’ 2 Corinthians 12:9, 10.
“We must cherish and cultivate the faith of which prophets and
apostles have testified—the faith that lays hold on the promises of
God and waits for deliverance in His appointed time and way.”?
“It was ‘by faith’ that ‘they [the children of Israel] passed through
the Red Sea as by dry land.’ . . . In marching down to the very water,
they showed that they believed the word of God as spoken to Moses.
They did all that was in their power to do, and then the Mighty One
of Israel divided the sea to make a path for their feet.
“The great lesson here taught is for all time. . . . Those who defer
obedience till every shadow of uncertainty disappears and there re-
mains no risk of failure or defeat, will never obey at all. . . . Faith
courageously urges an advance, hoping all things, believing all
things.”
“When the Israelites were overtaken by dangers and difficulties,
and their way seemed hedged up, their faith forsook them. . . . The
divine command was: ‘Go forward.” They were not to wait until the
way was made plain, and they could comprehend the entire plan of
their deliverance. God’s cause is onward, and He will open a path
before His people. To hesitate and murmur is to manifest distrust in
the Holy One of Israel. God in His providence brought the Hebrews
into the mountain fastnesses, with the Red Sea before them, that He
might work out their deliverance and forever rid them of their en-
emies. He might have saved them in any other way, but He chose
this method in order to test their faith and strengthen their trust in
Him.”
REACT
At what moments in your life have you realized your own help-
lessness apart from God? In what ways do you find yourself trying to
take control of your own life and not trusting God?
Elizabeth Munson is a senior history major at Walla Walia College,
Washington.
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TESTIMONY
Key text:
Exodus 14:10-18
1. Testimonies,
val. 8, p.157.
2. Prophets and Kings,
p. 387.
3. Patriarchs and
Prophets, p. 290.
4. Testimonies,
vol. 4, pp. 25, 26