Your Promise Land

I was rereading this morning about when the children of Israel were being chased by Pharaoh and his army because God was taking them out of Egypt.
Here’s a recap of the story. The Israelites went through the Red Sea on dry ground with a wall of water on their right and on their left. The water flowed back and covered the chariots and horsemen, the entire army of pharaoh that had followed the Israelites into the sea. Not one of them survived. (Read Exodus 14 for the whole story.) OK that is an amazing example of God’s power right? But what got my attention was what happens next. “Then Moses and the Israelites sang a song to the Lord.” Read Exodus 15 for the whole song, I’m just going to take a part of it. “In your unfailing love you will lead the people you have redeemed. In your strength you will guide them to your holy dwelling.” Exodus 15:13
I want you to get a mental picture of this and I really do want you to read Exodus 15 so you can see the whole song. The Bible says Moses and the Israelites sang this song to the Lord. How did they all know the words????
I was a choir helper years ago when Anthony and Amanda were young. Funny because I can’t sing, can’t play an instrument or read music, only God… OK so we had about 25 kids in this choir and we practiced for months to teach them a few songs. There were over 2 million people with Moses!! Can you imagine this scene? 2 million men and women signing praises to God! Can you imagine how intense the presence of God must have been?
It picks up in verse 20 “then Miriam the prophetess, Aaron’s sister, took a tambourine in her hand and all the women followed her, with tambourines and dancing.” Again, interesting point. They didn’t have time to bring yeast for cooking when they fled Egypt but they took tambourines! Obviously praising God was a priority.
Back to our story, we’re talking a lot of women here! They were celebrating, singing and dancing about what God had done for them.
Years ago I was involved with a group of women and the Lord brought us together from different towns and denominations to start a women’s Bible study with no “church” affiliation. We would meet to pray and seek God’s plan. One day we all went to lunch and the Lord reminded me about a small gazebo on the side of the road in Umatilla next to the lake. He told me to bring the women there and dance before Him. Now this spot was also right on the main highway so there were cars constantly driving by, we had to decide if we were willing to look like freaks. We were, so we piled into cars and drove to that gazebo and sang and danced before our God. It was beautiful and you could just feel Him smiling down on us.
This was just a small picture of what it was like with Miriam and her girls.

This experience with the Israelites gave them courage to move forward because they knew God would protect them. He showed them His mighty power.
When I was a kid probably 8 or 9 and still did the trick or treat thing I was out in the neighborhood with my pillow case full of candy and this bully knocked me down and took my loot. I was really scared and ran home. My uncle was living with us at the time and he must have been about 19 and about 6 feet tall and I ran in the door crying. He asked what happened and I told him and he said “let’s go get your candy back.” I gotta tell you I didn’t leave the way I showed up. I had a new fire in me and I was ready to kick butt cause this time I had Uncle Donald and he was big!!! I was not going to have to use my strength. True story, we banged on the door of this kids house(his parent’s weren’t home) and he wouldn’t answer so my uncle went around back, crawled into the basement window went up the stairs grabbed the kid and got my candy! The guy was crazy, must run in the family.
My point is the Israelites didn’t fear moving forward because they weren’t relying on their own strength any more.
You may be in a place where you’re afraid to move forward. The only reason you would be afraid is because you’re relying on your own strength. Satan may be sending you threats or attacking you in some way. Exodus 15:9 The enemy boasted, “I will pursue, I will overtake them. I will divide the spoils, I will gorge myself on them. I will draw my sword and my hand will destroy them.” Those are pretty scary words. I’m sure the enemy is using similar ones on you. Notice verse 10: BUT you blew with your breath and the sea covered them. They sank like lead in the mighty waters.”
God is truly the bomb!!!!!!

We all have a Promise Land here on this earth before we go to our eternal one. What is yours? What is keeping your from entering it?
God will protect you as you “pass-over” into your Promise Land. Don’t retreat, the same God that crushed Pharaoh’s army is more powerful than the Red Sea. He is the same God that raised Jesus from the dead, and He’s the same God that watches over you! He is the same God that will return for His people and the same God that will judge those who did not believe in Him. The enemy may be scaring you BUT GOD will deliver you. Pass over Gems from this place to your Promise Land.

Gena’s Jewels.