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Whenever you are watching a war movie and one of the battlefield generals issues the order to “sound retreat,” you know whose side is losing.
Israel was perfectly positioned. Right where God wanted His people. Behind them Pharaoh’s bloodthirsty army was in hot pursuit. In front of them, the Red Sea’s white-capped waves presented an impenetrable wall of water impeding further progress. Stage set for a miracle. Israel was poised to witness a powerful deliverance from God’s mighty hand. So, what did God’s hand-picked people do? Sound retreat. For it would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in the wilderness.” But Moses said to the people” Do not fear! Stand by and see the salvation of the Lord which He will accomplish for you today; for the Egyptians whom you have seen today, you will never see them again forever.” Exodus 14:12b-13 Crying out to Moses, the people whined “Why in the world did you bring us out here to die in the desert? Can’t you see oh fearless leader that it would be better if we were slaves again in Egypt? Pharaoh would take better care of us than God.” (Roll paraphrase of verse 12). Moses’ rebuttal was straightforward. “Straighten up gang. Stop being so scared. Stand by, look and see what the Lord is going to do for you today. Keep your mouths shut while God fights for you. Exercise faith. Trust God. Go forward. Then look back to see Pharaoh will never harm you again. He and his army will be lying dead on the bottom of the sea.” (Roll paraphrase of verses 13-15). Read verses 16-31 for the rest of the story. Moses, by faith, held his staff toward the Red Sea and God parted it! Pharaoh and his pursuing army were drowned. Israel was delivered. Moses was vindicated, God was glorified. His chosen people Israel learned a lesson, at least for a while. When you know what God’s will is and He directs you to go forward, never retreat. To retreat is to invite defeat. Retreat is always the path of least resistance. Anybody can go backward. But death hovers over the backdoor. Live in reverse and you will end up in a hearse! Advance is the path that requires the most persistence. Not everybody goes forward because it always costs to be successful. It takes guts to leave the narrow, deep ruts of the past to plow a new, wide highway to the future where God’s richest blessings are found. Retreat is the choice of losers. Advance is the choice of winners. Reasons For Retreating 1. Challenging circumstances suggest making a U-turn. 2. Going forward by faith does not seem to make sense. 3. You feel pressure from the devil to go back. 4. Retreating seems easier than advancing. 5. People around you are retreating.
Reasons For Advancing And Resisting Retreat 1. Jesus Christ is bigger than circumstances. 2. Christians walk by faith, not by sight. 3. The devil travels backwards. God travels forward. 4. The price to go ahead is always less than moving backwards. 5. Men can miss God’s will. Resist the herd mentality.
Are you facing a challenging situation? Are you tempted to retreat and run away from the opportunity before you? Are others around you sounding the retreat and inviting you to go backwards with them? Decide that your future is forward, not backwards. Discipline yourself to trust in God’s plan, not man’s. Look forward to going forward and discovering what the Lord has prepared for those who refuse to retreat. NEVER, NEVER, NEVER RETREAT when God has called you to GO FORWARD!!! “I will in travel in any direction as long as it is forward.” David Livingston, Missionary “Then Joshua said to the people “Go forward, and march around the city, and let the armed men go on before the ark of the Lord.” Joshua 6:7 A Word For Your Week: If you do not RETREAT, you will not be BEAT! |
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