|
Listen
|
This week in our study of the Story Bible, we see that the Nation of Israel has been delivered from Pharaoh and his army at the Red Sea. God miraculously delivers the nation of Israel by parting the Red Sea and letting them cross, and then drowning Pharaoh and his horses, and his chariots in the same Red Sea. After this miracle, the children of Israel sang this song. Exodus 15:1 (NIV)
“Then sang Moses and the children of Israel this song unto the LORD, and spake, saying, I will sing unto the LORD, for he hath triumphed gloriously: The horse and his rider hath he thrown into the sea.”
Our good friends and Pastors, Mike and Susan McFarland used to sing this song for Sunday morning worship. We see in the Bible that Miriam, the prophetess led this song with a timbrel. Pastor Mike and Susan led their version with a 12-string guitar, and a standup Bass, “I will sing unto the Lord for He has triumphed gloriously. The horse and rider thrown into the sea Yehay”. We loved the Pastor Mike and Susan version, especially the “Yehay!”.
Back to our story. Soon after this celebration, however, trouble starts. The children of Israel became concerned that they would starve in the wilderness. They even grumbled and complained. Let’s stop right there. How many times have I grumbled and complained while God was bringing me through hard times? As one Christian hip-hop artist sang “Hold up, I got to ‘fess up”. I fill up my heart and my prayers with complaints. How does this sound? I am just as guilty as the Nation of Israel in this story.
And how did God respond in this story? God responded like He always does with His children, with His blessings, and His kindness. God loves us and wants what is good for us. We see that God gave the nation of Israel everything they needed to not just survive, but to thrive. God sent quails in the evening, and God even created something that had never been seen before, Manna. In fact, the name “Manna” means “What’s that?”. Exodus 16:4 (NIV)
“Then the Lord said to Moses, “I will rain down bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day. In this way I will test them and see whether they will follow my instructions.”
So, the next time you want to invite some friends over for some “Whine and cheese”, cancel the “Pity Party”, and schedule yourself a “Praise Party”. In fact, you don’t need to schedule a party, you can praise God all by yourself. Praise Him!
We give thanks to God for you today, and in the words of J. Vernon McGee, “May God Richly Bless You”.
We love you
Pastors Willie and Rochelle McIntosh
Do you need Prayer? Reach out to us at [email protected]
