God Makes a Way When There Is No Way

By: Sarah Martin

Oftentimes we may find ourselves in a “storm” where there seems to be no way out and it feels like we are going nowhere. A perfect example would be the Israelites crossing the Red Sea. In this story, we see that after years of hardship, Pharaoh finally gives in and lets God’s people go. The Israelites are now making their way through the desert and to the Promised Land, but then they suddenly become stuck “between a rock and a hard place” or in other words, a sea blocking their way and a large, raging army following behind. But at this moment, we are also shown God’s great hand at work. Exodus 14:21 tells us that “Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land. The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground…”. This instance captures God’s faithfulness and power perfectly because it shows that He makes a way when there seems to be no way.

If we look back to verse 13, Moses tells the people, “Do not be afraid. Stand firm and you will see the deliverance the Lord will bring you today. The Egyptians you see today you will never see again. The Lord will fight for you; you need only to be still”. Often, we can become so caught up in the wilderness that we are going through that we forget to be still, have faith, and trust in what the Lord is doing. When the Israelites reached that hard spot in their journey, they began to complain over the fact that they were out in the desert and wished to go back to the same place from which God had freed them. They focused on the trouble that surrounded them rather than looking to their great God. Thank the Lord for Moses, because he was the one that fixed his eyes on the Lord, took a step of faith and as a result God moved and parted the waters. Not only was this occasion with the Egyptians and the Red Sea a test of faith for the Israelites, it was also a means to show God’s glory rising from a situation that was at first hopeless but then was transformed into goodness. If Moses and the people would not have been faithful and would have continued being consumed with their troubles, they would have missed God’s goodness, glory and promise.

In Proverbs 3:5-6, we read, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths". So I encourage you, that when you get to that point in your desert where there seems to be no way out, do not allow your troubles to consume you, rather acknowledge God in all your ways and you will see the promise(s) come to pass, the great things arise, and God’s glory emerge in your life.